Enter to win the Moto Guzzi V85 TT at https://fanathem.com/canyonchasers - Dave spent the week at Barber Vintage Motorcycle Days riding Honda's new CB1000F alongside Freddie Spencer, the only rider to win the 250 and 500 world championships in the same season. We get into how Honda deliberately tuned character into this engine (mismatched velocity stacks for a two-tone intake note, offset cam timing, carburetor-style fueling), why Dave came away liking it more than expected after his long-term time on the Hornet SP, and what it actually takes to keep pace at a press launch on a bike and road you've never seen.
Then Freddie drops a bomb: he told Dave to try cornering without countersteering at all. We break down what countersteering really does, what "counter-countersteering" means on corner exit, and why universities are still trying to figure out how two-wheelers stay upright.
We also talk about the collapse of the big motorcycle magazines, what that means for how brands launch bikes now, and why YouTube's comment section is the best feedback loop a creator can ask for.
Plus a full Mandalika MotoGP recap: the smartest version of Marc Marquez we've ever seen, Aprilia's costly tire pressure mistake in the sprint, the turn one incident where a knee knocked a shifter into first gear, the "nobody wants to lead" standoff, and Marquez stalking Martin through Q2.
00:00 Intro
01:28 Riding Honda's CB1000F with Freddie Spencer
05:04 The retro styling: a Honda restomod
08:11 How Honda engineered character into the engine
15:02 Deep dive: intake and exhaust tuning
21:13 Ergonomics and the small press launch
24:27 Magazines are dying, creators step in
33:10 Riding with Freddie at Barber
39:11 Freddie's advice: stop countersteering
44:41 Countersteering and counter-countersteering explained
50:35 The science of bike stability
54:45 MotoGP Mandalika recap
1:06:16 The tire pressure rule problem
1:12:31 Marquez stalks Martin in Q2
1:14:55 Giveaway bike and outro
#freddiespencer #CB1000F #countersteering
