1965 FIM Motocross World Championship

The 1965 Motocross World Championship was the 9th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

1965 FIM Motocross World Championship
Jeff Smith in action at the 500cc Dutch Grand Prix on 25 July 1965 in Bergharen, Holland.
Organizer	FIM
Duration	28 March/3 October
Number of races	28
Number of manufacturers	12
Champions
500cc	Jeff Smith
250cc	Victor Arbekov

Summary

Jeff Smith won his second consecutive 500cc motocross world championship for the BSA factory racing team with six Grand Prix victories. Paul Friedrichs took three victories to claim second place for the ČZ factory ahead of former world champion Rolf Tibblin.^[1][2][3]

Before the 500cc championship opening round even began, former World Champions, Rolf Tibblin and Bill Nilsson were involved in a serious accident while preparing for the race.^[3] Tibblin and Nilsson were test riding motorcycles in their hotel parking lot when they collided in a blind corner.^[3] Neither rider were wearing their riding gear and Nilsson suffered a broken arm, an amputated toe and a concussion, while Tibblin lost the end of his little finger and also received a concussion which forced him to sit out the start of the season.^[3]

Smith's win riding a BSA Victor would mark the last time that a four-stroke engine powered motorcycle would win the 500cc motocross world championship for the next several decades as, two-stroke engine technology began to dominate off-road motorcycle racing until 2003 when, mounting government environmental regulations caused the FIM implemented new rules favoring environmentally friendlier four-stroke engines. Defending 250cc World Champion, Joël Robert was invited by the ČZ factory to compete in the 500cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix during a break in the 250cc World Championship schedule. Robert was leading the first moto when his motorcycle experienced a mechanical failure before he rebounded to win the second moto in a rare 500cc class appearance.

In the 250cc division, Russian ČZ rider Victor Arbekov won five Grand Prix races to claim the world championship ahead of the defending champion, Robert.^[3][4][5] Future five-time World Champion Roger De Coster makes his first World Championship appearance at the 250cc French Grand Prix. The Suzuki factory becomes the first Japanese manufacturer to compete in a motocross world championship event with riders Kazuo Kubo and Matsuhisa Kojima entering the 250cc Swedish Grand Prix on 25 July.^[6]

Grands Prix

500cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Race 1 Winner	Race 2 Winner	Overall Winner	Report
1	April 4	Austrian Grand Prix	Sittendorf	Arthur Lampkin	Broer Dirks	Sten Lundin	Report
2	April 11	Swiss Grand Prix	Wohlen	Jeff Smith	Sten Lundin	Jeff Smith	Report
3	April 25	French Grand Prix	Tarare	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Report
4	May 9	Finnish Grand Prix	Tikkurila	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Report
5	May 30	Swedish Grand Prix	Knutstorp	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Jeff Smith	Report
6	June 6	East German Grand Prix	Gumpelstadt	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Report
7	June 20	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Sedlčany	Paul Friedrichs	Joël Robert	Paul Friedrichs	Report
8	June 27	Russian Grand Prix	Kyiv	Igor Grigoriev	Igor Grigoriev	Igor Grigoriev	Report
9	July 4	British Grand Prix	Hawkstone Park	Jeff Smith	Rolf Tibblin	Jeff Smith	Report
10	July 11	Italian Grand Prix	Imola	Sten Lundin	Rolf Tibblin	Rolf Tibblin	Report
11	July 18	West German Grand Prix	Bielstein	Rolf Tibblin	Rolf Tibblin	Rolf Tibblin	Report
12	July 25	Dutch Grand Prix	Bergharen	Jeff Smith	Jef Teuwissen	Jeff Smith	Report
13	August 8	Luxembourg Grand Prix	Ettelbruck	Rolf Tibblin	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Report
Sources:[2][6]

250cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Race 1 Winner	Race 2 Winner	Overall Winner	Report
1	March 28	Spanish Grand Prix	Sabadell	Torsten Hallman	Åke Jonsson	Dave Bickers	Report
2	April 4	Italian Grand Prix	Masserano	Victor Arbekov	Joël Robert	Victor Arbekov	Report
3	April 11	French Grand Prix	Saint-Quentin	Joël Robert	Victor Arbekov	Victor Arbekov	Report
4	April 25	Belgian Grand Prix	Hechtel-Eksel	Dave Bickers	Dave Bickers	Dave Bickers	Report
5	May 9	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Holice	Joël Robert	Vlastimil Valek	Vlastimil Valek	Report
6	May 16	West German Grand Prix	Beuren	Victor Arbekov	Victor Arbekov	Victor Arbekov	Report
7	May 23	Dutch Grand Prix	Makkinga	Victor Arbekov	Victor Arbekov	Victor Arbekov	Report
8	May 30	Luxembourg Grand Prix	Schifflange	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
9	June 27	Polish Grand Prix	Kielce	Victor Arbekov	Joël Robert	Victor Arbekov	Report
10	July 4	Russian Grand Prix	Moscow	Victor Arbekov	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
11	July 11	East German Grand Prix	Apolda	Joël Robert	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Report
12	July 18	British Grand Prix	Glastonbury	Dave Bickers	Joël Robert	Dave Bickers	Report
13	July 25	Swedish Grand Prix	Hedemora	Victor Arbekov	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Report
14	August 1	Finnish Grand Prix	Hyvinkää	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Report
15	October 3	Austrian Grand Prix	Launsdorf	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
Sources:[4][7]

Final standings

Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers. For the 500cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 14 results are retained. For the 250cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 15 results are retained.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

500cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos	Rider	Machine	AUT		CH		FRA		FIN		SWE		DDR		CZE		USR		UK		ITA		GER		NED		LUX		Points
			R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
1	Jeff Smith	BSA	-	-	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	4	4	-	-	2	2	1	2	-	-	3	-	1	3	3	-	54
2	Paul Friedrichs	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	5	6	1	1	1	2	-	4	7	9	-	-	-	-	2	4	4	1	36
3	Rolf Tibblin	Hedlund	-	-	12	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	32
	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	8	3	-	-	7	4	3	3	1	2	1	1	1	3	2	1	-
	Vic Eastwood	BSA	3	-	9	3	4	4	4	3	2	4	2	2	-	-	-	-	2	3	6	2	4	-	4	5	5	3	32
5	Sten Lundin	Matchless-Métisse	2	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	6	2	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	-	-	-	-	2	-	27
6	Per Olaf Persson	Hedlund	-	-	5	4	5	2	-	-	4	3	6	-	-	-	-	-	12	12	4	11	5	-	-	-	-	-	13
7	Arthur Lampkin	BSA	1	-	-	-	3	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	5	4	5	NC	4	-	-	-	-	10	2	11
8	Jerry Scott	Cheney-BSA	-	-	3	7	2	3	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	7	NC	NC	-	-	-	-	-	-	10
	Gunnar Johansson	AMC-Métisse	4	4	15	6	-	-	7	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	NC	11	4	-	-	13	6	10
10	Chris Horsfield	Matchless	10	2	4	-	-	-	-	-	7	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	11	NC	-	-	-	-	-	6	4	8
	Josef Hrebecek	ČZ	5	7	6	8	-	-	-	-	10	-	-	-	2	6	6	-	10	10	NC	NC	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
	Igor Grigoriev	ČZ/ESO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
	Ove Lundell	Hedlund/Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	-	-	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	6	8	9	7	8
14	Antonin Klavinsh	ESO	7	6	7	15	-	-	6	5	11	7	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
	Herman De Soete	Matchless	-	5	8	-	7	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	3	-	-	12	5	6
	Jan Johansson	Lindstrom	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	4	-	-	-	-	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
	Karel Pilar	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
18	Broer Dirkx	Lito	8	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	13	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
	Ervín Krajčovič	ESO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	6	3	8	-	-	-	-	8	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
	Jef Teuwissen	Triumph-Métisse	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	10	5	-	-	5	1	-	-	4
21	Pierre-André Rapin	Monark	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
22	Vladimír Dubšík	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	5	10	13	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
	Joachim Helmhold	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	6	-	-	2
	John Giles	Triumph	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
	Erwin Schmider	Maico	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	9	19	11	-	-	2
26	Jan Němeček	ESO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	14	10	-	-	-	-	14	NC	-	5	-	-	-	-	1
-	Sylvain Geboers	Matchless	6	-	-	-	6	-	-	-	12	15	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
	Joël Robert	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
	Bill Nilsson	ESO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
	Derek Rickman	Metisse	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
	Hasse Hansson	Lindstrom	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Sources:[1][6]

250cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos	Rider	Machine	ESP		ITA		FRA		BEL		CZE		GER		NED		LUX		POL		USR		GDR		UK		SWE		FIN		AUT		Pts
			R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
1	Victor Arbekov	ČZ	2	9	1	2	2	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	1	2	2	1	2	1	18	-	-	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	52
1	Joël Robert	ČZ	4	-	2	1	1	2	-	-	1	-	2	2	2	-	1	1	-	1	3	1	1	3	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	48
3	Dave Bickers	Greeves	6	2	3	3	-	-	1	1	5	2	5	5	-	-	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	4	3	3	3	3	2	42
4	Torsten Hallman	Husqvarna	1	8	-	-	5	6	4	2	3	3	-	-	-	-	9	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	1	-	-	35
5	Åke Jonsson	Husqvarna	7	1	-	-	6	11	6	3	4	6	4	3	-	-	10	4	4	6	6	2	4	2	4	4	5	4	14	7	-	-	30
6	Vlastimil Valek	Jawa/ČZ	-	-	6	4	-	-	3	6	2	1	-	-	4	4	6	5	6	5	4	-	2	10	3	5	3	-	-	5	-	-	28
7	Gunnar Draougs	ČZ	3	-	4	-	4	3	-	-	7	-	3	6	6	2	5	6	2	3	2	-	5	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	25
8	Karel Pilar	ČZ	-	-	7	5	7	4	7	5	-	-	-	-	11	7	8	8	5	-	-	4	6	6	5	6	7	7	-	-	4	5	15
9	Don Rickman	Bultaco	5	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
	Igor Grigoriev	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	8
	Paul Friedrichs	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	8
12	Fritz Selling	Greeves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	11	11	-	-	-	-	12	-	7	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	7
13	Jorma Jarvinen	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	-	-	6
14	Fred Willamowski	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	8	-	-	15	-	-	-	3	4	-	-	7	8	-	-	10	5	4	-	6	-	5
15	Juri Ageyev	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	4	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
16	Kalevi Vehkonen	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	4	-	-	3
17	Jan Blomqvist	Husqvarna	-	4	-	-	9	5	11	4	9	-	-	-	7	-	7	9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	8	-	-	-	-	2
	Olle Pettersson	Bultaco-Métisse	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	-	2
	Alex Yakolev	ČZ	-	-	-	-	15	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
	Bryan Goss	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	2
	John Griffith	Greeves	-	-	5	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
	Antonin Hrach	Jawa/ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	13	13	4	-	-	-	-	14	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	2
23	Ton van Heugten	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
	Ivan Polas	Jawa/ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	17	10	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	8	5	15	9	9	10	-	-	-	-	1
	Cenneth Loof	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	1
	Andrei Dezhinov	ČZ	10	3	-	-	-	10	-	-	6	-	9	-	-	-	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	-	-	-	-	1
-	Marcel Wiertz	ČZ	9	5	15	-	14	23	5	22	-	-	-	-	9	12	18	13	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
	Alan Clough	Greeves	-	-	-	-	3	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Roger De Coster	ČZ	-	-	-	-	17	26	-	11	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Sources:[5][7]

Notes

References

1. "1965 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
2. "1965 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
3. Trippe, Gavin (1 February 1966). "European Moto-Cross". Cycle World. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
4. "1965 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
5. "1965 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
6. "1965 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
7. "1965 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 20 December 2024.