Which rider won both the 250cc and 500cc world titles in 1985?

Freddie Spencer won both the 250cc and 500cc World Championships in 1985.

The American rider achieved the rare double while competing for Honda. He won the 250cc title on an NSR250 and the 500cc title on an NSR500, taking seven victories in each championship. His 500cc crown was his second, following his breakthrough title in 1983.

Spencer’s accomplishment was unusual because the two categories demanded different machines, race tactics and physical preparation. He was the only rider to win the 250cc and 500cc championships in the same season, and he remains the last rider to win both premier and intermediate titles before the class structure changed.

The season also included a famous same-day achievement: at the 1985 Nations Grand Prix at Monza, Spencer won both the 250cc and 500cc races. Wrist injuries soon curtailed his career, making the 1985 campaign the defining peak of his racing life.