Got to watch Roberts race dirt track and miles here in California. He was the best at any type of racing. Knew when he went to Europe that he would win. Just didn't expect it in the first year. He is and always will be Americas greatest motorcycle racer. And equal to anybody in the world.
I've been fortunate enough to have many days with Kenny and Kurtis Roberts, riding at his house on his TT , MX, and SX tracks, drinking eating Sushi and talking about his career, he will always be the King! PS - I was the second human to do the insane 4th gear pinned step up on his mx/sx track, 2nd to Ricky Carmichael, not to shabby for an old fart!
Thanks for posting this! The OW69 is one of my favourite all-time race bikes. I remember when KR became the first man to lap Daytona in under two minutes. 680cc of brute power. Great stuff!
The speed of the OW 69's was absolutely amazing, watch Spencer on the NS 500 and Lawson's OW hit the banking together, and see Eddie just pull away relentlessly. And to think they detuned the OW's to make them more ridable, wow!
I read in a motorcycle mag that the Yam's were clocking about 186 thru the speed traps, but Roberts reported he was gaining another 1000 rpm after. So it was estimated they were topping out about 195.
Yep, I was there with the ex on my KZ 750. The ex moved on but the 750 is still in the garage. Sucks that with 500 channels the 200 is not televised anymore.
James Methvin: I was there with my ex also on my Yam RD400. The ex nor the RD are in the garage. We were in the front strait grandstands. It was the first time i seen bikes fly by at 195 mph. Was there in '84 too.
Much more fun to ride from turn to turn in the infield. In 71 and 72 rode my Bridgestone 175 to the race. Only 50 miles away. Race available online this year.
@@yammerhaw101 I had an RD-400 1976 sold .. then bought and R-5 which I still have an a Yellow 1984 Kenny Roberts Autographed RZ-350 .. which I need to get back into runnig order .. has rust in the gas tank now .. and needs a water pump seal
Kenny Roberts is the all-time king of motorcycle racing. No one else comes close. No one to this day raced better or as long as King Kenny. Motorcycle racing is lucky. Not many sports have such a cut-and-dry all-time champion, and you wouldn't expect it in such a sport, where the difference between winning and losing is so razor sharp.
REAL SAD..I was there when it was an EVENT riders from 13 nations.. I was fortunate to see Kenny, Nixon, Duhamel,Graham Crosby,Sheene,Pat Hennen.,Spenser,and my favorite,Wayne Rainey,now it is just a vamped up street bike race..Went in 2010 and 2011, and I won't go again...
Wayne Rainey rodé dirt track piloting one of Lawwills super innovative and blazing fast XR750s and won sacramento mile in 1985 beating Scotty Parker by inches, too close to call, no photo finish cameras yet, the win was given to Parker,
Team Yamaha also deserves credit for Roberts' and Lawson's success. They had the best hardware available at the time. Yamaha were kings of road racing machines at that time, as they were.
I'm 56 years old. I have shaken the hands of KR, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, along with some old timers like Dave Adana, Rich Schlacter, Skip Askland, and Dave Emde. And just in case you are unaware, Valentino Rossi won the last 500cc GP World Championship in 2001. That's right, on a 500cc two stroke.
I was fortunate enough to be there in 83 and 84. Exciting!!! Took a stroll thru the pits. I couldn't believe how low Ken and Ed's Yamaha's seats were to the ground. It almost looked like they were built for midgets, er, I mean little people.
I was there too, also in '84 when KR won it again. Those yellow Yams were really low to the ground. Someone over 6-ft tall would have looked funny on them. When they went to 4-strokes in '85 i lost all interest in watching or attending the 200.
Steve Gervais did pretty well too as a privateer from Canada. Would have been nice to glimpse him more than once though. BS broadcasts still go on were networks or so called broadcast specialists think all the fans are cheering for just a few well known names.
Amazing that 13 years later i qualified a Super Sport spec YZF 750 with slicks for the F-USA race at Big D at 1:56. It just shows how much tires play into fast laps. Kenny's Yamaha must have been a 100 lbs less and 50 more HP.
Kenny Roberts was one of the best to ever swing a leg over a race bike , but he could have promoted motorcycling so much better if he didn't have a personality like an angry fence post.
The announcer didn't say that the Yamaha's were cruising at 206.9 mph, he said they were cruising while doing 2:06.9 lap times. There's a big difference, lol. Go back to 25:18 on the video and listen again.
Unfortunately the MotoGP bikes are run by computer with traction control. That's not racing and it makes an average rider look great. The riders back in the day had to muscle the bikes around and learn the bike. The current riders are not afraid of Daytona but put them on an OW69 and let's see just how much of a true racer they are.
@17:06 when Kenny went outside of Freddie and then inside of Eddie, the other lapped rider Eddie went inside of must have left a little skid mark we didn't see on the track.
Dave Aldana finished 5th in this race, a racer who won the North American National Championship when the movie "On Any Sunday" was made, just so you all know.
Wrong, Buritto won the 1970 A.M.A Grand National Championship then he repeated by winning the Championship. In 1971 . Mark Brelsford won it in 1972, Roberts 73&74, Gary Scott in 1975, Springer in 76,77,78,and before all of the changes in a lot of the rules, the last of the BRAKELESS dirt track champions, he also finished 2nd in the daytona 200 on 2different occasions, the one and only Magnificent Mert Lawwill 1969 A.M.A. Grand National champion
@@princepharhung3964 No one but you challenged my comment since I left it 9 years ago. I saw the movie too. I have a copy. Gene Romero won the 71 championship on his Triumph as Mert broke down too many times.
Kenny, Eddie, or Freddie would completely destroy the European Dwarfs that ride Moto GP these days. I would love to see them on the modern stuff. All the Euro can eat our shorts!!!
Actually it would be the other way around. Have you seen vintage racing nowadays? Former pros with bikes from the 50s and 60s and they're dragging their knee around, even pitching them sideways into turns! The riding techniques have evolved so much during the past 15 years Márquez, Rossi, Pedrosa, Lorenzo and company would make Lawson, Spencer, Agostini and Roberts look like amateurs.
If you want an eye-opener search for "Troy Corser Goodwood", such a huge surprise when I watched it! The bike is 70+ years old and the former 3-time WSBK champion rode it like a new bike: knee on the ground, body hanging on the inside... The full package!
Like in any sport you can''t compare an athlete, or in this case rider with those from another era. You can only compare with those from the same era. Why not just appreciate the skill and daring of all those who compete?Getting in a pissing match over who is better just makes you look foolish.
Kenny .. your pretty fast ..you should be a drivers Ed instructor .....One ff my favorite plastic models I ever made KR... fast Fredies was kinda a mess ;;sorry Spencer...tirrs were slippery and 2 strokes were insane miss my old RD 350
At your age I would think you would know the difference between the two generations of racers and bikes. I've shaken the hands of Michael Jordan, Kevin Johnson, Charles Barkley, Paul Westphal and Danny Ainge but that doesn't make me a basketball expert.
such a shame all this eco emission rubbish bring back the two strokes I had a TZ350,GT750 RD500 MALBORO YAMAHA,LC250,,,now have a derestricted hayabusa but not keen on four strokes
Shania Fox....Here in Oregon we can do whatever we want to Bikes and Cars.... Atleast here in CENTRAL OREGON.....I took everything off my Harley....No FUCKING SMOG EQUIPMENT at all..... Today I cut the Muffler off my Dodge Diesel...Just a Straight pipe....You can buy a new car and have a BLOWER HANGING OUT THE HOOD...NO PROBLEMS.....I just saw Kenny and his Son opened a Go Kart track in Bend Oregon I haven't been there yet.
You think the current crop of riders are afraid of Daytona? You think they are not fast? You think the current MOTOGP bikes are not quick to lap any track on the planet? I grew up watching the 500GPs and they were very cool, but your statements are ridiculous.
"Factory" and "works" are the same thing. Any current 600cc Super Sport street bike, right off the factory floor, is capable lapping most tracks 20 seconds quicker that KR did on the OW69. Not from top speed but from sheer corner speed and modern tire technology. You say the OW69 "cruises" at 206 mph? The more you say the dumber you sound. LOL.
Your insane comments that label current riders as unskilled and incapable of racing on two strokes is what got me started. Racers are racers. After reading some of your comments on other subjects it is quite clear that the general public finds you to be argumentative, bull headed, and unintelligent. You will get no more attention from me. Good day................I SAID GOOD DAY!!!!
