Luke Ray, Director of Fuel Press, sent me a complimentary copy of their newest baby, Tank Moto magazine. Fuel Press puts out Fuel Magazine, which you may have heard of. Tank Moto is the result of two years of research, planning, and just plain hard work. This premiere issue is mostly the work of Geoff Baldwin, the editor and writer of many of the articles, and Luke Ray, who took most of the photos and is the Publisher and Creative Director. The magazine is 144 pages long, and has 12 articles total.
I’m on the front porch, a cup of steaming hot coffee in one hand, my copy of Tank in the other. The 3-year old is on her kiddie rocking chair, and she’s losing a battle against nap time. The world is finally quiet. I look at the publication in my hand. It’s just a little over digest sized, and it’s THICK. It rests in my palm with a reassuring weight. The slick glossy cover feels cool against my fingers as I thumb through the pages. Let’s see, we have a Norton, a Triumph hard tail, a Ducati, a Vincent, a KTM cafe racer, three Hondas, and a Harley-Davidson. It’s a nice variety of bikes, no one-make or one-style focus, just good custom motorcycles. I like that. I settle in my chair and begin reading about Damian Bombardiere’s 1969 Norton Commando…
Geoff Baldwin is the man responsible for the website Return of the Cafe Racers, which I’ve been reading for a couple of years now, and is an inspiration for Goodhal Garage. His writing translates well to the printed page, and is actually more enjoyable for me. There is something to be said for words on paper versus electrons on an LCD screen. There’s more of a connection, and you feel that you have the time to savor the print, not just rush through it to the next website. If you like Geoff’s work on the web, you’ll probably love it on parchment.
As I’m reading, my mind is going back to an earlier time. The early 90’s, when Car & Driver magazine was in it’s prime. Articles that featured clean type, photos that looked gorgeous, and a clear definition between what was an article and what was advertising. If only the irreverence and wittiness that I remember in C&D was present in Tank! I turn the page and there is an article on Tracy’s Fiberglass Works. Now that’s something you never got in C&D…
There are some negative aspects I’d like to cover, and we might as well get them out of the way. While there are twelve articles spread out into 144 pages, each article is a little light on words. They feel more like blog posts than in-depth pieces, and this is something I’ve also noticed in the competition like Iran & Air. I want to know more about the characters that are building these bikes, what creating these mobile pieces of art means to them, what drives them to go on. There is so much more to custom motorcycles than the machines themselves, such as the philosophy of building something straight from your imagination, instead of purchasing it out of a catalog or off a website. It’s a tall order, yet I see glimpses of it in Geoff’s writing. I have to say Karlee Sangster captured more of that feel with her article about Sofi Tsingos, and it’s my favorite article in the bunch.
In the middle of the magazine is a section of pages printed on a different, coarser type of paper than the lovely glossy pages that make up the rest of the journal. It’s a small thing, and wouldn’t deter me from subscribing, but it’s there, and it caught me off guard. It’s like sitting in a fine sports car with luxurious leather seats and a stitched leather cover on the steering wheel. You reach for the gear shift, and it’s a cheap plastic job. Perfectly functional, but you know it doesn’t really belong. I don’t know if it’s a cost-saving measure or just a printing necessity, or some other explanation. It’s really just a minor point, and is more of a reflection of how hard it’s been to find faults with the magazine than anything else.
The sun is about to set, and the letters on the page are getting hard to distinguish. The photos of the Confederate Wraith though, are still crisp and stunning in the dying light. It’s one of those designs that grabs your attention and won’t release you until you agree to sell your soul for the opportunity to have one. Today may have been pure hell, but the end has been what makes it all worth it. I rouse the three-year old from her slumber, and we head inside for some of Mama’s scrumptious home cooking. Tomorrow is another day, and I still have more of Tank to finish reading…
Tank is going to be compared to some of the other print publications, especially Iron & Air. Is it up to the task of earning a spot in the moto-world, and more importantly, a withdrawal from your bank account for a subscription? It’s off to a very strong start, with a wonderful variety of bikes covered, and interesting articles on related material such as Tracy’s Fiberglass Works and a profile of artist Adam Nickel. The photography is top notch and the writing is a delight. It has a very similar feel to Iron & Air, though the larger size of I&A makes the photos seem better, even though they are about the same level of quality. With only four issues a year, Tank will need to establish a strong editorial voice, a tone that sets this publication apart from what the competition delivers. The pieces of the puzzle all seem to be there, they just have to put them together correctly. I think they can.
I, for one, can’t wait until the next issue comes out!
Subscriptions through Shift & Drive are $80.00 US, or individual issues for $20.00.
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