Kenny Roberts

[SoCalDave]

One of my idles growing up. Love me some TZ750

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=273972296787096

 

[sintax]

nothing better man!

750cc two stroke, back when men were men.... not sissy pansies with safe spaces and traction control.

 

[TOBTEK]

is he OK ? Have you seen the video where they got his TZ running and he did a few laps at Laguna Seca last year at the WBK weekend? truly AWESOME!

 

[TOBTEK]

nothing better man!

750cc two stroke, back when men were men.... not sissy pansies with safe spaces and traction control.

LOVE my traction control, wheelie control, slide control, ABS...... I'll take every Aid I can get at 150MPH. Had a guy come up and rub into me in turn 1 last time at Laguna. Nothing like someone's front wheel up into your left leg at around 140-150! SCARRRRY CHIT!

 

[TOBTEK]

was wrong..... on his YZR500 GP bike. SO BAD ASS!

 

[SoCalDave]

is he OK ? Have you seen the video where they got his TZ running and he did a few laps at Laguna Seca last year at the WBK weekend? truly AWESOME!

He's fine...last I saw him at Laguna Seca was in 84. He had some big balls sitting on that little seat.

 

[sirbob]

The King...

Remember watching him wheelie at about 150 every lap of the old Laguna Seca track before they created the Andretti hairpin - that area of 2/3/4/5 used to be more of a slight bend with a down hill stretch he would carry the whole way to the uphill -what is now about turn 6/7...

I rode an RD 400 in HS because of him.

Two strokes rule !

 

[SoCalDave]

He inspired me to buy/restore this 1985 V4 some 22 years later...

 

[zx14]

He's fine...last I saw him at Laguna Seca was in 84. He had some big balls sitting on that little seat.

I was there toooooo. I got to ride the track on my 500 interceptor

 

[TOBTEK]

^^^^ Dave, you still have the 500? Awesome bike!

 

[sirbob]

He's fine...last I saw him at Laguna Seca was in 84. He had some big balls sitting on that little seat.

I was there toooooo. I got to ride the track on my 500 interceptor

I was there toooooo!

These pics would have been around that time - possibly little earlier? These were taken at Laguna Seca in the early 80s - it used to be a regular trip for me back then so I don't remember exactly which year these were taken.

One the starting line...

Coming down the cork screw...

 

[sirbob]

Here is what I was riding back then - one of those, I wish I never sold kind of deal. I keep telling myself i'll have another RD one day. Back then I had an R5, an RD 350 & a RD 400.

 

[STV_Keith]

One of these days I'll get that poster behind the door in my office hung up. Autographed from the 83 or 84 Daytona 200.

 

[KENDOG689]

King Kenny was the man back then.Two strokes do rule and been on the hunt for one.

 

[zx14]

Here is what I was riding back then - one of those, I wish I never sold kind of deal. I keep telling myself i'll have another RD one day. Back then I had an R5, an RD 350 & a RD 400.


View attachment 697689



View attachment 697690

I had a rd400 too, my buddy worked at yamaha warehouse in Buena Park, he snuck out the back door 2 sets of all the parts we needed to make both are rd’s into tz’s. We where two hooligans on those things back then. Basically the throttle was a on off switch, fuckin scary, I was a big boy, and could lay on the tank and crank that bastard on, fun fun. Made me sell my kawi triple, the vibration machine.
I did seca, 79,80,81,82,83,84. Rode from Alta loma on various bikes.

 

[sirbob]

I had a rd400 too, my buddy worked at yamaha warehouse in Buena Park, he snuck out the back door 2 sets of all the parts we needed to make both are rd’s into tz’s. We where two hooligans on those things back then. Basically the throttle was a on off switch, fuckin scary, I was a big boy, and could lay on the tank and crank that bastard on, fun fun. Made me sell my kawi triple, the vibration machine.
I did seca, 79,80,81,82,83,84. Rode from Alta loma on various bikes.

Those are about the same years we were going up every year - we used to rent a Lincoln town car from hertz and put 5/6 guys in it with a cooler and leave the bikes hime. I don't know that I would have wanted to do that ride on any of my RDs!

 

[TOBTEK]

I kick myself in the butt for selling 78 RD 400. Bought it from the orig owner around 94. Had 700 miles on it.
It got more attention at the top of Palomar then any of my Duc’s ever have.


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[zx14]

I kick myself in the butt for selling 78 RD 400. Bought it from the orig owner around 94. Had 700 miles on it.
It got more attention at the top of Palomar then any of my Duc’s ever have.


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[ONE-A-DAY]

was wrong..... on his YZR500 GP bike. SO BAD ASS!

Rainey and Roberts were the last of the bad asses, 200hp on such a small rear tire back then is nuts.

 

[TOBTEK]

Rainey and Roberts were the last of the bad asses, 200hp on such a small rear tire back then is nuts.

LoL.... yeah. The current MotoGP guys are total pussies.

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[HotRod82]

LoL.... yeah. The current MotoGP guys are total pussies.

View attachment 697743


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Current Moto GP guys are definitely not pussies.....but I really don't like the "termed" gearboxes. I think the riders alone should have to shift up, down, and manually blip the throttle to rev-match. Yes, I'm old school, and I think the same about the car guys. Racing in general is slowly but surely getting boring with all the electronics.......

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

LoL.... yeah. The current MotoGP guys are total pussies.

View attachment 697743


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Dragging elbows, pfft!

 

[TOBTEK]

Rainey and Roberts were the last of the bad asses, 200hp on such a small rear tire back then is nuts.

YEAH...... the current MotoGP guys are pussies! LOL

Dragging elbows, pfft!

^^^^^ RIGHT? pfft....... slackers

 

[kiwi77]

My favorite Kenny Roberts vid....
Still has it at 60 yrs..

 

[chaser]

If I remember right, didn't rossi start his career on a 2 stroke? ?

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

If I remember right, didn't rossi start his career on a 2 stroke? ?

Most do, 125’s and 250’s, I can’t recall if the 500’s were no more when we he made it to the big show.

 

[WhatExit?]

The King...

Remember watching him wheelie at about 150 every lap of the old Laguna Seca track before they created the Andretti hairpin - that area of 2/3/4/5 used to be more of a slight bend with a down hill stretch he would carry the whole way to the uphill -what is now about turn 6/7...

I rode an RD 400 in HS because of him.

Two strokes rule !

I too saw him at Laguna -it was an amazing race as he, Freddy Spencer (Honda) and Randy Mamola (Suzuki) battled it out doing 140mph wheelies. Wish I had that event on HD video

 

[zx14]

If KR had the tires they do now, he would have drug his helmet

 

[mjc]

I have heard Kenny lives in havasu

 

[TOBTEK]

NOT to take away from King Kenny in any way......

But here's a Great onboard with Rodger Hayden at laguna. Take notice of how long past turn 1 into 2 he's on the gas..... just INSANE!

 

[highvoltagehands]

If KR had the tires they do now, he would have drug his helmet

Yep and the King would've slapped theirs, passing on the inside.

 

[DaveC]

On a side note I was gonna say that riding that course on that crotch rocket looks nuts.

BUT riding on the street with the basic brain dead Cali driver is more nuts. So riding on the relative safety of the track is sane by comparison

Lol

 

[Universal Elements]

King Kenny was the man back then.Two strokes do rule and been on the hunt for one.

I kick myself in the butt for selling 78 RD 400. Bought it from the orig owner around 94. Had 700 miles on it.
It got more attention at the top of Palomar then any of my Duc’s ever have.


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Here’s a nice one, just needs pipes, heads and carbs lol

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/d/1976-yamaha-rd400c/6736520229.html

 

[SoCalDave]

I bought this 1979 RD400 Daytona Special (last year of the RD's) from Buena Park Yamaha when they were on Orangethorpe between Western and Beach. Lived in Seal Beach at the time and we'd terrorized the streets from Belmont Shore to Newport. Some chambers and re-jetting...was a fun bike to ride as I only weight about 125lbs at the time.

^^^^ Dave, you still have the 500? Awesome bike!

No I don't. I sold it to a 2 stroke collector from Northern Cal in 2011. He has it in his collection that is pretty damn impressive. At the time I could only account for 3 of the red/black (European Model's) in North America and this was one of them.

I belonged to a 2 stroke club back then http://www.rzrd500.com/ and we would have charity rides out of Temecula up to Mount Palomar and back stopping at The Hideout to rest and have a beer. Those were some fun rides, especially when Rainey and Lawson attended. Some pics from our group.

 

[Old Man Havasu]

One of my idles growing up. Love me some TZ750

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=273972296787096

Followed him track to track in 74. Graduation trip. Cal Carruthers let me push start him in Georgia. Ear damage LOL

 

[Wheeler]

Some chambers and re-jetting...was a fun bike to ride as I only weight about 125lbs at the time.

Them pipes look familiar.


????

 

[DILLIGAF]

One of my idles growing up. Love me some TZ750

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=273972296787096

He was always the man as far as I was concerned. He definitely got the majority of the ink when it came to motorcycle racing

 

[bonesfab]

I recently acquired a japan spec rzv500r. I have a set Kenny Roberts Plastics for it. Also got a set of Jim Loomis chambers for it also. My worker is going to go through it for me. Love the sound of the 2-stroke.

 

[SoCalDave]

I recently acquired a japan spec rzv500r. I have a set Kenny Roberts Plastics for it. Also got a set of Jim Loomis chambers for it also. My worker is going to go through it for me. Love the sound of the 2-stroke.

If you ever consider selling it I would be inline.

 

[sintax]

If you ever consider selling it I would be inline.

second...

 

[bonesfab]

If you ever consider selling it I would be inline.

I had a guy by the other day that recognized what it was and put his name in the pot if it ever needs to be rehomed..

 

[SoCalDave]

I had a guy by the other day that recognized what it was and put his name in the pot if it ever needs to be rehomed..

Please insure my names in there as well...thank you.

 

[mobldj]

lawson,spencer and roberts.real mc racers

 

[bonesfab]

When I went to pick up my Rz the guys buddy had a rz350 Kenny Roberts edition with like 80 original miles on it. And icing on the cake it was signed by Kenny Roberts. This guy has a collection of cool shit. 3 rz500’s alone.