Photo: Koen Suyk / Anefo / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What stays with me about Kenny Roberts is the sheer audacity of being the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle world championship in 1978, walking into a European-dominated arena from small-town Modesto and rewriting who the sport belonged to. I admire that he didn't coast on that legacy either; he reinvented himself as a team owner, choosing the harder path of building winners rather than just being one. Four hall-of-fame inductions read less like trophies to me and more like receipts for a door he kicked open. He is, simply, a pioneer.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kenny Roberts
- Name (Japanese)
- ケニー・ロバーツ
- Reading
- けにー・ろばーつ
- Born
- December 31, 1951 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rabbit
- Origin
- Modesto, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- motorcycle racer / team manager
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1990 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
- 1998 Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- 2000 MotoGP Legends
- 1992 International Motorsports Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kenny Roberts born?
Born December 31, 1951 (age 74).
Where is Kenny Roberts from?
Kenny Roberts is from Modesto, California, United States.
What does Kenny Roberts do?
Kenny Roberts works as motorcycle racer, team manager.
Motorcycle racer — see all → · Team manager — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.