Enter to win the 2027 Moto Guzzi V85TT at https://fanathem.com/canyonchasers - MotoGP’s last weekend at Phillip Island ended without the race everyone wanted, so Dave and Brian go over what we did get: the Marquez vs Martin sprint fight, a wet qualifying lap from Marquez that looked like a different sport, Jack Miller’s sendoff, and Martin’s crash heading into Sepang.
After that, the conversation moves into bikes. Dave explains why tall-rounder adventure bikes like the Moto Guzzi V85 and the Africa Twin keep up with sport bikes in a technical canyon. That includes how modern rake, trail, offset and swingarm length get around the old tradeoffs, and how much work modern tires and IMU electronics are quietly doing. Then the insurance check game: if the Multistrada Pikes Peak got written off, what replaces it?
Next comes the naked superbike debate. If you had a blank check, which one goes in the garage: the KTM Super Duke, Aprilia Tuono, BMW S1000R, Speed Triple or the Streetfighter? That leads into engine configurations, Honda’s V3 rumors, and whether electric drivetrains turn gas engines into the new recreational horse.
We close with a talk about how riding schools teach. Why does the same lesson click when one instructor explains it and fall flat when another does? How do you spot snake oil riding advice? And why does the sport depend on everyone riding better?
Tell us in the comments: what naked bike would you buy, and what’s your favorite engine configuration?
Chapters
0:00 The last race at Phillip Island
1:54 Why MotoGP is leaving and the Adelaide street circuit
4:14 Sprint highlight: Marquez vs Martin
7:42 Next year: Acosta, Pirelli tires and the 850s
10:27 Marquez’s wet qualifying masterclass
11:56 Helmets, liveries and Jack Miller’s farewell
16:06 Martin’s injury and Sepang
18:21 The V85 giveaway bike and the case for tall-rounders
21:29 Modern geometry: rake, trail, offset and long swingarms
25:34 Electronics and tires doing the hidden work
28:06 If the Pikes Peak got written off, what replaces it?
33:13 Naked superbike shopping: Super Duke, Tuono, S1000R
45:43 The Speed Triple and the triple debate
49:25 Honda’s V3 and engine configurations
52:36 Electric vs gas: does the engine become the horse?
59:14 Riding schools and coaching language
1:04:58 Listen to the question: the motor officer example
1:10:37 Spotting snake oil riding advice
1:13:03 V85 giveaway details and wrap up
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