There is more movement in the online retail space for motorcycles, as the Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) is reported to be merging its two online stores: Motorcycle-Superstore and J&P Cycles.
According to Powersports Business, the Motorcycle-Superstore will be merged into J&P Cycles some time in 2017, consolidating its two online stores into one. It is expected that many of the staff at Motorcycle-Superstore will be let go during the merger.
The MAG Retail Group has completely divested itself of its media holdings, as we can now bring you word regarding the sale of Cycle News to the newly formed Powersport Media LLC company, which was founded by Sean Finley, Bryan Robb, and Jesse Ziegler.
In the interest of transparency, Asphalt & Rubber readers should be aware of the fact that Finely and Robb also own Digital Throttle, an advertising network that caters to the motorcycle and automotive industries, and that Asphalt & Rubber is one of Digital Throttle’s clients, as is Cycle News.
Back to the matter at hand, the change in ownership for Cycle News is the second such change in recent times, as Cycle News was sold to MAG near the end for 2010.
Industry gossip suggests that this deal likely saved Cycle News from following the fate of its sister publication, Motorcycle USA, which was shutdown last week.
After 20 years of service, Motorcycle USA is going to shut its doors at the end of this week.
The news is a shock to anyone in the industry, as Motorcycle USA was one of the largest daily news outlets in the space, with extensive industry knowledge, racing coverage, and bike reviews on its pages.
The news came over Twitter, though we are sure that the MotoUSA team will have a prepared statement on their site shortly, which will explain the MAG Retail Groups decision more clearly.