R1 Yamaha 2008 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Kenny Roberts Motorcycle Collection Up For Sale

Motorcycling legend Kenny Roberts has commissioned RMD Motors to auction off some rare and exclusive motorcycles from his collection, presumably to make room for more. The Japan-based company is known the world over for its collection of rare and classic motorcycles for sale, many of which are retired grand prix machines fortunate enough to escape the fate of most decommissioned racebikes: the crusher.  Headlining the Roberts collection is the 2004 Proton KRV5 originally ridden by Kurtis Roberts, King Kenny’s youngest son. The five-cylinder grand prix machine never achieved much success on the world stage, but will easily make you the center of attention at your local trackday.

Yamaha Named Official Motorcycle Of Road America

The economic downturn hit the motorcycle world particularly hard, as many factory-backed road racing efforts closed shop. The decision, while unfortunate, isn’t hard to understand, as racing at the highest levels isn’t cheap, and a factory involvement means added pressure to succeed, which ultimately means spending more money to do so. Through it all, however, Yamaha has remained involved with the sport, fielding factory teams and sponsoring various riding schools and even racetracks.

Unique Sounds of the New Yamaha R1

When Yamaha announced its new R1 literbike last fall, company reps told us about the tractability assets of its new, MotoGP-derived crossplane crankshaft for the four-cylinder engine. It’s unique in that cylinders fire 90-degrees apart, allegedly enabling better grip during acceleration. A byproduct of this design is an exhaust note that is distinctive in this world of cookie-cutter designs.