The following is from the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum…
Nearly 20 years after MotoGP Legend Kenny Roberts Jr. raced the Team Roberts KR211V to two podium finishes and sixth overall in the 2006 FIM MotoGP World Championship, the 51-year-old American was reunited with the five-cylinder, 990cc, Honda-powered machine at Barber Motorsports Park.
Part of the Roberts family collection acquired in 2024 by the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, the KR211V until recently had not appeared in public for a decade. Roberts Jr.’s father, three-time FIM 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kenny Roberts, rode the motorcycle that bears his hallmark “KR” insignia at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
The KR211V was originally designed and built by GP Motorsports, the U.K.-based firm founded in 1996 by Roberts. The hybrid racer represented a unique collaboration between Team Roberts and Honda. GP Motorsports fabricated the bespoke aluminum chassis, and the Japanese manufacturer provided engines and technical support.
The culmination of weeks of planning, this amalgamation of man and machine took place on Saturday, April 5, in conjunction with the MotoAmerica “Superbikes at Barber” event. Museum restoration expert Chuck Huneycutt prepped the KR211V, checking the spark plugs, replacing vital fluids, installing a new water-pump seal, and mounting a fresh set of Dunlop tires.
Following a 45-minute museum member-exclusive Q&A hosted by MotoAmerica Content Manager Sean Bice, Roberts Jr. slipped into his Alpinestars suit and donned his signature helmet. Huneycutt and colleague Guy Reynolds pulled the KR211V onto a roller starter. Roberts Jr. toed the gear lever, engaged the clutch, and the unmuffled engine exploded to life.
“That bike wants to be on the track,” said the 2000 FIM 500cc GP world champion after five laps of the 17-turn, 2.38-mile Barber road course. “With the abundance of power, it’s so much fun to ride. The engine and chassis were designed to race, but the quality of those components is so high you can still use them 20 years down the road. The bike is exactly as I remembered it.”
Accompanied by MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey, Roberts watched his son wheelie out of the final corner. “It’s hard to describe,” he admitted. “Watching the kid win his first race, I was crying. If you’re a father, then you know what it’s like.” Roberts Jr.’s wife, Rochelle, and their teenage daughter and son were also in attendance.
“It’s pretty unbelievable to be able to ride this bike in front of Ashley and Logan,” said Roberts Jr., adding, “None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for George Barber. Our bikes and racing memorabilia would still be at my dad’s house in Arizona. It’s actually a detriment to keep all these things to yourself. They aren’t seen, and they don’t get used.”
“It was awesome to witness a modern-era MotoGP bike turn laps at Barber with the world champion who raced it,” echoed Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Executive Director Brian Case. “And to see Kenny’s kids watch him ride the KR211V at speed for the first time was a special moment. Now, the machine will be preserved in the permanent collection for all to enjoy.”
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