Three-time World Champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Freddie Spencer rode the all-new 2026 Honda CB1000F during Monterey Car Week, August 15-16, taking part in The Quail Run.
The activity brought together one of Honda’s most celebrated racers with a model whose styling draws inspiration from versions of the CB750F and CB900F that “Fast Freddie” raced during his rise through the ranks of AMA road racing in the early 1980s. The weekend also marked the first time the CB1000F was ridden in the USA.
The Quail Run took approximately two dozen participants on a scenic route through the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Valley, with the group departing from and returning to Laguna Seca. The ride coincided with the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, a centerpiece of Monterey Car Week that this year celebrated Japanese motorsports. Spencer also participated in exhibition laps at Laguna Seca aboard a replica of the Honda NS500 he rode to the 1983 500cc Grand Prix World Championship.
“This is not just a retro bike in colors and style, but in the way they’ve done the engine,” Spencer said after completing The Quail Run aboard the CB1000F. “The great thing about the original inline engine was the changing pitch. They’ve been able to restore that sound and put it back in this bike. I love that it has the modern technology, but it doesn’t interfere with the riding experience. It also handles incredibly. It’s just an absolute pleasure to ride.”
Honda also celebrated seven decades of two- and four-wheel motorsports heritage during Monterey Car Week, showcasing more than 20 iconic Honda and Acura championship-winning race cars and motorcycles. Among them were the 2026 Honda RC213V, Nicky Hayden’s 2006 MotoGP Championship-winning RC211V, Mick Doohan’s 1997 FIM Grand Prix Championship-winning NSR500, a replica of Dick Mann’s 1970 Daytona 200-winning CR750, Honda’s 2004 CBR600RR AMA Formula Xtreme bike, and Jett Lawrence’s 2025 SuperMotocross Championship-winning CRF450R. In addition, Ricky Brabec’s 2024 Dakar Rally-winning CRF450 Rally was on display, with Brabec riding his current factory rally machine during demonstration laps.
“Honda has deep roots in motorsport competition, which is an important part of our history and culture,” said Colin Miller, Manager of Experiential Marketing at American Honda. “Monterey Car Week gave us a great opportunity to celebrate that history through some of Honda and Acura’s most iconic racing machines. Freddie is also an important part of that story, so it was special to see him aboard a replica of the NS500 he raced and the new CB1000F, particularly given the CB1000F’s connection to the motorcycles he raced in the early 1980s.”CN
