 The title was decided in the last race of the season at Valencia with Vincent finishing in second place to secure the title.The season marked the start of a new era in the premier class with the arrival of 990cc four-stroke bikes.Four factory teams, Repsol Honda, Marlboro Yamaha, Suzuki and Aprilia, raced with the new four-stroke bikes while all the satellite teams raced with the 500cc two-stroke bike.