Dave returns from a trip to Southern California where he joined Danielle from Alpinestars for the launch of the Supertech R7 helmet. He and Brian discuss the technical details of the S-R7, including how predictive analysis are being used to refine aerodynamics.

Learn More about the Supertech R7: https://imp.i104546.net/B50JLB

Dave also shares his honest review of the Verge electric motorcycle, which features a hubless rear wheel and a claimed 1,000Nm of torque. While the straight line acceleration is impressive, the bike’s geometry led to stability issues at higher speeds. Finally, the guys propose a solution to the current MotoGP Friday practice format and how to make the sprint races more meaningful for fans and riders.

Chapters

00:00 Willow Springs: Running the Track Backwards

01:35 The Snake and a Private Tour of The Rock Store

02:59 Alpinestars Supertech R7 Deep Dive

05:44 AI Design and Cam Tail Aerodynamics

08:22 Real World Benefits: Stability Behind Semi Trucks

14:51 Safety Innovation: Protecting the Collarbone

17:01 Riding the Verge: 1,000Nm Torque and Hubless Wheels

24:11 The Geometry Problem: Stability at High Speed

35:05 Brian's Hybrid Motorcycle Concept: Using KERS

39:25 Fixing MotoGP: A Better Friday and Sprint Format

52:41 California Riding and Lane Splitting Hazards

#VergeMotorcycle #AlpinestarsSR7 #MotoGPFix

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/CanyonChasers

In this episode of The Braking Zone, we break down why most motorcycles are essentially high-speed bricks and how MotoGP teams like Aprilia are using fighter-jet physics to cheat the wind. We dive deep into the chaotic season opener at Buriram, analyzing everything from the "Tuk Tuk" races to the controversial penalty that redefined the limits of racing.

We also explore the technical "black magic" behind Aprilia's new elbow-duct aero and the Meredith Effect—a theory that could mean motorcycles are now generating their own thrust. Plus, Dave shares the honest, frustrating truth about his Ducati Multistrada reflash: why chasing fuel efficiency leads to a rabbit hole of global emission standards and "brick-like" performance.

00:00 – MotoGP Round 1: The Race Nobody Predicted 

01:11 – The Tuk Tuk Race: Why Thailand is Different 

03:03 – The Tire Trap: Extra Hard Rears & 138° Track Temps 

05:59 – Rising Stars: Pedro Acosta & Raul Fernandez 

07:54 – Yamaha’s Abysmal Weekend (And Why It’s Good for Jack Miller) 

10:42 – The Maverick Vinales Struggle: Data vs. Feel 

14:46 – Bagnaia’s Botched Qualifying & The Pressure Cooker Format 

18:41 – The Marquez vs. Acosta Penalty: Was It Too Heavy-Handed? 

26:24 – The MotoGP Flat Tire: Marc’s 200mph Save 

35:52 – Giant Killer: How "Tiny" Aprilia Thrashed the Field 

40:01 – Elbow Ducts & Ground Effect: The New Aero War 

46:57 – The Meredith Effect: Can a Motorcycle Create Thrust? 

51:56 – Why Your Motorcycle is Aerodynamically a Brick 

54:28 – The Multistrada Reflash: Efficiency vs. Emission Standards 

01:01:40 – Final Thoughts: Science, Egos, & Planning Trees 

MotoGP is back for 2026, and the engineering games have already begun at the season opener in Buriram. In this special edition of The Braking Zone, we dive into the technical espionage currently rocking the paddock, including Aprilia’s ingenious "F-Duct" loophole that is blurring the lines between motorcycles and land-speed racers.

We also discuss the shocking news of Peco Bagnaia’s move to Aprilia on a massive four-year deal, Yamaha’s smoke-filled struggles during practice starts, and why the loss of Phillip Island to an Adelaide street circuit has the MotoGP community in an uproar.

Special Event: If you are in Salt Lake City, join us for our MotoGP Watch Party this Sunday at T.H.C. Brewing! Check the Utah Superbike Club Facebook page for details.

00:00 Introduction: MotoGP Nerds Friday Morning Session

01:09 The Buriram Wildcard: Extra Hard Rear Tires

01:52 Land Speed Evolution: When a Bike Doesn't Look Like a Bike 

03:34 Aprilia’s F-Duct: The Secret Aero Loophole Explained 

05:15 Stalling Drag: How the Rider Becomes a Part of the Aero 

06:52 Yamaha’s Disaster: Smoke, Burnouts, and Development Pains 

08:58 KTM’s "Cheater" Clutch: The Secret to the Perfect Launch?

10:36 Grid Hierarchy: Aprilia vs. Ducati vs. The Rest 

11:50 Transfer Shock: Peco’s 4-Year Aprilia Deal 

13:39 Ducati’s Stagnation: Why Riders are Reverting to 2024 Aero 

15:41 SLC Watch Party: Buriram GP at T.H.C. Brewing 

16:38 The Death of Phillip Island: Liberty Media’s Street Circuit Move 

21:35 Phillip Island vs. Adelaide: Growth or Selling Out? 

22:55 Outro: Enjoy the Race!

Mitch Boehm is arguably one of the most influential figures in motorcycling that you’ve never heard of. In this episode of The Braking Zone, we sit down with the man who led the development of the iconic Honda CBR600 F2 and later risked a $200,000 advertising fallout to publish the truth about motorcycle helmet safety standards.

Mitch takes us behind the curtain of Honda R&D during the golden era of the 1990s , explaining how a 750cc prototype secretly evolved into the game-changing CBR900RR. We also dive into his legendary career in motorcycle journalism, from the "adrenaline crazed punks" era at Motorcyclist magazine to the high-stakes "Blowing the Lid Off" helmet exposé that forever changed global safety certifications.

Malcolm! The Autobiography: https://amzn.to/4tZnaZM

00:00 - Meeting the Last Magazine Editor 

01:10 - Why the AMA Still Matters Today 

03:55 - The Golden Era of Motorcycle Magazines 

08:15 - The $200k Helmet Safety Scandal 

10:35 - How One Article Changed Global Standards 

14:20 - Integrity vs. Advertisers: The Buell Incident 

18:15 - Inside Honda R&D: Developing the CBR600 

21:20 - The Secret Origin of the Honda CBR900RR 

23:30 - Testing Early ABS at 80mph in the Water 

25:50 - The Rise and Fall of Magazine Empires 

29:05 - Best Racetracks in the World: Laguna Seca & Suzuka 

33:25 - Racing "Venture Royale" Tourers for Fun 

35:30 - Close Calls at 125mph on Public Roads 

38:45 - The Famous "Drunk Tank" Riding Experiment 

47:25 - Capturing the Legend of Malcolm Smith 

#MotorcycleHistory #HondaCBR #MotorcycleSafety

Is the $30,000 flagship motorcycle a lie? In this episode of the CanyonChasers podcast, Dave and Brian discuss why middleweight motorcycles are taking over the market and why the industry focus on halo bikes is failing the next generation of riders. They break down the terrifying statistics regarding the aging rider demographic and the financial barriers preventing younger people from entering the sport.

The conversation shifts to the alarming trend of public racetracks like COTA and Willow Springs going private or being sold for real estate. They explain why participating in local track days is the only way to save these facilities from becoming billionaire playthings. They also introduce the Steamroller Theory for choosing your next bike and provide a detailed breakdown of 2027 MotoGP rider market predictions.

Whether you are deciding between a base model and an S version or wondering about the future of 850cc racing, this episode provides the honest, critical feedback you need to understand where motorcycling is headed in 2026.

00:00 The Middleweight Revolution 

05:35 Is a $30,000 flagship twice as fun? 

14:12 The Steamroller Supposition

21:12 The curse of the "irreplaceable" motorcycle 

26:12 The Racetrack Ownership Crisis: COTA goes private 

33:12 How to save your local track from the Billionaires 

39:43 MotoGP 2027 Rider Market Predictions 

01:06:44 Should World Superbike switch to naked bikes? 

In this episode, Dave and Brian analyze the drama of the Sepang tests, covering everything from Ducati's sophisticated aero packages to Yamaha's alarming engine reliability problems. They also explore the psychology of riding, specifically how to rebuild confidence after a crash by understanding our evolutionary limits.

00:00 - Sepang Test Drama & Aero Evolution An overview of a non-boring test session filled with pain, drama, and unexpected outcomes. 

04:09 - Why Motorcycle Aero is More Complex Than F1 Comparing motorcycle fluid dynamics to Formula One, highlighting how the rider's dynamic movement makes motorcycle aero vastly more complicated. 

07:01 - Aprilia’s "Hedgehog" Tail Section Analyzing the multiple wing surfaces designed to clean up turbulent air behind the rider for better stability and reduced drag. 

11:11 - KTM’s Minimalist Fairing Strategy Why KTM is reducing the upper fairing to let the rider's body posture have a more direct impact on aerodynamic performance. 

15:47 - Honda’s Progress & Yamaha’s Engine Crisis Honda shows improved turning and top speed, while Yamaha struggles with sensor failures, emergency stops, and detuned maps. 

22:44 - Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s Transition Challenges A look at why the WorldSBK star is struggling to wrap his head around MotoGP tires and the high-downforce Yamaha V4. 

28:04 - The 2027 Rider Market & The Marquez Domino Speculation on Peco Bagnaia's future, rider contracts, and how Marc Marquez remains the key domino for the entire grid. 

39:11 - Analyzing the GP26 "Frankenstein" How Ducati combined the best parts of the 2024 and 2025 bikes to create the GP26, featuring an extreme new ride height device. 

43:37 - Pirelli Tires & the Performance Window The shift toward developing tires that prioritize performance within a safety window without needing minimum pressure limits. 

48:07 - Recovery Psychology & The 20 MPH Brain A deep dive into regaining confidence after a crash, acknowledging our biological limit of 20 mph, and the mental discipline required to override survival instincts. 

#MotoGP2026 #SepangTest #AeroWars #DucatiCorse #YamahaV4 #GroundEffect

In this episode of The Braking Zone, Dave and Brian dive into the chaos of the 2026 MotoGP silly season and the controversial "stormtrooper" bike taking over the garage. From secret Yamaha swingarm covers to the €12 million gamble on Fabio Quartararo, we’re breaking down everything happening in the paddock and on the street.

00:00 — The "Stormtrooper" Backdrop

01:14 — NC750X: Real Motorcycle or Super-Scooter?

05:36 — MotoGP Tech for Commuters: How DCT Works

07:22 — Why "Real Riders" Hate the DCT

10:44 — Do Pro Racers Even Use Clutches?

12:13 — The Edge of Control vs. Boring Speed

14:40 — Is a Liter-Bike Actually Holding You Back?

16:11 — The 120HP "Sausage Creature" Sweet Spot

17:27 — 2026 MotoGP Silly Season Explodes

20:43 — Honda’s Livery Disaster: The "Crashed Fairing" Look

26:58 — Quartararo’s €12M Honda Bet

29:38 — Acosta to Ducati: Psychological Warfare

36:20 — Jorge Martin’s "Damaged Brand" Crisis

43:54 — Yamaha's V4 History: The Best Worst Bike

48:53 — Predicting the 2026/2027 Grid Holes

54:08 — Ducati’s "Hammerhead" Aero Leak

1:02:30 — Yamaha's Secret "Tinfoil" Swingarm

1:07:38 — The Toprak vs. Jack Miller Stoppie War

1:09:11 — Suspensions, Alpinestars, and Future Guests

MotoGP teams never reveal anything by accident. In this episode of The Braking Zone, we break down the hidden signals behind the 2026 MotoGP liveries, Ducati’s iconic Marlboro stripe, and how aero, bodywork, and timing are used as strategy. We also cover World Superbike tire changes, the future of Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo, and what really happens behind the scenes at a MotoGP press event from a YouTube creator’s perspective.

We sit down with Danielle Crawford from Alpinestars to talk real world motorcycle safety gear. We cover Tech Air airbag vests and suits, how the crash detection algorithm works, street versus race versus off road modes, and what ownership is really like, including battery life, firmware updates, and self service canister replacement.

We also break down armor and CE ratings, how abrasion ratings like AA and AAA fit into the bigger picture, and why impact protection is often the part riders underestimate. Danielle explains waterproofing ratings and what 5K, 15K, and 20K actually mean, plus how membranes balance waterproofing and breathability for adventure riding. We finish with helmets, including why standards like ECE and FIM matter, what Alpinestars learned building the SR10, and what riders should prioritize when choosing a helmet.

#alpinestars #alpinestarsprotects #airbag

MotoGP 2026 looks simple until you zoom in. It is the last year of this rule set, the last year on Michelin, and the year before the biggest rider shuffle in a decade. So we are making our 2026 predictions now, fully expecting to be wrong. In this episode, we break down what matters and what is noise. 00:00 Why 2026 matters and why 2027 changes everything 01:59 Ducati’s advantage and what they can still develop 14:03 KTM, Yamaha, Honda, and Aprilia: who is climbing, who is stuck 30:04 Toprak arrives: what it changes, what it does not 48:24 Tech corner: rear grip, understeer, and why more grip can hurt