This 1996 Marlboro Yamaha YZR500 OWJ1 led Kenny Roberts Jr to 13th in the 1996 500cc Grand Prix World Championship. Roberts Jr got a best result of 4th place at the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Roberts’ teammates who also rode the Marlboro Yamaha Roberts bikes were Norick Abe and Jean-Michel Bayle. This is apparently the only model left in circulation, apart from the specimens that are in the Yamaha museum in Iwata.
The Yamaha machine has a liquid-cooled 499cc two-stroke V4, which has an apparent 180HP. The former Grand Prix race bike now weighs 130kg. This is because of the aluminium frame and the various magnesium and carbon components.
The Yamaha machine, which was part of the Marlboro Yamaha Roberts, which was ran by Kenny Roberts Sr. After its racing career the bike became Kenny Roberts Jr’s possession, which was then sold to Rick Degan in the UK. Degan of RMD Motors went over the bike and reconditioned it from the bottom to the top.
The bike returned to the Roberts family in the summer for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The iconic Grand Prix bike was ridden up the iconic Goodwood hill twice at the event. One of the riders at the Goodwood Festival was ‘King’ Kenny Roberts Sr himself.
At Goodwood the bike picked up some new additions to its bodywork. Multiple Grand Prix legends signed the bike at the event including Kenny Roberts Sr, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Dani Pedrosa and others.
The bike has now been sold in Santa Monica, Calirfornia. The buyer bought the bike for $321,000, which is the equivalent of £265,038. The buyer has not revealed their identity but in time the bike may make an appearance at another event in the future.
In-text image courtesy of Iconic Motorbike Auctions.
