June 6 - Mitch Boehm joins Schwantz School

Longtime journalist and racer to lead classroom instruction

It’s been a big year for the Schwantz School – the dramatic move to legendary Barber Motorsports Park (“a perfect place to teach riding skills,” according to Kevin Schwantz) and the addition of superb Honda CBR600RRs to the School’s stable of championship-winning GSX-R600 Suzukis.

The latest change is the addition of a new member to the Schwantz School family – longtime motorcycle journalist and racer Mitch Boehm. Boehm will lead the School’s classroom sessions and inject a fresh idea or two into the school’s already world-class skills curriculum. 

“I’ve known Mitch since the beginning of my professional career in the early ’80s,” says Kevin Schwantz, “and he’s always done quality work, whether at Motorcyclist, Cycle World or American Honda. He’s a capable roadracer and an excellent communicator, and that’s the combination of skills you want in an instructor. He’ll be an excellent addition to our all-star instructor corps, and we’re happy to have him.”

Boehm’s been in the motorcycle industry for most of his life, racing motocross as a kid in Ohio from age 10 to 15, and working in the shop that sponsored him. During college in Salt Lake City, Boehm worked for several motorcycle dealers and continued his motocross career, eventually getting hooked on streetbikes while exploring Utah’s beautiful canyon roads. He burned through a GPz550, GS1000S and 500 Interceptor before accepting a job with Motorcyclist in ’85, where he remained for four years before taking a product-planning job with American Honda in ’89, where he helped develop new bikes.

Boehm left Honda for Cycle World in ’92, where he was Managing Editor, eventually settling back at Motorcyclist as Editor-In Chief in ’93, a post he held for nearly 14 years. Boehm’s roadracing bonifides include competition in AMA Supersport Nationals, National WERA and AMA endurance racing, local club racing and nearly fifteen years of national and international vintage racing. Boehm’s latest venture is the retro/vintage magazine Moto Retro Illustrated (www.motoretroillustrated.com), which will debut this July.

“I’m pretty flabbergasted with the invitation,” Boehm says. “I’ve known Kevin for a long time, but to work with him and his excellent instructors at a destination as cool as Barber Motorsports Park is honestly a dream come true. I’m excited to get started! For anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing a Schwantz School, or for those who’ve already taken the School at Road Atlanta, now’s a great time to sign up. Barber is an unbelievable facility, the racetrack, for sure, but also the Museum and the grounds and students will see it all.”