The Man Who Helped Build the CBR & Risked it All for Your Safety

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/4tZnaZM00:00 - 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