1976 World Championship

World Championship, 1976

The season of 1976 was the second edition of the World Trial Championship organized by the FIM.
It was the first time that a non-British pilot won the championship. This was Yrjö Vesterinen from Finland, and this was the first of his 3 consecutive wins.
The year was market by the tight fight at the front of the same 3 contenders as from the previous year (1975). Martin Lamping (Bultaco), Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa) and Yrjö Vesterinen (Bultaco), with reversed results from that of the preceding year.
We saw the coming of young riders like Coutard and Soler that gave the championship a new flavor.
Bultaco brought the model 182, not very different from the previous model; Montesa came in full force with the Cota 348, with 3 riders.
Yamaha and Mick Andrews continued the evolution of the OW 10, and we saw for the first time a Suzuki in the top ten with Nigel Birkett and his Beamish.