R I D E R E V I E W
P70
ROBERT S FAMILY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BIKES
One Better
Mission accomplished. After
winning four GP races and fin-
ishing second overall in the final
500cc World Championship of
the last millennium, with a bike
which was the surprise pack-
age of the 1999 season, Kenny
Roberts Jr. and the RGV500
Suzuki XR89 went one better in
2000.
KR Jr. clinched the world
title two races early after again
winning four races in the 16-
race season—one more than
anyone else—with a single DNF
at Assen after the engine seized
when he was seemingly set for
a fifth victory. A total of four pole
positions, nine podium finishes,
and three fastest laps stamped
King Kenny II and the XR89
as the dominant force in Y2K
500GP racing, ahead of Valen-
tino Rossi in his 500GP debut
season for Honda.
This came after the Suzuki
rider took the championship
lead in the third race of the
season in Japan, and held it for
the rest of the year, despite an
obvious horsepower deficiency
KENNY ROBERTS JR.
2000 SUZUKI RGV500
This has to be one of the
best-looking bikes ever to
take to the Grand Prix grid,
wouldn't you agree?
