Suzuki officially withdraws from the 500cc World Championship. The decision was based on a combination of economic and strategic considerations. Sales figures for off-road machines fell worldwide. Suzuki has to introduce drastic cost-cutting measures, and its extremely expensive involvement in the 500cc class, in which only expensive factory prototypes are used, is at odds with this. The company wants to concentrate its resources on the smaller classes.

For the first time, all three world champions from last year will compete in the same class: Eric Geboers, Georges Jobe, and Hakan Carlquist.