Description
Collector's Note – Why This Issue Matters
Cycle from September 1958 captures American motorcycling at a moment when the culture still comfortably included scooters, road machines, club activity, and brand history within the same enthusiast world. The listing identifies two especially concrete anchors for this issue: a Cushman road test and “The Norton Story.” That combination makes the magazine valuable not just as a period motorcycle title, but as a document of how riders in the late 1950s understood the motorcycling landscape itself. A Cushman feature points to the practical, accessible side of two-wheeled transportation, while a Norton feature reflects the continuing prestige of British engineering and racing heritage in the American enthusiast imagination.
The date matters because 1958 sits near the end of a decade when motorcycles and motor scooters still carried a strong postwar identity of freedom, utility, and style. In the United States, brands like Cushman had real cultural visibility, especially among younger riders and casual users, while Norton already held a reputation rooted in performance and competition. For readers exploring the broader run of vintage Cycle magazines, this issue represents exactly the kind of editorial mix that made the magazine historically useful: road testing, marque history, and a wider sense of the motorcycling world as it was being lived in real time.
It also fits naturally within the larger context of magazines from 1958, when specialist enthusiast publications were central to how hobbies and mechanical passions were shared. A September 1958 issue like this preserves not only information about machines, but also the tone of an era when print was one of the main ways riders learned, compared, and imagined the wider motorcycle community.
About the Publication
Cycle was an American motorcycling enthusiast magazine founded in 1950. Over time it became one of the best-known U.S. motorcycle publications, covering road tests, technical subjects, travel, racing, industry developments, and feature articles for riders and enthusiasts. In the 1950s, that editorial identity was already taking shape, and issues from the period show a magazine aimed at readers who wanted both practical information and a broader sense of motorcycle culture. That makes surviving early issues especially appealing to collectors, because they preserve not only specific machines but also the developing voice of American motorcycle journalism.
Key Highlights Inside
- The provided listing identifies two confirmed feature subjects: a Cushman road test and “The Norton Story.”
- A separate issue reference for September 1958 specifically describes the road test as “Road Test No. 98 … The Cushman Road King,” which strengthens the identification of the Cushman feature.
- The same issue is also associated with “The Norton Story,” confirming Norton as one of the central editorial topics of this September 1958 number.
- The pairing of Cushman and Norton reflects the broad range of late-1950s motorcycling culture, from practical American scooters to prestigious British motorcycles with strong racing associations.
- The exact full table of contents is not confirmed from the material provided here, so any additional departments, race coverage, or article titles should be verified directly from the issue itself rather than inferred.
Condition & Rarity
The listing describes a newsstand, no-label example with minor edge wear and/or small rips or marks, along with a plastic protective covering. In collector terms, a label-free copy is usually preferable because it preserves the cover presentation without subscriber markings. Minor edge wear is typical for a 1958 enthusiast magazine, especially one originally bought to be read and handled rather than stored as a future collectible. The protective sleeve is a positive preservation detail, but the main factors collectors usually assess in any surviving example remain cover eye appeal, page completeness, spine stability, paper tone, and the absence of major moisture damage, detached wraps, or heavy tearing. For a 1950s motorcycle issue, the combination of early date, clean cover presentation, and intact interior generally matters as much as any single technical flaw.
Looking for More Issues Like This?
September 1958 becomes even more interesting when viewed as part of the longer history of the title. Readers who want to follow that broader story can explore other Cycle magazine issues to compare how the magazine covered machines, brands, and riding culture across different decades.
It also helps to place the issue alongside other magazines from 1958, where its mix of road testing, brand history, and period motorcycle culture becomes easier to appreciate. That wider context often gives a single issue much more depth as a collector's reference point.