Classic Japanese Motorcycles

Join Motorcycle Classics at the 4th Annual Road America Vintage Motorcycle Classic, June 7-9, 2013, at Road America race track in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Nicknamed “America’s National Park of Speed,” Road America has legendary status in the American racing scene, the four-mile road circuit drawing world-class racing since it was built in 1955.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein troubleshoots a Yamaha XV920 Virago’s starting issues after over-revving the engine.

New stuff for old bikes: Ignition points cams for vintage Yamaha and Suzuki motorcycles.

Rick Chalupsky lucks out by finding a low-milage Kawasaki KZ650 on Craigslist.

Yesterday is back as the old school, air-cooled Honda CB1100 finally arrives on U.S. shores.

Wiseco has a limited number of Yamaha R5 pistons available for your classic bike.

Motorcycle Classics’ editors explain how to install switched relay dual horns on a Honda GL1100.

Best bets on tomorrow’s classics: 1980-1982 Honda CB900C. 

Former Honda mechanic Chris Malcolm gives a 1974 Honda CB450K7 a new lease on life. 

Australian motorcycle enthusiast Ian Lee tells the story of the Honda CB750A Down Under.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein discusses noisy aftermarket exhaust pipes on a 1982 Yamaha XV920 Virago. 

Long and low, the 2-stroke Suzuki Titan was built for putting on the miles. 

A 1979 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley Replica on display with other classic motorcycles at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

If this bike rings a bell, it should. We first told you about this brand new, never uncrated 1979 Yamaha RD400F back in June 2010, when reader Scott Lees stumbled across it at Britt Motorsports in Wilmington, N.C. When Scott visited the dealership, the Yamaha was resting just inside the front door of the motorcycle dealership, pushed up against a wall and being used as a table to hold racing trophies. At the time, Scott was told it was not for sale at any price. Yet it turns out it did have a price; $21,000, to be exact.

Best bets on tomorrow’s classics: 2000-2001 Kawasaki W650. 

Before the 1980s turbo wars came the 1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC, the first production turbocharged motorcycle of them all.

A Japanese Lilac V-twin on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

A 1964 Honda CB77 Superhawk on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein gets some help from a reader in response to servicing wheel bearings on a Honda CB500.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein gives advice on where to find replacement hydraulic hoses on the break system of a Suzuki GS550L.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves an electrical problem, the headlight dims when the break light comes on, on a Yamaha XS850SG Special.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves a problem with the automatic-canceling turn signals on a Suzuki GS850.

“Blue” Mike Peterson explains the collector value of his latest winter project, a 1970 Honda CB750.

In 1973, offroad riding and motocross were hot, and the Honda CR125M Elsinore was the bike to have.

The Kawasaki GPz550: An old school canyon carver for the boy racer set

Release of liability records and DMV registrations make it appear this 1968 Honda 305 Scrambler was at one point owned by Jim Morrison.

A 1964 Japanese Bridgestone Deluxe Super 7 on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves a failed fuel petcock issue on a 1985 Honda VF700F Interceptor.

Mark Wiggins gives his 1982 Honda CX500 Eurosport a new lease on life after crashing it years earlier.

West Coast tuners, such as R.C. Engineering and Action Fours, revamp Japanese motorcycles with car parts and more engines.

Tomorrow’s classics: 1983-1986 Honda V65 Magna was the world’s first Power Cruiser.

A Vintage Motorcycle Days swap meet find, this Suzuki Stinger was restored and is now back on the road.

Everyone remembers the Kawasaki Z1 900, but was the Kawasaki KZ900 that followed even better?

Motorcycle Classics reader and friend of the magazine Bill Hawley is donating his custom 1975 Suzuki GT750M to be raffled off at the Kruzin 4 Kids Car & Bike Celebration Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. All proceeds from the raffle go to benefit Melina’s White Light, a charity to help research a cure for Neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer most commonly associated with infants and children under the age of 5.

TKTK

The Honda Relay Across America continues with cross country motorcycle touring through the Appalachians and into Kentucky. This blog was first published in March 2011 on the 2011 Honda Relay Ride blog on motorcycleclassics.com.

Clarence De Barrows shares his perfectly original classic bike, a 1970 Honda CB750

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein revisits the issue of a 1973 Kawasaki H2 750 running lean.

What better way to celebrate a marriage than to ride two 1973 Hondas on a cross-country honeymoon?

Joe Rankin revives a ready-for-the-scrap-heap Yamaha CT3

The Yamaha RD350 was THE Seventies poor boy racer. Fairly cheap, relatively easy to work on and fast through the twisties, the RD350 is still great fun today.

A vintage 1975 Honda Gold Wing on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein gives advice on when to replace wheel bearing grease on a 1972 Honda CB500.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves the problem of brake drag on a 1977 Honda CB750K

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein figures out a 1983 Suzuki GS1100E that won’t shift into neutral

Step-by-step instructions for a 1973 Honda CB500 carburetor rebuild

Steve Solko and his brother Carl ride a classic Honda CB 900 and a 2005 Triumph motorcycle on a 325-mile trip to the 2011 Bonneville Vintage GP.

Parting shots: Suzuki rider Mitsuo Itoh wins at the Isle of Man races, circa 1963

New stuff for classic bikes: NOS Yamaha fuel petcock

Raymond Moses shares the story of "Snarling Sue," his 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000.

Scott Horr's Mercedes-silver 1986 Kawasaki Concours has been quite a conversation starter.

Steve Matthews gets a painful and expensive reminder to wear safety glasses while installing a fender on his 1971 Honda CL350 Scrambler.

Brown M. Maloney owns a rare Honda CR93 racer as well as the even more rare street version of the same bike.

Subscriber Mike Simon remembers his Honda CB350F after seeing one in an issue of Motorcycle Classics.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves the problem of a Kawasaki H2 750’s running lean.

Motorcycle Classics’ tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves wiring problems on a Honda CB350 custom

Reader Chris Keele does a frame-off build on a 1971 Honda CB100.

Custom builder Greg Hageman of Doc’s Chops in Tampa, Fla., builds the coolest Yamaha Virago ever.

The first Honda VF750F Interceptor had its issues, but today they’ve become surprisingly collectible.

A 1969 Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Tomorrow’s classics: 1981-1984 Yamaha XJ550 Seca.

As classic customs – everything from café racers to bobbers – continue gaining in popularity, practitioners of the art of customizing increasingly face a basic question: Do I keep doing the same old same old, or reach out and try to redefine the custom market? There will always be plenty of builders who take the first approach. And fortunately, there are also more than a few willing to follow the path less traveled.

Parting Shots: A missing link in Kawasaki motorcycle history resurfaces.

Step-by-step instructions on a fork rebuild for a 1973 Honda CB500. It's not as hard as you think. Just click here for our tutorial to learn how to give your old Honda's tired front end a new lease on life.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves a query about whether the Honda CJ360 is like other mid-1970s Honda Twins.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves a cylinder not firing issue on a Suzuki GS550.

Motorcycle Classics tech expert Keith Fellenstein solves an ignition problem on a 1978 Honda CX500.

Learn how Ernst Degner sold Suzuki Motorcycles the secret that would make them World Champions during the height of the Cold War in “Stealing Speed: The Biggest Spy Scandal in Motorsport History.”

1972 Suzuki T500 at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Randy’s Cycle Service & Restoration in Rhoadsville, Va., knows vintage bike repair 

Richard Backus puts 600 miles on a 1973 Yamaha TX650 

Suzuki took their relationship with Wes Cooley to the bank with the limited-edition Suzuki GS1000S.

Ton up boys and Ace Café men welcomed Triumph’s highly-anticipated Steve McQueen Bonneville Tribute at Progressive’s New York International Motorcycle Show. Paying homage to the legendary actor and racer who helped cement Triumph’s status as a cultural icon, Triumph will be offering just 300 units for sale in the U.S. when it hits the market in June.

1953 Honda Dream on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

First steps in rebuilding a 1973 Honda CB500, from assessing its real condition to stripping the frame.

1960 DSK on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

A motorcycle enthusiast discovers a never completed 1975 Rickman Honda CR750 kit

Larry Cameron shows us his restored 1972 Honda SL350.

American vintage motorcycle racers invade Europe’s Spa Classic.

Honda’s magic shrinking act gave us the smallest production version of its inline four, the CB350F.

Character, reliability, simplicity and comfort are all important pieces of Pat Parziale's perfect motorcycle.

Weighing in at an astounding 710 pounds, the Kawasaki KZ1300 was a heavyweight 6-cylinder motorcycle.

With a vast history of racing machines utilizing 5- and 6-cylinder motorcycle engines, Honda didn’t need to dig too deeply to create the technology for the Honda CBX 1000.

The second edition of Ray Battersby's classic book "Team Suzuki" proves its still a definitive analysis of the Suzuki roadracing motorcycles.

Derek Pauletto transforms an “ugly duckling” 1979 Honda CB650 Special into a sleek café racer one can brag about.

Although the Suzuki GT550 was plain, it was one of the most reliable and soundest two strokes around. 

The Honda CB750A Hondamatic operated without a clutch which left motorcyclists wanting more.

Vintage race bike enthusiast Mike DiSabatino hires Thad Wolff to construct a replica of the Vetter/Pridmore Kawasaki KZ1000 in honor of Reg Pridmore and the early days of Superbike racing. 

I have been reading Motorcycle Classics since 2008 and finally decided to get off the sidelines and jump into the classic motorcycle arena.  So I began browsing Craig’s list, found the classic I’d always wanted and went to look it over.  The front brake was sticking preventing an actual test ride but I figured that could be fixed.  Otherwise it was all there (wrong seat) and seemed to run properly so I bought it.  A few days later I was ready to follow your motto “Ride ‘Em, Don’t Hide ‘Em “ and take my ‘new’ 1975 Honda CB750 for its first ride.  

Gil Yarrow discusses owning and riding his 1984 Yamaha FJ1100.

Joe Kiess discusses owning and riding his Kawasaki W1 motorcycle.

Glenn Gerein's pair of rare, high-mileage 1984 Yamaha XJ750RLs.

It is a truism that there is a perfect bike for everyone, and for Ron Graf, the perfect bike is a Honda CX650 Turbo. He owns three.

Marcos Markoulatos is a fan of 1970s Japanese motorcycles. For proof, look no further than his 1976 Honda CB750F Super Sport.

Deb Justice shares the experience her and her husband have had with a 161,200-mile 1984 Honda GL 1200 Goldwing Aspencade.

Kurt Limesand shares his experience owning and riding a 1975 Kawasaki S3 Mach II.

Gary and Rick Bault discuss owning and riding the 1968 Yamaha DT-1.

Dennis Zickrick is a motorcycle legend and authority on the Honda CB750, but most people don't know that.

Lane Pipkin discusses owning and riding his Suzuki GT750 LeMans.

Mitsuaki “Aki” Shinohara discusses owning and riding a 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R.

Allen Brotz displays his full line collection of 1973 Yamaha Enduro motorcycles.

Small, light and easy to handle, the Honda CB400F might be the best of the breed.

Greg Wassenberg discusses owning and riding his Honda CBX.

Bill Keena fondly remembers his dad, his dad's Honda CB750 and how he came to love taking motorcycle road trips.

The 1963 Honda CR93 Benly production racer was a factory racer for the everyman.

The Suzuki GS1100 E can truly be called the first “modern superbike.”

David Reiss shares some of the inexpensive modifcations he made to his 1992 Yamaha XJ600 Seca II to make it a comfortable and efficient touring motorcycle.

Suzuki bet the farm — and almost lost it — on its revolutionary rotary motorcycle.

Don Hughes discusses owning and riding and selling a 1976 Honda CB400 Four.

Bernie Rugg discusses owning and riding a 1982 Suzuki Katana GS1000SZ.

Pat Parziale shares a humurous run-down of the twelve motorcyles he's owned so far.

Bob Reichenberg discusses owning and riding a 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing.

Honda made a play for a share of the police pursuit bike market with its 1967 Honda CB450 Police Special.

The 1983 Honda CB1100F was the ultimate expression of the Honda CB750 Four.

Karl Baumann's 1981 Honda CB900F has logged almost 81,000 miles.

A look back at the ideas and innovations that led to the development of the Yamaha YM-1.

Greg Davis' love for his 1965 Yamaha YM-1 was sparked by a ride on a classic British motorcycle, of all things.

Paul Enz discusses owning and riding his 1965 Honda S65.

Peter Hickman spared no cost in restoring his 1974 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV.

Imagine the weight and handling of a classic British twin. Then update the suspension with a rear hydraulic swing arm style mono-shock and adjustable front air forks. Make the bike look good with chromed exhaust and fenders, contrasted by black cylinders and frame, pay homage to the classic Triumph twins with a teardrop tank and clean lines, and oh yeah, keep it affordable – very affordable. That’s what you have with the 1983 Suzuki Tempter GR650-X. Dave Reiss reviews his 1983 Suzuki Tempter GR650-X, a British-inspired twin that never quite caught on in the U.S.

Dave Gurry shares his experience of owning and riding a 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV

The Honda GB 500 had old-school, British-single inspired styling that made an impression.

Triumph may have defined the classic “desert sled,” but for a lot of American riders, the Honda CL77 was the better dirt bike.

British engine fabricator Allen Millyard built a custom 5-cylinder Kawasaki motorcycle for Clive Adams.

Kawasaki H1 motorcycles are revered today as the fastest, most powerful and most out-of-control motorcycle of its day.

Road trip from Michigan to New York on a 1982 Yamaha Virago 920.

Steve Solko rides 700 miles round trip on a 1980 Honda CB900 Custom to attend the 2010 Bonneville Vintage GP in Toole, Utah.

Andrew Wheat discusses his memorable ride from Michigan to New York on a 1982 Yamaha Virago 920.

On evenings and weekends, John Davy indulges his passion for collecting classic Japanese motorcycles. One of John’s latest finds is a 1981 Honda CB900F.

The Yamaha TX500 was Yamaha’s first foray into midsize 4-stroke territory, and while initial impressions were highly favorable, the TX500 proved less than easy to live with, perhaps because it was a little too high-tech for its time.

The boys at Kawasaki knew a sporty image sold bikes, and the new for 1982 Kawasaki GPz 750 showed just how sporty a Kawasaki motorcycle could be. It marked the last - and probably the best - of Kawasaki’s air-cooled 750s.

Harleys may still be the kings of the modern custom crowd, but few bikes satisfy the creative fantasies of classic custom motorcycle builders better than a Yamaha XS650 Street Tracker.

Cynics said there was no future in big 2-stroke motorcycles; the Suzuki Titan T500 proved them wrong, and it is still one of the most popular classic Japanese motorcycles.

If you thought the 11 brand new Norton Commandos we told you about unearthed in Belgium were cool, you need to check out this story. Instead of a cache of Nortons, Motorcycle Classics reader Scott Lees stumbled across a brand new, still in the never-opened crate 1979 Yamaha RD400F, the last year for this collectible 2-stroke classic.  

Neale Bayly recounts his motorcycle tour of Central America and South America 15 years ago.

Tim Kessel talks about his love for his wife and collecting classic motorcycles.

After the radical Suzuki RE5 Rotary almost sank the company, the conservative yet thoroughly modern 1977 Suzuki GS750 saved the day and has become a classic Suzuki motorcycle.
 

Technical specifications for the 1968 Honda CL175.

The Honda CB750F Super Sport is easy to work on and generally hugely reliable, making it a great usable classic Honda motorcycle.

7,943 miles through 21 states and Canada in 22 days aboard a 1974 Suzuki GT750 "Water Buffalo."

The 1984 Honda Ascot VT500 marked the beginning of the nearly no-maintenance bike that became one of many popular classic Honda motorcycles.

Classic meets extreme in a wild Kawasaki-Suzuki hybrid motorcycle.

While most of us might not have the skills to rebuild an engine or transmission, reupholstering a motorcycle seat cover is a project within reach of the average Do-It-Yourselfer.

Anders Carlson  shares his experience riding 3,754 Miles and 38 days on a 1973 Honda CB750.

Two cylinders, twin cams and loaded with technology, the Honda CB450 put the world on notice: Honda was at war, and planned to win.

Better late than never, Yamaha blew away the big bike competition with the fast and fabulous Yamaha XS1100.

There’s no evidence supporting the idea that the “RD” in the Yamaha RD350 model designation stands for “Race Derived” — but race derived it certainly was.

The BikeBandit.com/Motorcycle Classics 1973 Honda CB500 is done – and one lucky reader is taking it home!

A few months ago, it looked like we had all the time in the world to put our 1973 Honda CB500 back together for the 5th Annual Barber Vintage Festival on Oct. 10. Suddenly, the festival’s right around the corner, and we’re scrambling to get our café-d Honda up and running.

Honda really did donate hundreds of  its six-cylinder motorcycle to high school shop classes, and this 1981 Honda CBX is one of the few survivors.

The 1970s produced the most dramatic transformation the motorcycle industry has seen before or since. The Kawasaki Z1-R proves the point.

The Yamaha R5 350 Twin was in many respects the crown jewel of Yamaha’s continuing 2-stroke program.

Under the Radar: Yamaha's XS750 was the company's response to it's flawed TX750

The Yamaha XS650 was praised for its reliability and criticized for its styling

This rebuild came about as part of Project Café, the 1973 Honda CB500 Four we’ve been morphing into a street café racer with help from BikeBandit.com. We covered rebuilding the brake caliper in the September/October 2009 issue, a project you can also find here on our website.

Steve Carpenter discusses the custom Honda CB750 cafe racer that's making him a legend in classic motorcycle circles.

Most bike nuts who grew up in the Sixties are fans of British, Italian or American iron. Not Greg Davis, who ended up restoring a 1965 Yamaha YM-1.

In our 6-cylinder motorcycle shootout, three riders from different backgrounds take a quick ride on the Benelli Sei 900, Honda CBX 1000 and Kawasaki KZ1300 and give us their feedback.

Rebuilding the front brake caliper and installing new brake pads.

The Rikuo V-twin is the motorcycle Harley-Davidson helped the Japanese make.

A classic Honda motorcycle enthusisast sets out at dawn on his 1975 Honda CB750 to ride right off "The End" of Long Island.

In the world of motorcycles, the Suzuki AC50 Maverick is a relative unknown.

This month, we chose two “How-To” projects: upgrading to tapered steering head bearings and installing our fancy new rear swingarm bushings.

The Kawasaki H1 was introduced in late 1968. The Sixties were in full swing, and dizzying changes in art, music and politics were taking place. Motorcycles were changing, as well.

The mid-1980s were challenging times for the motorcycle industry. Faced with a changing and constricting market, Yamaha, like every company, took a long look at its products and considered how it should adapt to a new reality. Along with the monster V-Max and the immortal FZ750, Yamaha introduced the Radian, a smaller, kinder, and yes, faster standard for the street.

Rebuilding the carburetors on the Motorcycle Classics Project Café 1973 Honda CB500 bike.

In 1983, turbocharging was the wave of the motorcycle future. And while the 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo was arguably the best of the turbocharged motorcycles that roared onto roads in the early Eighties, it is now one of the rarest production Hondas ever, with only 1,777 built and fewer than 1,200 imported to the U.S. and Canada.
 

Rebuilding the forks on the Motorcycle Classics Project Cafe 1973 Honda CB500 bike.

The Suzuki GS1000 traces its history back to 1976 when Suzuki launched its GS line of 4-cylinder, 4-stroke bikes.

If ever a machine was worthy of Under the Radar status, it’s the big twin Kawasaki KZ750.

Vintage motorcycle racing at Road Atlanta with Neale Bayly on a 1985 Yamaha FZ750 that has seen better days.

When you think of a vintage small-bore Japanese motorcycle for running in-town errands or slinging mud on a weekend camping trip, the Yamaha Trailmaster 80, might be the bike for you.

When Suzuki first hit the U.S. market in 1963, it was just another link in a growing chain of new — and often forgettable — companies from the Land of the Rising Sun. Three years later we got the Suzuki X6 Hustler, and Suzuki got remembered.

The Honda V4 line’s flagship model, at least in its pedigree, was the Honda VF1000R.

BikeBandit.com and Motorcycle Classics team up to turn a 1973 Honda CB500 into a café racer.

In 1975, when J. Randy Riggs was the senior editor of CYCLE WORLD magazine, CYCLE WORLD and rival CYCLE magazine were battling it out for the number one spot in American motorcycle magazine sales. One way to get a leg up on the competition was to get exclusive stories on new models. 

I’ve been following the “Found on E-bay” blogs on this site lately, but haven’t yet been tempted. Good thing too, as my shop is now over-full of motorcycles – the latest addition, a 1982 Honda CM450 Custom, having appeared out of the blue last week (almost literally). 

Although the Yamaha TT500 was last imported into the U.S. in 1981, the lightweight, fun Yamaha single still has tons of fans.

“The thinking man’s motorcycle.” That was Cycle magazine’s take on Honda’s half-liter four, the Honda CB500 Four.

Wow, but Why? 197hp, 123 lb/ft torque and 1,679cc displacement! All wrapped in shiny black and much chrome, the 2009 version of Yamaha’s V-Max is now a reality. 

Roaming around the outside of the track, a muffled buzz growing louder and louder, I could swear a swarm of killer bees must be heading toward me. Then I remember; oh yeah, this is vintage motorcycle racing with the Honda CB160.

Guy Webster's Honda CB160 racer was built as an homage to the first Honda race bikes.

The 1984 Yamaha FJ1100 certainly caused a stir in its freshman year: “The best large displacement sport motorcycle of 1984, and maybe even the best in its class in the history of motorcycling,” said Rider magazine.

In life we’re faced with choices: republican or democrat, blond or brunette, paper or plastic? Shopping for a new motorcycle in the early 1980s, you also had to choose between normally aspirated or turbo models.

When the Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S was introduced in 1984, the words of praise from the motoring press were immediate, and, in a surprise twist to the norm, unifed.

As the last of Japan’s Big Four to introduce 4-stroke engine technology to its lineup, Suzuki clearly appreciated that when it finally went up to bat against the other 4-strokes with the Suzuki GS550, it needed a home run.

Prior to the release of the Yamaha DT-1, a reliable, reasonably powerful and inexpensive dirt bike simply didn’t exist.

The beefiest of Honda’s middleweights was the CB550 Four. A smooth, capable machine based on the CB750 introduced in 1969, it was decidedly old-school and hardly the machine to entice a new generation of riders. Enter the Honda CX500.

The editors of Motorcycle Classics spend ten days with a 1975 Kawasaki S3 Mach 2.

Yamaha experimented with the parallel twin on the 1973 Yamaha TX750.

Small and approachable, the shy little Honda S65 embodies everything that makes up a classic 1960s Honda motorcycle.

Call it the semi-chopper, or maybe the almost-custom. No matter how you slice it, Kawasaki's KZ650SR was, in many respects, little more than a mildly-altered KZ650. And, believe it or not, that's what made it great.

In 1985, the brand-new 1,198cc, 70-degree V4 monster Yamaha V-Max was an unapologetic two-wheeled hot-rod. It was the undisputed king of the boulevard, and the most American bike ever to come out of Japan. Virtually unchanged 22 years later, it still may be.

The Honda CB500T is Seventies twin with character: throwback flavor, classic styling, retro engine

If two was enough, and four supreme, then the industry-leading six-cylinder Honda CBX was nothing short of sublime

Best bets on tomorrow's classics: The Yamaha SRX600 got positive reviews but was ignored by American buyers

The Kawasaki W2TT Commander helped set the stage for Kawasaki's motorcycle success

The Kawasaki GPz550 set the standard for middleweight sport bikes of the early Eighties

The Suzuki GT750 was a smokin' liquid-cooled 2-stroke triple "Superbike"

Durable and easy to maintain, the Yamaha SR500 became a cult favorite among classic motorcycle fans

Best bets on tomorrow's classics: 1989-1991 Honda Transalp XL600V is a fun and versatile touring bike

The 1984-1985 Honda Sabre VF700S was a tariff-buster that makes a great rider today, if you can find one.

The 1968-1975 Suzuki T500 is a solid two-stroke parallel twin that is a reliable, rideable classic.

It took awhile for the American arrival of the Honda CB900F in 1981 but it was well worth the wait.

Although two-stroke engines are rare in new motorcycles today, back in 1972 the GT380 was one of a handful of two-strokes sitting on the sales floor at your local Suzuki dealership.

There are a few less-celebrated bikes from the Eighties that are still great bikes today, and Yamaha’s 650 Seca is one of them.

The Kawasaki Z1 was the crown jewel of road bikes

Fast, loud and rude, the Kawasaki H2 Mach IV was a rebel,and today it’s a prized vintage Japanese motorcycle.

The earliest examples of the Honda CB750 Four featured sandcast engine casings, and these classic motorcycles have become collector favorites.

The Honda CB400 Four was only built for two years, but it's becoming more and more popular as a great classic motorcycle.

The Kawasaki KZ1000R Eddie Lawson Replica was a mean machine in its day.

The 1958 C92 Benly showed the world that Honda was serious about performance.

The 1967 Bridgestone 350 GTR was one of the most sophisticated Japanese motorcycles of the Sixties.

Looking back, it's easy to think the first Honda GL1000 Gold Wing in 1975 was a revolutionary touring motorcycle. It was, in fact, evolutionary.

Suzuki's T250 Hustler was the 250cc two-stroke twin that enjoyed a fearsome reputation in the early 1970s, and today it's a fun and rideable classic.

Honda's CB450 may be the perfect everyman's classic motorcycle.

Jamie James Production's modified Yamaha RZ350

The 1982 Suzuki Katana GS1000SZ looks as futuristic today as it did more than 20 years ago.