From 1975 to 2001 premier class motorcycle grand prix racing was dominated by 500cc two-stroke machines. Up to 1975, the 500cc four-cylinder formula had been dominated by four-stroke fours, primarily MV Agustas, until a new breed of high-power, lightweight Japanese two-strokes took over. While from 2002, following a classification change allowing 1000cc four-strokes, a new breed of prototype ‘diesels’ (as they were at first known) reached the ascendancy.

But that ‘golden era’ of 500s, mostly characterized by bikes like Suzuki’s RG square four, Yamaha’s TZ and YZR and Honda’s NS and NSR V-threes and fours, not to mention superstar Anglo/Aus/American riders including Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts, Wayne Garner, Eddie Lawson and Kevin Schwantz, was also hugely associated with by one thing – tobacco sponsorship.

After television cigarette advertising was banned in 1968, GP sponsorship was the easiest way for cigarette companies to display their wares on TV. F1 led the way, with Gold Leaf Team Lotus becoming the first team with a tobacco title sponsor that year, with motorcycling soon following. The result, up to the late 1990s when regulation began to take hold, followed by a complete ban from 2006, was some of the most striking and best-remembered team liveries of all time. Here is our pick of the best…

Probably THE most iconic tobacco-sponsorship livery of the era – and with good reason.

The Philip Morris brand was the first tobacco company to sponsor motorcycle GPs when then reigning world champ Giacomo Agostini began wearing a discrete badge while riding for MV Agusta in 1972, and also when he took Yamaha’s (and two-strokes’) first crown in 1975. After that ‘full’ Marlboro livery debuted in 1976 when it sponsored Ago sufficiently to lease MVs for the Italian brand’s final season. When the Italian took over management of Yamaha’s European GP team in 1982 spearheaded by Graeme Crosby the Marlboro livery followed.

Then in 1983 Ago’s team became the full factory squad again under Marlboro colours. Marlboro switched to Kenny Roberts’ upcoming Yamaha team from 1990 and began sponsoring the Ducati Corse MotoGP team in 2003 after ending its association with Yamaha.

You'll find this similar style on the Yamaha XSR900 GP that Alex reviewed at the launch in Portugal.

Although a relative latecomer to GP sponsorship, the tie up between British tobacco brand Rothmans and Honda quickly became one of the most successful and enduring in the sport.

Rothmans began their association with Honda in 1985 with a ‘bang’, supporting not only Honda’s GP campaign but also Honda Britain, world endurance and Dakar Rally activities. It was rewarded with Freddie Spencer’s unique ‘double’ 250 and 500cc world championship that year before also going on to back Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Mick Doohan’s world crowns.

Rothmans pulled out at the end of 1993 to instead support leading F1 team Williams.

French tobacco brand Gauloises had been title sponsors of the ‘satellite’ Yamaha GP team entered by Yamaha’s powerful French subsidiary, Sonauto, since the late 1970s.

It’s probably best remembered for its French racing blue livery when campaigned by star rider Christian Sarron who moved up to the 500 class after winning the 1984 250cc world championship and he remained a regular front runner in the class up to 1990. Later riders for the team under Gauloises colours included Freddie Spencer and Britain’s own Niall Mackenzie.

Gauloises sponsored the ‘satellite’ Tech3 Yamaha squad from 2001 to 2003 then became title sponsor of the main Yamaha factory team in MotoGP from 2004, covering the period when Valentino Rossi famously switched from Honda to claim Yamaha’s first crown in a decade.

British tobacco brand John Player’s association with motorsport is probably one of the longest and most iconic of all. In F1 it’s forever associated with the glory days of Lotus, using its John Player Special brand’s iconic black and gold livery on the world championship winning Lotus 72 of Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972 then again on the Lotus 78/79 of 1978 champion Mario Andretti.

In bikesport it was very active, too, adorning its red/white/blue ‘John Player’ livery on the innovative F1 750 Nortons of Peter Williams, Dave Croxford and more between 1972 and 1974. While the late, great Barry Sheene (who was one of the few GP riders who actually smoked) also acquired JPS sponsorship when he last seriously battled for the 500 championship for Yamaha in 1982, before his season ending crash first time out on the new V4 in practice at Silverstone for the British GP.

Most famously of all, though, at least for bike fans, were the JPS black and gold Norton rotary racers which largely dominated British national racing between 1989 and 1992. And yes, they do have a GP connection, with Ron Haslam racing one at the 1991 British GP via an, er, ‘creative’ interpretation of the regulations.

American brand Lucky Strike entered 500GPswhen ex-rider turned team manager Kenny Roberts entered a satellite Yamaha 500 team alongside the official, Agostini run, Marlboro-backed factory squad in 1986.

After two years Roberts’ success was such that he became the official factory team and took the Marlboro backing, too. At which point Lucky Strike switched to the fledgling factory Suzuki team headed by Kevin Schwantz (and which had just lost its Pepsi backing).

Lucky Strike continued as Suzuki’s major backer until 1996 when, like Rothmans, it switched to F1.

The lesser-known German cigarette brand may not have had the impact, mega-bucks or success of the big American players, but it entered 500GPs earlier than many, first with Suzuki in 1983, was a major supporter particularly of German riders across all classes from 125 to 500 (including Ralf Waldemann and Martin Wimmer) and notably supported Brit Niall Mackenzie’s dramatic works entry into 500s in 1987 with Honda when he announced his arrival with pole at the curtain-raising GP in Japan.

Another American brand, Camel, became title sponsor of the Yamaha MotoGP team in 2006, taking over from Gauloises, which resulted in Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards racing in the brand’s yellow and blue colours.

It wasn’t to last due to the complete ban after that year. For 2007 (also coinciding with the introduction of the new 800cc MotoGP formula), Italian automotive brand FIAT took over as title sponsors.

Another German cigarette brand, West, entered 500GPs in 2001 when it became title sponsor of the Spanish ex-racer Sito Pons’ satellite Honda team.

Despite reasonable success, West left at the end of 2002 but stayed on as McLaren’s title sponsor from 1997 to 2005 when it ended due to a European Union ban on tobacco advertising.

Arguably the most famous and successful tobacco ‘hook-up’ in 250 GP racing, even though it only lasted a couple of years.

American brand Chesterfield was title sponsor of Max Biaggi’s world championship-winning Aprilia RSV250 from 1994 to 1996 with a striking all-black livery (bar a few highlights) that was duplicated on the road-going replica, the Suzuki-powered RS250.

There were many other, less obvious tobacco sponsors during this era, too, including the likes of Fortuna, Gitanes, Kool, L&M, MS and Parisienne.

Japanese tobacco brand Cabin perhaps famously sponsored the official Honda works entry VTR1000SP-2 ridden to victory at the 2001 Suzuka 8-hours by Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, but was also involved in GPs, backing Brit Rob McElnea’s final year in GPs aboard a Honda NSR in 1989. But we’ve picked out Spanish cigarette brand Ducados’ sponsorship of Juan Garriga.