It is with great sadness that Classic Motorcycle Mechanics heard of the passing of David Miller, the motivating force behind Bikesport News, in mid-January.
David started his career in journalism as a reporter on the Stamford Mercury, undertaking general cub reporter duties as well as becoming one of the newspaper’s motoring correspondents. But, his love was always motorcycling and racing. Following in his father Robin’s foot-steps, who was head of publishing company EMAP and a former Motor Cycle News reporter, David eventually worked at Bike Magazine, MCN Sport and What Bike, before taking over the helm of Bikesport News in 2007.
BSN was originally owned by Donington Park race circuit boss Robert Fearnall – and run by journalists Chris Carter and Dave Hardy. David transformed the BSN website so that it eventually rivalled and surpassed the printed version, which he turned from a regular newspaper into a colourful tabloid magazine – complete with the (by now) regular Miller humour and sarcasm.
While bikesportnews.com did well, like most news-based specialist magazines the printed version was in the website’s shadow – so it was decided to concentrate on the web-based magazine, which has since gone on from strength to strength. He leaves wife Danielle and two sons, of which he was so very proud.
CMM editor Bertie Simmonds says: “I was privileged to work with David in the 1990s when we were together at Bike Magazine and we stayed in touch after that. Many talk of his nous when it came to BSN and other projects but – for me – I will always look at his writing skills on some of the work he did on both Bike and other magazines. He could really spin a yarn. I will especially cherish David’s wit and sarcasm, which made many of us in the industry smile.”
