Road Ends For “Motorcycle”

STAMFORD, CT – Tam Communications, publisher of “American Iron” magazine, is folding sister publication “Motorcycle” (subtitled “Rides & Culture”) after giving it two years on newsstands. The March/April issue of the magazine will be its last, according to editor Steve Lita (pictured above). Lita will move over to edit “American Iron,” replacing the retired Chris Maida.

Maida’s last day with the company was Friday after nearly 20 years. “He’ll still have a presence in the magazine. He has a fan base,” Lita said today, speaking from Daytona Bike Week in Florida.

Lita said the upcoming issue of “American Iron” will still bear Maida’s touch. “We’ll probably button that up,” he said, suggesting that tweaking may then be in the offing. “Over time, we’ll see what the readers like.”

For Lita, “American Iron” presents a larger challenge. “For me, it’s a much bigger stage,” he said.

In launching “Motorcycle – Rides & Culture,” publisher Buzz Kanter promised that it would offer “long-form journalism” to differentiate it from other magazines.

“I’ve been publishing motorcycle magazines since 1989 and I don’t understand the current trend in shorter and shorter articles. When I want to learn about a subject, I want more information,” he said at the time, adding that “Motorcycles – Rides & Culture” would eschew the “little more than headlines” status quo by emphasizing photography and in-depth storytelling.