1987 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season


The 1987 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 39th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

became Australia's first-ever 500cc World Champion in a season that saw him score points in every Grand Prix. Randy Mamola would finish second yet again, one point ahead of Eddie Lawson despite Lawson's five victories. The first Japanese Grand Prix in 20 years was held at the Suzuka Circuit. Along with rounds in Brazil and Argentina, the championship was becoming a real world championship.
Venezuelan Carlos Lavado's defense of his 250 crown was spoiled by injuries sustained in a pre-season crash. Anton Mang stepped up to claim his fifth world championship ahead of four other Hondas. A new brand would announce its arrival in the 250 class when an Aprilia ridden by Loris Reggiani won the San Marino Grand Prix. Garelli's Fausto Gresini won ten out of eleven races in the 125 class, but ruined his bid for a perfect season when he crashed at the last round in Jarama. Spain's Jorge Martinez won the 80cc crown for the second consecutive year.
The Portuguese round was held in Jarama, Spain because the Portuguese Federation had transferred their rights to the Jarama organisers. 1987 would be the first year that saw clutch starts replace push starts on the grounds of safety. The FIM also announced that the 80cc class would be discontinued after 1989 and that the 125 class would be restricted to single cylinder machines.
The last round was in Argentina, which had not hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix since 1982. But appalling organization of the event saw the race nearly boycotted by the riders and their teams, and the race turned out to be a farcical embarrassment for the organizers. The safety of the Autodromo Buenos Aires was totally unsuitable for racing; the organization of this Grand Prix was so bad that spectators had easy access to the circuit while the races were going on. The Argentine Grand Prix did not return until 1994.

1987 Grand Prix season calendar

The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1987:
RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit
129 March Grand Prix of JapanSuzuka Circuit
226 April Marlboro Gran Premio de EspañaCircuito Permanente de Jerez
317 May Großer Preis von DeutschlandHockenheimring
424 May Gran Premio delle NazioniAutodromo Nazionale Monza
57 June Großer Preis von ÖsterreichSalzburgring
614 June Yu Grand PrixAutomotodrom Rijeka
727 June Dutch TTTT Circuit Assen
819 July Grand Prix de FranceBugatti Circuit
92 August Shell Oils British Motorcycle Grand PrixDonington Park
109 August Swedish TTScandinavian Raceway
1123 August Grand Prix ČSSR-BrnoBrno Circuit
1230 August Grand Prix San MarinoCircuito Internazionale Santa Monica
1313 September Gran Premio Marlboro de PortugalCircuito Permanente Del Jarama
1427 September GP BrasilAutódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna
154 October Gran Prix da la República ArgentinaAutódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

Calendar changes

Grands Prix

Participants

500cc participants

250cc participants

Final standings

500cc standings

250cc standings

125cc standings

80cc standings