"KR Special" Adventure Rally FJ-09 Auctioned Off to a Good Home

John Burns
by John Burns

The “True American Heroes Benefit Auction” went off as planned last weekend at Kenny Roberts’ legendary ranch in Modesto, California, as part of the Sixth Annual True American Heroes Weekend. The fundraising event sponsored by Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., benefits “Welcome Home Heroes” and the Cpl. Michael D. Anderson Jr. Memorial Foundation. The True American Heroes Weekend is co-sponsored by Wells Fargo.

This year’s featured item at was a brand-new FJ-09 Supersport Touring motorcycle donated by Yamaha. But this FJ-09 was expertly transformed into a one-of-a-kind “KR Special” Adventure Rally bike designed and fabricated by Team Roberts, with parts and technical assistance provided by Saddlemen, Cycle Gear, Öhlins USA, Buchanan’s Spoke & Rim, Inc., Don Serrano Custom Paint, AltRider.com, Braap Shop Yamaha, Honda Kawasaki of Modesto, Clearwater Lights, Black Tie Transportation, Motodemic, Motion Pro, Higdonion.com, Cognito Moto, Thad Wolff, John Stark, Matt Borup, Glenn Stasky, Justin Gray, Daniel Martinez and Brian Turfrey.

“2017 marks the 40th year of Yamaha’s partnership with Kenny Roberts,” said Mike Doughty, General Manager of Motorcycle Operations, Motorsports Group, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. “It’s fitting that the showcase item in this year’s True American Heroes Benefit Auction is the one-of-a-kind Yamaha FJ-09 “KR Special” Adventure Rally bike because Kenny himself is one of a kind, and the past four decades of Yamaha’s relationship with KR have been filled with memorable adventures! The money raised from the auction of this unique motorcycle will go to a very worthwhile cause that Kenny and all of us at Yamaha are very proud to be part of.”

When the gavel fell, the big beautiful bumblebee-striped FJ brought in $30,000 for the Heroes; the magnanimous buyer wishes to remain anonymous.

John Burns
John Burns

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