Former grand prix world champion teaches comedian Bill Burr how to ride on track
American comedian Bill Burr has received the type of motorcycle training that very few will, after spending a day learning from former three-time world champion Freddie Spencer.
Imagine having the chance to ride a Yamaha MT-09 on track learning from a former three-time world champion. Well, that’s exactly what American comedian Bill Burr had the chance to do recently.
Burr is relatively new to riding motorcycles, especially on track, which is where Spencer’s detailed coaching allowed the comedian to make the necessary adjustments.
Spencer is a former three-time grand prix world champion, winning titles in 1983 and 1985 - Spencer won both the 250cc and 500cc championships in 1985.
“Fast Freddie” as he’s known, Spencer was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001. The 64-year-old was also named a Grand Prix ‘Legend’ by the FIM that same year.
Teaching of this quality and experience is rare, however, Spencer will be teaming up again with Used Bikes Direct on October 28 and 29, at the Eagles Canyon Raceway, Decatur, Texas.
The video of Spencer teaching Burr how to ride on track was shared by Used Bikes Direct on its official YouTube channel, which showed Spencer going into levels of detail that will go far beyond what you might expect.
Much of the pre-riding analysis was centred around hand positions and creating an identical feeling when applying the front brake and clutch lever.
This goes on for some time, with Spencer showing Burr how slowly he should be releasing the front brake in order to maximise his potential.
You can watch the video of Spencer showing Burr some of the tricks to riding on track below.
Joking about the experience afterwards, Burr said: “Freddie was in first gear, I was in fifth.” Burr then spoke about the MT-09 SP he rode, adding: “I loved it. I’m new to riding motorcycles. It took a second to get used to it, but it was ridiculously nimble and easy to control.”
Burr, who is a two-time Grammy Award nominee for Best Comedy Album, was also ranked number 17 on the Rolling Stone’s 2017 list of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
