When the one and only “King” Kenny Roberts celebrated his 70th birthday back on December 31st, his family and friends wanted to do something special… but what do you do for the man who won everything? His son (2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr.), 3-Time World Champion Wayne Rainey, their management team of International Racers, and other close industry friends all contributed to honor the legend and celebrate with their special gift to him: A “one off” Yamaha RMAX 1000 LE Side-by-Side built specially for him by Yamaha’s factory in Newnan, Georgia.
“We all wanted to do something special for my dad’s 70th birthday; something from all of us,” explains KR Jr. “Yamaha actually reached out to us once they heard we were trying to get one for my dad from a dealership and that shows all of us that my dad truly has a special place in Yamaha’s history. The factory made a special one-off livery that reminds us of the Roberts and Yamaha memories. Both Wayne and I had the pleasure of working directly with the Team in Newnan to come up with the design and something that we all thought my dad would appreciate.”
“Kenny is a true legend and icon in our sport,” adds Yamaha Motorsports President Mike Martinez. “The team at our factory here in Georgia was indeed honored to build this special RMAX 1000 as a gift from his family and friends for his 70th birthday. All of us at Yamaha truly wish Kenny a very happy birthday and sincerely appreciate his tremendous contributions to our sport!"
“It’s quite a unique situation being able to have Wayne, the team at International Racers, other close industry friends, and myself be able to give a gift that without Yamaha’s help we could never have done,” says the younger King Kenny. “It was a fun experience, and exciting trying to keep it a surprise. It turned out just great. What a fun deal!"