Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126349
500cc World Road ·Racing Champion Kenny Roberts: The King! e called KR King years ago. He got the title not from some word-seeking journalist, but from the fans in .' the W ~ . 18 stands who knew - just as his fellow competitors did that KR was the best. But now the King is defintely a king. King of the worldl 500cc Grand Prix road racing champ! World Champion! Team Roberts had several goals in mind. They all spoke of winning three World Championships, but all emphasized that winning the "big one" - the 500cc crown - was what all their work was directed toward . The>: found out by mid-season that winning all three titles was a bit more difficult than they had realized . Dropped was their 250cc campaign, and although they contested the Formula 750cc series down to the end. that title went to Venezuelan and 'factory Yamaha rider Johnny Cecotto. But the "big one" was KR's damn near from the start. He showed up at Daytona with the ever-present Goodyear cap on top of his shock of sandy blond hair. But this Goodyear cap was different - the bill was covered with "scram bled -eggs," the gold embroidery like armed forces generals and admirals have. on their caps. KR was telling the world something, and if they didn't get the message at Daytona, where he lapped the field. they got it when he stepped from his 750cc Yamaha down to his 500 . The team, managed by former 250cc World Champion Kel Carruthers , headquartered in Amsterdam . .KR , joined by his family and utilizing a large motor home . to help prevent the ·usual stress that accompanies the task of conducting business in strange countries . went about the job on hand. The Roberts entourage arrived in Europe with one round , the Venezuelan one, of the GP season behind them . They had won the 250cc race in that South American country, but piston failure had dropped them out of the 500cc race, Defending World Champion Barry Sheene won that event aboard his works Suzuki and said. '" was expecting a tougher race. I thought the Yamahas would be quicker." While Sheene sipped the victor's champagne, insiders knew how quick the Yamahas would be. Cecotto • had set fastest practice time a board the only Yamaha on hand with the new Power Valve that the Japanese factory had cooked up to help the power band. Roberts had been second fastest. and his bike with th e new valve was on the way . With the exception of Venezuela's DNF and another -in Sweden near the end of the season, Rob erts utilized the im proved YZR500 - th e new valve . added 500 rpm to both the top and bottom of the power band In a . masterful manner. KR placed second in Spain. won in Austria , France and Italy; racked up two straight seconds in Holland and Belgium; rode with a practice session _ incurred hand injury to a seventh in Sweden; endured the anguish of his second DNF in Finland; won in England; and clinched the title with a third in Germany. But it wasn't a cakewalk. Behind ) Roberts in the ' points standings ~ right behind him all the way - was Sheene, ' . Roberts admitted after the title clinched race that he had ridden the last lap at Germany's Nurburgring "like an old lady. I was just riding for a place. There was no pressure on me . The only ihing that worried me was that I had a dream the night before that I'd break d_n at the last comer and have to push home ,"