VIVE LE FRANCE
It was a jubilant Gilles Burgat who was confirmed as the first-ever French FIM World Trials Champion and a first for an Italian manufacturer with SWM, as second place in Germany was enough to claim the title. Burgat had ridden a very strategic trial to secure the world championship, and he nearly took the win. Still, from totally under the radar, it was the ‘Little Monster’ – alias Manuel Soler – who took what would be his final world round win on the Montesa in a career-best season finish in fifth position. The fight for the runner-up spot was very interesting; just check out how close the points were! The world championship was changing rapidly; 1981 was good, but 1982 promised even more as it was announced that Gilles Burgat would move to Fantic and Bernie Schreiber to SWM as the season closed. After so many good years of fighting for the FIM title, the old school were on their way out of the world championship. These had been good years, but better was about to come.
ROUND 12: GEFREES, GERMANY 27/09/1981. ENTRY: 77
RESULTS: 1: Manuel Soler (Montesa-ESP) 56; 2: Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA) 60; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco-FIN) 74; 4: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 78; 5: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 80; 6: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 90; 7: Timo Rysey (BultacoFIN) 94; 8: Christian Desnoyers (SWM-FRA) 96; 9: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 96; 10: Pedro Olle (Montesa-ESP) 100; 11: Toni Gorgot (Ossa-ESP) 100; 12: Charles Coutard (Montesa-FRA) 100; 13: Bernie Schreiber (Italjet-USA) 101; 14: Danilo Galeazzi (SWM-ITA) 106; 15: Ettore Baldini (Italjet-ITA) 112.
1981 FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 12 ROUNDS
POSITIONS: 1: Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA) 122; 2: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 87; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco-FIN) 86; 4: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 85; 5: Manuel Soler (Montesa-ESP) 76; 6: Bernie Schreiber (Italjet-USA) 66; 7: Charles Coutard (Montesa-FRA) 52; 8: Toni Gorgot (Ossa-ESP) 49; 9: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 35; 10: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 32; 11: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 28; 12: Christian Desnoyers (SWMFRA) 18; 13: Danilo Galeazzi (SWM-ITA) 17; 14: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 12; 15: Timo Rysey (Bultaco-FIN) 10; 16: Pedro Olle (Montesa-ESP) 9; 17: Bernard Cordonnier (Bultaco-BEL) 4; 18: Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR) 2; 19: Leppo Panu (BultacoFIN) 1; 20: Alberto Juvanteny (Ossa-ESP) 1.
MACHINES: Montesa 6; Bultaco 4; SWM 4; Ossa 2; Beamish Suzuki 1; Fantic 1; Honda 1; Italjet 1.
NATIONALITIES: Spain 5; Great Britain 4; Finland 3; France 3; Belgium 2; Sweden 1; Italy 1; USA 1.