As to the competitions, 1982 was a year full of uneasiness, and only two valid and famous bikers were chosen to be supported, Luigi Medardo, class125, and Alessandro Gritti class 250. This choice was the doom of the unsure SWM destiny.
Thanks to the good relations to France, the rising and already though rising talent Gilles Lalay joined the two Italian ensigns during the international competitions.
But in 1982 the crisis situation which had affected the entire industry and had already taken a heavy toll, started to affect the Rivolta d’Adda plant, which had to undergo a strong and unexpected market shrinking, just when its huge plants were at full swing.
For the first time in its history, SWM started the Championship with old bikes and the new frames arrived at the middle of the season, and their development was full of problems so none of the bikers achieved good results.

At the beginning Medardo was given the 125 presented at the Milan Motor show, while Gritti used a 250 TF3, slightly modified in its cycling and with a new aluminium big fork.
The new single shock absorber frames, tested during the season, were based on complex movements and were difficult to handle so the final result were disappointing.
Although SWM did not get any result in the Italian Championship, SWM managed to succeed at the Valli Bergamasche (Clusone, 19^th 20^th June), Medardo ranked 3^rd in the 125 class, both on the first and third day, Gilles Lalay ranked 3^rd in the 175 class on the first day and the day after and Alessandro Gritti ranked third in the 250 class on the first day.
The best of the European Championship was Gritti, only 9^th in the 250 class.
During the Czechoslovak Six Days in Povazska Bystrica (20^th – 25^th September) the already low chances of the bikes coming from Rivolta d’Adda were further lowered by strange failures, maybe sabotage, which affected more than one biker.
Taiocchi (KTM) lost the cap of the engine oil just after a few kilometres from the start, Husquarna didn’t line up at Gustavsson and seized up on the fifth, Kreutz’s Zundapp even broke up after three years without failures and Medardo got a flat tyre four times in a single day.
At the end the inland team won the Trophy and Eastern Germany the Vase, followed by the 5th ranking of the Italian team (Pietro Gagni, G.P. Marinoni, Luigi Medardo, Antonio Villa).