Yamaha introduced a new motorcycle with a V4 engine for Kenny Roberts but, suffered from having to develop a new bike during the season.[1] Roberts was also now using Dunlop tires after Goodyear withdrew from motorcycle racing.
Kawasaki would continue to campaign its KR500 with rider Kork Ballington but developing a new motorcycle proved to be difficult, and after three years in the 500cc class without being able to recreate the same success they had experienced in the smaller classes, they made the decision to withdraw from world championship competition after the 1982 season leaving Ballington without a job.[2]
Roberts injured a finger and a knee at the British Grand Prix and would miss the remainder of the season.[1]Barry Sheene was lying third in the championship, tied on points with Roberts after eight rounds however, his season was brought to a premature end while testing the new Yamaha V4. He hit the obscured fallen machine of Frenchman Patrick Igoa during practice at Silverstone and badly broke both legs and an arm.[1] Most of the factory sponsored riders boycotted the French round at Nogaro in protest of the unsafe track conditions.[1]
Anton Mang successfully defended his 350 title for Kawasaki despite winning only one race.[1] He would be the final 350 world champion as the class would be discontinued after 1982.[1] Mang lost his 250 crown to Jean-Louis Tournadre by one point despite winning five races.[1] Tournadre's only victory would be at the boycotted French round.[1] The Frenchman would become France's first world champion.[1]Angel Nieto clinched his eleventh title in the 125 class on a Garelli.[1] In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini and Stefan Dörflinger traded wins, each rider winning three races, but Dörflinger took the title because of his three second-place finishes.[3]
1982 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1982:[4][5]
Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
References
^ abcdefghijklmNoyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
^"Archives: Ballington Comes to America". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
^"1982 50cc Final Standings". MotoGP.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
^"Alle Grand-Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden, van 1973 (het jaar dat Jack begon met racen) tot heden". jumpingjack.nl. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
^"1982 World Motorcycle Championship". Motorsportmagazine.com. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
External links
"The Official MotoGP website". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2010-07-06.