1974 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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This article recaps the 1974 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.

Contents

[edit] Season summary

MV Agusta and Phil Read claimed a second successive 500cc crown. It would be the Italian firm's last world championship and their seventeenth 500cc title in a row. Giacomo Agostini switched to the two-stroke Yamahas but was troubled by injuries and mechanical troubles. Suzuki started to get competetive with Barry Sheene and Jack Findlay on four cylinder two-strokes. MV Agusta pulled out of the 350cc class giving Agostini a free run, taking his fourteenth world title. Walter Villa won the 250cc crown giving Harley-Davidson the title after they bought the Aermacchi factory and renamed the bikes. Kent Andersson won his second 125cc championship title in the 125cc class. Kreidler continued to dominate the 50cc class with Dutchman Henk Van Kessel winning the crown.

Safety continued to be an issue with most riders boycotting the rainy German round over the lack of straw bales. It served as a focal point in the increasingly bitter debate about safety.

[edit] 500 cc Season review

Round Race Location Winning rider Winning team Report
1 Flag of France French Grand Prix Clermont-Ferrand Flag of United Kingdom Phil Read MV Agusta Report
2 Flag of Germany West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Flag of West Germany Edmund Czihak Yamaha Report
3 Flag of Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
4 Flag of Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Flag of Italy Franco Bonera MV Agusta Report
5 Flag of United Kingdom Isle of Man TT Isle of Man Flag of United Kingdom Phil Carpenter Yamaha Report
6 Flag of Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
7 Flag of Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Flag of United Kingdom Phil Read MV Agusta Report
8 Flag of Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Flag of Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Yamaha Report
9 Flag of Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Flag of United Kingdom Phil Read MV Agusta Report
10 Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Flag of United Kingdom Phil Read MV Agusta Report

[edit] 1974 500 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Flag of United Kingdom Phil Read 1 United Kingdom MV Agusta 82 4
2 Flag of Italy Franco Bonera Italy MV Agusta 69 1
3 Flag of Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha 67 1
4 Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini 3 Italy Yamaha 47 2
5 Flag of Australia Jack Findlay 5 Australia Suzuki 34 0
6 Flag of United Kingdom Barry Sheene United Kingdom Suzuki 30 0
7 Flag of West Germany Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha 22 0
8 Flag of Finland Pentti Korhonen Finland Yamaha 22 0
9 Flag of United Kingdom Billie Nelson United Kingdom Yamaha 21 0
10 Flag of United Kingdom Charlie Williams United Kingdom Yamaha 18 0

[edit] 350 cc Season review

Round Race Location Winning rider Winning team Report
1 Flag of France French Grand Prix Clermont-Ferrand Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
2 Flag of Germany West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Flag of West Germany Helmut Kassner Yamaha Report
3 Flag of Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
4 Flag of Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
5 Flag of United Kingdom Isle of Man TT Isle of Man Flag of United Kingdom Tony Rutter Yamaha Report
6 Flag of Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
7 Flag of Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Flag of Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Yamaha Report
8 Flag of Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Flag of Australia John Dodds Yamaha Report
9 Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Flag of Italy Giacomo Agostini Yamaha Report
10 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich Victor Palomo Yamaha Report

[edit] 1974 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Flag of United Kingdom Giacomo Agostini 1 Italy Yamaha 75 5
2 Flag of West Germany Dieter Braun 8 West Germany Yamaha 62 0
3 Flag of France Patrick Pons France Yamaha 47 0
4 Flag of Australia John Dodds 4 Australia Yamaha 31 1
5 Flag of United Kingdom Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha 29 0
6 Flag of Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha 27 1
7 Flag of Finland Pentti Korhonen 10 Finland Yamaha 25 1
7 Flag of France Michel Rougerie France Harley-Davidson 25 0
9 Victor Palomo Spain Yamaha 24 1
10 Flag of United Kingdom Billie Nelson 5 United Kingdom Yamaha 21 0

[edit] 250 cc Season review

Round Race Location Winning rider Winning team Report
1 Flag of Germany West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Flag of West Germany Helmut Kassner Yamaha Report
2 Flag of Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Flag of Italy Walter Villa Harley-Davidson Report
3 Flag of United Kingdom Isle of Man TT Isle of Man Flag of United Kingdom Charlie Williams Yamaha Report
4 Flag of Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Flag of Italy Walter Villa Harley-Davidson Report
5 Flag of Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
6 Flag of Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Flag of Japan Takazumi Katayama Yamaha Report
7 Flag of Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Flag of Italy Walter Villa Harley-Davidson Report
8 Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Flag of Italy Walter Villa Harley-Davidson Report
9 Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Flag of United Kingdom Chas Mortimer Yamaha Report
10 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich Flag of Australia John Dodds Yamaha Report

[edit] 1974 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Flag of Italy Walter Villa Italy Harley-Davidson 77 4
2 Flag of West Germany Dieter Braun 1 West Germany Yamaha 58 0
3 Flag of France Patrick Pons 6 France Yamaha 50 1
4 Flag of Japan Takazumi Katayama Japan Yamaha 43 1
5 Flag of Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler 9 Switzerland Yamaha 43 0
6 Flag of United Kingdom Chas Mortimer 6 United Kingdom Yamaha 41 1
7 Flag of Australia John Dodds 3 Australia Yamaha 38 1
8 Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha 34 1
9 Flag of France Michel Rougerie 5 France Harley-Davidson 21 0
10 Flag of United Kingdom Mick Grant United Kingdom Yamaha 18 0
10 Flag of Finland Pentti Korhonen 4 Finland Yamaha 18 0

[edit] 125 cc Season review

Round Race Location Winning rider Winning team Report
1 Flag of France French Grand Prix Clermont-Ferrand Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
2 Flag of Germany West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Flag of West Germany Fritz Reitmaier Maico Report
3 Flag of Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
4 Flag of Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Angel Nieto Derbi Report
5 Flag of Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Flag of Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Yamaha Report
6 Flag of Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Angel Nieto Derbi Report
8 Flag of Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
9 Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
10 Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson Yamaha Report
11 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich Benjamin Grau Derbi Report

[edit] 1974 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Flag of Sweden Kent Andersson 1 Sweden Yamaha 87 5
2 Flag of Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Yamaha 63 1
3 Angel Nieto 7 Spain Derbi 60 2
4 Flag of Italy Otello Buscherini 6 Italy Malanca 60 0
5 Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Netherlands Bridgestone 30 0
6 Flag of France Thierry Tchernine France Yamaha 25 0
7 Flag of Austria Harald Bartol Austria Suzuki 23 0
8 Flag of Sweden Leif Gustafsson 4 Sweden Maico 23 0
9 Benjamin Grau Spain Derbi 21 1
10 Flag of West Germany Gert Bender West Germany Bender 20 0

[edit] 50 cc Season review

Round Race Location Winning rider Winning team Report
1 Flag of France French Grand Prix Clermont-Ferrand Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report
2 Flag of Germany West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Flag of West Germany Ingo Emmerich Kreidler Report
3 Flag of Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report
4 Flag of Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Flag of West Germany Herbert Rittberger Kreidler Report
5 Flag of Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Flag of West Germany Gerhard Thurow Kreidler Report
6 Flag of Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report
7 Flag of Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Flag of Belgium Julien Van Zeebroeck Kreidler Report
8 Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report
9 Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report
10 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel Kreidler Report

[edit] 1974 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Flag of Netherlands Henk Van Kessel 5 Netherlands Kreidler 90 6
2 Flag of West Germany Herbert Rittberger West Germany Kreidler 65 1
3 Flag of Belgium Julien Van Zeebroeck Belgium Kreidler 59 1
4 Flag of West Germany Gerhard Thurow 4 West Germany Kreidler 57 1
5 Flag of West Germany Rudolf Kunz 9 West Germany Kreidler 52 0
6 Flag of West Germany Ulrich Graf 7 West Germany Kreidler 44 0
7 Flag of Netherlands Jan Bruins Netherlands Jamathi 27 0
8 Flag of Italy Otello Buscherini 8 Italy Malanca 26 0
9 Flag of Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Kreidler 25 0
10 Flag of Netherlands Jan Huberts 8 Netherlands Kreidler 25 0



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