Kenny Roberts Jr.
American 500cc World Champion (2000) and son of a legend.
Kenneth Leroy Roberts Jr. (born July 25, 1973) is an American former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who won the 500cc Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Championship in 2000. He is an eight-time Premier Class race winner and joins his father Kenny Roberts as the only father-son duo to have won 500cc World Championships. Roberts was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2017.
Quick Facts
- Role
- 500 cc / 0.5 L; Grand Prix World Champion
- Nationality
- American (California)
- Father
- Kenny Roberts Sr. (1980 500 cc (0.5 L) World Champion)
- World championship
- 1992 500 cc / 0.5 L
Lore & Background
Roberts first raced in the 250cc class at Willow Springs in 1990, winning five races in his debut season. He made his World 500cc debut at Laguna Seca in 1993 and was a full-time 250cc racer for 1994 and 1995 with Marlboro-Yamaha. He moved to 500cc with Yamaha in 1996, finishing 13th, then joined his father's team in 1997, developing the Modenas two-stroke bike and finishing 16th and 13th in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, Suzuki signed him; he won his debut race in Malaysia and the second race in Japan, but finished second in the championship behind Àlex Crivillé. In 2000, he won the title on a Suzuki RGV500, taking four wins and five podiums, becoming the first son of a former champion to win the title and breaking Honda's six-year championship streak. In 2001, he managed only one podium and finished 11th. From 2002 to 2005, he struggled developing the four-stroke 990cc Suzuki GSV-R, gaining only two podiums. Suzuki did not renew his contract after 2005. He returned to his father's team in 2006, riding the KR211V (Honda RC211V V5 engine with Team Roberts frame), taking podiums at Catalunya and Estoril, finishing sixth in the standings. In 2007, he rode the KR212V (Honda RC212V V4 engine) but scored only four points in the first part of the season and stopped racing midseason, replaced by his brother Kurtis. Neither he nor the team participated in 2008.
Reader's Guide
Kenny Roberts Jr. won the 500cc World Championship in 2000 on a Suzuki RGV500. His career spanned the tail end of the two-stroke 500cc era (which ended after 2001) and the transition into the modern MotoGP class (which started in 2002). He is the son of 500cc champion Kenny Roberts.
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