SWM was unlucky during the European Championship and did not reach the successes it expected.
The Valli Bergamasche (29th 30th May) was not up to the expectations, the best results were achieved by Gualtiero Brissoni, 2^nd in the 125 class, and Maurizio Radici 5th in the 100 class. The season ended with Piero Gagni ranking 3^rd in the 100 class, Gualtiero Brissoni ranking second in the 125 class, Pierluigi Rottigni ranking 3^rd in the 175 class and Sergio Sala, ranking 9th in the 250cc class.
After the great success of the previous year, SWM’s team was called again as the Italian representative at the Six Days held in Zeltweg Austria (20th/ 25th September).
SWM lined up Gagni 100cc, Brissoni 125cc, Rottigni 175cc and Laureati 250cc riding bikes which had been carefully studied in all single details, with a new larger but more effective front mud-guard. 
The bikers fought fiercely at their best, they could still step on the podium but they had to enjoy simply the 3rd ranking. 
The collection of medals included a golden medal, Pietro Gani and Andrea Marinoni ranked 6^th and 8^th in the 100 class, Gualtiero Brissoni and Pierluigi Rottigni ranking 4^th and 7^th in the 125 class respectively, and Pier Luigi Laureati ranking 10^th in the 175 class.

Although the 1976 season was somehow successful, SWM was so unsatisfied with Sachs’s engines, that they decided to look for a new supplier.
The chose the Austrian manufacturer Rotax, but Rotax didn’t just happen to be new supplier and in order to understand this choice we have to step back a while.
Bombardier, a leading motor sleigh manufacturer located in Valcourt, Québec – Canada, had purchased Rotax at the beginning of the 70s, as it was considered a very good technological partner.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier, the sharp owner of the Bombardier factory, was also the inventor of the Can-Am bikes, off-road bikes designed mainly for the American markets; these bikes were ridden by bikers like Bob Fisher, Eric Neilson or Matthews and they had always achieved good results at the various Six Days, ever since 1972.
The secret of the success of these American bikes lied in Rotax two-stroke engines, which were ordered by Bombardier himself to the Austrian experts, who managed to produce an excellent product immediately.
Last Rotax generation summed up a high technological standards, in fact its rolling disc aspiration, its six gears and the magnesium carter were at the top of the world manufacturing.
In 1976 Rotax engines came even more under the spotlight, the new “special” by Frigerio brothers mounted this engine, but the exceptional results were achieved in 1977 tanks to  SWM.