Kenny Roberts R1 Auction Nets $87,000 for Charity

The one-off GYTR-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1 ridden by “King” Kenny Roberts at this year’s U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca was auctioned for $87,000.

Roberts and late night television star Jay Leno were the special guest auctioneers for the R1 at Mecum’s Motorcycle Auction in Monterey, Calif. The final bid came from Milton Verret for $87,000. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Bailey’s Café, a non-profit arts program in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“I’m kinda surprised that someone would pay for a bike that I sat my butt on and worked the rear tire on pretty good,” says Roberts. “But, it was for a good cause, and Milton really came through for Bailey’s Café.”

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One-of-a-Kind Yamaha R1 Ridden By “King” Kenny Roberts Auctioned for Charity Raises $87,000!

Monterey, CA August 18, 2011 – The special, one-of-a-kind Yamaha® GYTR-equipped YZF-R1®, featuring Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary red-and-white paint scheme and ridden in demonstration laps by Kenny Roberts at last month’s Red Bull United States Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, was sold to the highest bidder at Mecum’s Motorcycle Auction this past Thursday night in Monterey, CA. Special guest auctioneers for the event were Roberts himself, along with television personality Jay Leno.

Proceeds from the auction benefited Bailey’s Café, a non-profit organization that brings youth and elders together through the arts and services and is located in Brooklyn, NY. The highest bidder was Milton Verret, who engaged in some spirited bidding and signaled his approval of a final bid and donations totaling $87,000 before the gavel fell.

Commenting on the auction, Leno said, “That was a lot of fun hanging out with Kenny, and I’m excited for the kids at Bailey’s Café in Brooklyn. That winning bid from Milton is going to buy a lot of supplies!”

Roberts added, “I’m kinda surprised that someone would pay for a bike that I sat my butt on and worked the rear tire on pretty good. But, it was for a good cause, and Milton really came through for Bailey’s Café.”

“This auction was another exciting event in our ongoing celebration of Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary of World Grand Prix Racing,” said Bob Starr, General Manager, National Communications for Yamaha’s Motorsports Group. “With Kenny and Jay involved in the fun—and for such a worthwhile cause—it was an especially memorable event.”

For more information on Bailey’s Café please go to www.baileyscafe.org.

For more information on Mecum’s Motorcycle Auction in Monterey go to http://www.mecum.com

By Dennis Chung