The 1976 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 28th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

1976 marked the beginning of the era of Suzuki domination with the Japanese firm taking 11 of the first 12 places in the premier class.

Angel Nieto In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

would take his fifth world title in the 50cc division, this time aboard a

Bultaco Bultaco was a Spanish manufacturer of two-stroke motorcycles from 1958 to 1983. In May 2014, a new Bultaco was announced. Origins The origin of the Bultaco motorcycle company dates from May 1958. Francesc "Paco" Bultó was a director of the ...

. In the 125cc class, it was more of the same with

Morbidelli Morbidelli was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company was particularly successful in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The team won the 125 cc world champi ...

taking another crown with

Pier Paolo Bianchi Pier Paolo Bianchi (born 11 March 1952) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. He won consecutive FIM 125 cc world championships in 1976 and 1977. He won one more 125 championship in 1980 Events January ...

claiming the championship.

Walter Villa Walter Villa (born 13 August 1943 - 18 June 2002) was an Italian four-time Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world champion. He was known for his quiet, unassuming nature off the bike who became a ruthless competitor once the races began. Moto ...

would claim double world championships in the 250cc and 350cc classes for

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

fighting off a strong challenge from defending champion,

Johnny Cecotto Johnny Alberto Cecotto Persello (born 25 January 1956), better known as Johnny Cecotto, is a Venezuelan former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer and auto racer. He rose to prominence as a teenage prodigy in 1975 when he became the you ...

in the larger class.

Barry Sheene Barry Steven Frank Sheene (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing and was a two-time world champion, winning consecutive 500cc titles in 1976 and 1977 ...

came to the fore with a dominating championship season in the 500cc division, finishing ahead of his Suzuki teammate

Teuvo Länsivuori Teuvo Pentti "Tepi" Länsivuori (born 9 December 1945) is a Finnish former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Grand Prix world championships from 1969 to 1978. His most successful seasons were in 1973 when he finished in se ...

. Newcomer

Marco Lucchinelli Marco Lucchinelli (born 26 June 1954) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was 1981 FIM Road Racing World Champion with Suzuki. He is a MotoGP Legend. Career Lucchinelli was born in Bolano. He began his road ...

impressed as well on a Suzuki but injuries curtailed his performance.

Pat Hennen Pat Hennen (born April 27, 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is notable for being the first American to win a 500 cc World Championship race, the 1976 500cc Finnish Grand Prix. Competing ...

became the first American rider to win a 500cc Grand Prix, when he triumphed at the Finnish Grand Prix. 1976 marked the end of an era as it would be the last time the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

would appear on the Grand Prix calendar. Once the most prestigious race of the year, the event had been increasingly boycotted by the top riders. The TT finally succumbed to pressure for increased safety in racing events. The season also marked the end of another era with 15 time world champion

Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500 ...

winning his last Grand Prix at the season-ending round at the

Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...

. As Agostini had chosen the

MV Agusta MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is a motorcycle manufacturer founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the Agusta aircraft company near Milan in ...

for this challenging track, this win was also the last for a 500cc four-stroke engine.

1976 Grand Prix season calendar

Participants

500cc participants

;Notes * * Länsivuori was disqualified for the second round of the season, the Austrian GP, for not stopping his engine during a refuelling stop.

Final standings

500cc standings

350cc standings

250cc standings

125cc standings

50cc standings

References

* Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). ''Continental Circus 1949-2000''. Chronosports S.A. * {{DEFAULTSORT:1976 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Season Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons Grand Prix motorcycle racing season