1983 Daytona 200 Kenny Roberts

[@steveortiz8668]

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.

[@martinpeterhughes9165]

Absolutely The Best Ever . I've grown up watching King Kenny since I was probably about 6 years old

[@biminitwst]

I was there that day, sitting in the infield on my Yamaha, tossing my yellow cap in the air when the king cruised to victory. Thanks for posting this.

[@rwlok1]

no traction control no abs these were real racers nothing like these old races, again thanks for putting fhis video on for us

[@SutediMoto]

Meanwhile people are freaking out over ABS, traction control, Aero, ECU settings, fuel injection, slipper clutches, fuel pumps… “Oh, the agony!” I saw the newer debut of the R9… luckily I was with a few older others in their spry 60’s. They said “Long gone are the days of changing jets in the garage… iPad generation ruined it for us old folk. I’m going to spend a weekend reading about the settings if I were to buy, set it, and never touch again.” There’s too many distraction today!

[@SutediMoto]

I’m 28 years old. First bike was a CB360T. Second was a CB750K6. Third was a CB550F1. Fourth was an R3 fitted by a TZ inspired fairing by GG Retro. Fifth is a SV650Y, and Sixth, finally, is an RD400F Daytona Special. I’m a millennial old soul, and about to do my first track day at Chuckwalla. I restored and build every bike I owned. I’ve been to Japan, and excited… King Kenny was nearly 32… there is still time to become a great rider. In my short 7 years of riding I’ve put 60,000 miles on bikes… over my cars. This is the most exhilarating race I’ve ever seen over modern F1 or Moto GP. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This year I’m going to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway… while my misses is pregnant with my child. It is never too late!

[@DunlopDaytona]

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!

[@craighamilton4727]

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!

[@zxr92]

Thanks for this, I missed seeing this race originally on TV! :)

[@jamesd2128]

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!

[@realasscracka]

690 cc Rot Valve..Im sure they were possible of 200+ Hp

[@princepharhung3964]

Sometimes you have to go slower to go faster

[@yammerhaw101]

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.

[@soundpainter2590]

Hey Kenny... Thanks for the. RZ- 350 !! @ 56, In 2019... STILL NOTHING LIKE IT !! ( It STILL Blows Minds) & 4 stroke 600's. !!

[@daddio7249]

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.

[@yammerhaw101]

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.

[@daddio7249]

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.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

@@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

[@donnvall9256]

@@mikeskidmore6754: If you need info on the best ways to deal with rusty tanks, let me know.

[@realasscracka]

U kept what was Important

[@qqq2211]

Amazing footage thanks for posting

[@QuickShiftMoto1]

RIP Wes Cooley! You were a great racer and moreover, one of the nicest guys on the paddock. You sure didn't deserve to have to leave us so soon!😞

[@aaronjones6527]

Wes came to MMI back in 1990 and talked to our class about the motorcycle industry. Very good guy indeed.

[@mercoid]

mesmerizing race. Thanks for posting this.

[@wsbill14224]

Look what King Kenny does at the 17-minute mark. That is why he is The Legend.

[@wsbill14224]

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.

[@steveortiz8668]

add to all his skills,Roberts was also a great motocross rider. I was a 250 pro and got to race against him. He kicked all our butts.

[@danotunes]

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...

[@princepharhung3964]

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,

[@MrSlowpoke1960]

Right ear hurts, nice vid.

[@normanbuffett4642]

I was at this race, took some great pics of Kenny, Eddie and Spenser

[@sharpsdoublerifle1439]

lucky dog....I was 16 my junior year in HS and just discovering what super bikes were.

[@donnvall9256]

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.

[@yammerhaw101]

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.

[@stevefowler2112]

I grew up riding two wheelers in rural central Florida in the 60's/70's competing in everything from Enduros to trials and flat track and earned an AMA Expert/Pro license for 125cc Motocross as a 17 yo Jr. in H.S. I had made the decision to hang up my racing boots and prepare for Engineering College my Sr. year but got a call from my sponsor (Island Yamaha, in Merritt Island Fl.), who said they had purchased a new TZ350 and were taking it to Sebring for checkout and would I like to turn some laps? Of course I jumped at the chance, though at that time I had never ridden even a fast street bike in anger on pavement. Turns out they had me and two other guys there to turn laps. I took to the TZ immediately with it reminding me so much of motocross on my ported YZ125 only on pavement. I was the only person who never stalled it and I had the fastest lap times. I had a great time and figured that was that. They then called my Dad and asked if we'd like to go to Daytona in a few months for Race Week in '75 to run two or three amateur preliminary races. It brought with it more danger than motocross so my Mom and Dad talked about it for a few days and said I could do it with the only caveat that Dad would be the chief mechanic and have final say on anything track related (My Dad was a Rocket Engineer at The Cape and was my chief wrench on all my motocross bikes, including porting and tuning and even manufacturing down swept pipes for all my motocross bikes). So I raced in two of the amateur 350cc races, taking 3rd place in the second fifty miler. The AMA officials then notified us that with my 2nd place finish I had earned enough points to get my Expert/pro license for 250cc/350cc Road Race and thus I was eligible for the 200 mile race. Qualifying had already taken place but we were told if we paid the $250 entry fee we would go off with the "back markers" at the back of the grid. The race went off with 45 entries and I started 42nd. I held my own in the infield but the 500's and 750's were much faster in the high banks (we had the TZ geared to run 141 mph in 6th gear on a flat surface at redline but I believe the factory TZ750's were doing 190 so I was at a big disadvantage). We had lots of down time in the pits with problems changing tires and brake pads and sprockets and then we lost 6th gear about 3/4 way through, so I had to run the high banks in 5th gear, but we did finish in 24th place, which may have been third or fourth from last place. My second coolest story about the race was the start, where I used my motocross racing start skills to pass about half the pack into turn one. but my coolest story was somewhere into the race coming down the front straight I was starting to think about finding my braking spot for turn 1 and a certain yellow #1 plated TZ750 comes by me (this was the first of several times he lapped me) and immediately starts braking. I knew exactly who it was and thought cool, I'll follow Kenny through the infield and see what I can learn. i was right in him through turn one then he pulled me pretty good through turn two but coming into the hairpin it flashed that I had the lighter bike i should be able to out brake him and just maybe get my front tire in front of him at the apex and possibly make a pass. Just as my brain is computing everything, I see Kenny going way outside the perfect line and he slides the big TZ 750 around getting it pointed way across to a totally different apex and is on the throttle hard sliding it probably 200 or 300 feet across the entire track and then nails it and is gone. I kind of chuckled to myself, yeah you learned a lot from following Kenny, you learned he is Bad Man and you need to concentrate on differential calculus.

[@donachille3351]

Great. Thanks but a shame that the left audio isn't on

[@CalvinEdmonson]

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.

[@comontoshi]

I saw Kenny race at Ontario in California . . . got photos of him on the track and in the pits between races.

[@wsbill14224]

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.

[@jerrylawson6905]

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.

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

The racetrack was also 1/4 mile shorter...

[@lemonjellies]

This is so good... I don't mind having gone deaf in my left ear (headphones).

[@teamsp21]

Yes is true ! please if can upload 1984 and other old yars will be great .Thanks a million !

[@septimani34]

Merci pour la video thanks for video

[@ubeenlookingforthis]

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.

[@MrKjohnson123]

Superbikeplanet,do you have the 2002 Daytona 200?

[@chamisi]

I was at this race awesome memories ,met Randy Mamola in the infield he didn't have a ride then

[@leesbo55]

you forgot Giacomo Agostini. I was there when he won it '74..Gene Romero in '75

[@IntrepidVids]

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.

[@Victorzrx1200r]

He is the King

[@Schubeedoobee]

why no mention of the FWS 1000?

[@Lightnin42]

Forever the King 🥇🇺🇸

[@RedBud315]

@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.

[@magnum427]

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.

[@comontoshi]

That bike 👍👍😻was a SUPERBIKE!!

[@marso813]

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.

[@15cuhonda6]

Diapers may be required

[@cwalden918]

King Kenny!

[@billmason4591]

Im watchin tne King and Steady Eddie and who do i see but our own Reuben McMurter. Awesome...

[@PhilAmmendolia1]

That was Gene Romero who won the season of On Any Sunday. Aldana was in the hunt, but lost.

[@JERRYKEITHDADSON]

Great race but makes me miss HD.

[@wsbill14224]

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.

[@princepharhung3964]

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

[@wsbill14224]

@@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.

[@geoffreycasey875]

They spelt Ron Haslams na wrong on the start positions.. 👍🇮🇪🍀

[@joepolansky9412]

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

[@VanJohnson-m8m]

Isle of Mann TT is the one to win as a bike racer. One is killed about every year.

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

How is the racetrack a lot longer than the modern one? It's like a quarter of a mile difference, nothing small

[@Michael_Lorenson]

They shrank the infield at least once, possibly twice. I think that was to make more room for the infield crowd at the Daytona 500.

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

@@Michael_Lorenson - A few years ago I read it was mostly the run to the hairpin that was a lot longer back then, I'm not entirely sure though...

[@Michael_Lorenson]

@@DiegoRuiz1991 Yes, that's what I remember as well. I'm almost sure they shortened it twice over the years.

[@jerrylawson6905]

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!!!

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

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.

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

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!

[@gadgetcoder]

Try again, Roberts knew more about tires than the GoodYear and Firestone people. He INVENTED hanging off...!!!

[@stevenmeyer2629]

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.

[@jerrylawson6905]

I stand corrected Steven. You are correct.

[@parcidiooliveira9943]

Aquele senhor comentador de bigode é Dave Singlheton (correto?) vencedor de uma prova interior a esta?!...com uma YAMAHA 750 cc em Daytona!

[@jerrylawson6905]

Correction we are getting closer to your factory advantage . Your 2;00 a lap does not impress me Roberts.

[@marso813]

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.

[@rpm324]

All hail the King

[@JoshLoberant]

Backmarkers seem to be standing still!!!

[@BringBack500s]

680 YZR special does that.

[@scotfield8538]

BringBack500s mm

[@Davidgough27]

cant belive how fast it is

[@CalvinEdmonson]

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!!!!

[@CalvinEdmonson]

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.

[@CalvinEdmonson]

"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.

[@MasterChief-sl9ro]

It's OW60 Square 4, Not the OW69. They were built just for Daytona....

[@twt3716]

Bikes are so easy to ride these days i see girls in bikinis ride them.

[@steveortiz8668]

bottom line watching these guys-balls!

[@slit4659]

Steve Ortiz....I go for the RACING.....I Guess YOU GO FOR THEIR BALLS....

[@dingledav]

Seems boring now at gp's

[@Victorzrx1200r]

Now the Daytona 200 is just a bullshit race.. How sad is that!!

[@jerrylawson6905]

Kenny you are not special

[@jerrylawson6905]

I could do 1:53 in 1997 on DOT tires with a 400 lb bike making 115 hp

[@shaniafox7740]

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

[@slit4659]

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.

[@JoshLoberant]

Backmarkers seem to be standing still!!!