Please Note: The seller of this lot (who is officially the Team Technician for Team Roberts this year) will donate 10% of the winning bid to Team Roberts and Kensei Matsudaira (who Iconic also sponsors) to help support their campaign in this year’s MotoAmerica Talent Cup!
After splitting from Yamaha at the end of the 1996 season, Kenny Roberts was able to start his own team thanks to funding from the Malaysian company Modenas. At the time, both 2-strokes and 4-strokes were allowed on the grid, and three-cylinder bikes were allowed to weigh 15 kilograms less than four-cylinder bikes (115 vs 130). With that in mind, Team Roberts Modenas created a 500cc 2-stroke 3-cylinder machine called the KR3. If you want more details on the bike, we recommend Kevin Cameron’s 1998 piece in Cycle World, which you can read here.
2003 was the last year of the KR3, it was replaced by the four-stroke KR5 in the middle of the season.
This listing is for a collection of parts that came directly from Kenny Roberts’ collection: “remaining parts from his time as a Team Owner of the Proton/Roberts MotoGP project. I am a personal friend of Kenny’s and helped him work on a couple bikes at his place in Lake Havasu. He was cleaning/organizing his warehouse and wanted rid of lots of components.” The gas tank is new and has never been installed.
The seller acquired this parts lot 4-5 years ago. He notes that “the body work was in fact used by Team Rider Jeremy McWilliams during the 2003 season.” As part of Kenny Roberts’ deal with the Barber Museum, he is putting one of Jeremy’s Proton KR3’s back together to be part of his display at the museum and it will wear the same bodywork as what’s being auctioned off here. As you may know, Jeremy’s impressive career is still ongoing – he currently races an ARCH in MotoAmerica Super Hooligans and is a test rider for CF Moto after 13 years in the role for KTM. His success started in 1988 as Irish National Champion in 350cc production and included several seasons of 500cc and 250cc GP. Yet 2003 brought a first for McWilliams – competing with the KR5 was the first time time had ever raced a four stroke!
“The connecting rods and the cylinder sleeves are components from the 4-stroke project. The sleeves are from the Honda engine they used for a short time.”
The sale also includes a cylinder and cylinder head that have been mounted on a small display rack.
Maintenance:
“Cleaning only…wanted every part to be as it was in the collection since these parts were actually used in race and test condition.”
Inside of the tank:
The sale includes a promotional brochure from the team:
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album in the “Photos” tab for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
“These parts have damage ie. cracks and scratches from race – test – transportation and storage.”
Currently located in Butte, Montana, this parts lot is offered on a Bill of Sale only. Have any KR3/5 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
