Season Summary
Italian Franco Uncini on the Roberto Gallina backed Suzuki took a well-earned championship in the 500cc class. Yamaha introduced a new V4 bike for Kenny Roberts but suffered from having to develop a new bike during the season. Honda abandoned its NR500 four-stroke in favor of a V3 two-stroke NS500 piloted by American newcomer, Freddie Spencer, defending champion Marco Lucchinelli and veteran Takazumi Katayama. Spencer would give Honda its first 500cc win since the 1967 season and its first with a two-stroke. Most of the factory sponsored riders boycotted the French round at Nogaro in protest of the unsafe track conditions.
Anton Mang successfully defended his 350 title for Kawasaki despite winning only one race. He would be the final 350 world champion as the class would be discontinued after 1982. Mang lost his 250 crown to Jean-Louis Tournadre by one point despite winning five races. Tournadre's only victory would be at the boycotted French round. The Frenchman would become France's first world champion. Angel Nieto clinched his eleventh title in the 125 class on a Garelli. 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.
Read more about this topic: 1982 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Season
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