The six best bikes of the 1970s

Kawasaki H1 Mach III – 1969

When Kawasaki tasked its engineers with the H1 Mach III, the design brief was simple: build the fastest accelerating motorcycle the world had ever seen – and don’t skimp on the style. And so in 1969 the world met the Mach III, a furious 500cc two-stroke, air-cooled triple, built for flogging away from America’s traffic lights. That initial model featured drum brakes, Mikuni carburettors, three separate inductive pickups for its hot CDI ignition, and three individually tuned exhausts. It accelerated, and sounded, like nothing that had come before.

With a price tag of just $999, and a clutch of acceleration records to its name – racer Tony Nicosia famously set a quarter-mile run of 12.96 seconds at 100.7mph aboard it – the H1 Mach III was an immediate hit and an enduring legend.

Through the early seventies, it was finely fettled, with the addition of a battery ignition, disc-brakes and steering damper. However, ultimately emissions laws ruled it obsolete in 1976, at which point Kawasaki replaced it with a far less exciting four-stroke.

Husqvarna 400 Cross – 1969

The launch of Bruce Brown’s documentary, On Any Sunday, in 1971 brought about a scrambler revolution that swept the United States. And while many manufacturers were quick to get in on the game, there were none quite like the Husqvarna 400 Cross.

Admittedly, this bike was launched in the late sixties, and by the time it rose to fame in the iconic film, had already made its mark in the competition world, winning both the 1969 and 1970 500cc World Championships in the hands of Bengt Åberg. Powered by a 40PS (29kW) 396cc, single-cylinder two-stroke engine, with a chromoly frame and four-speed transmission, it weighed just 105kg dry, giving an enviable (even now) power-to-weight ratio.

There was no denying that the Swedish machines were among the best in the world back then, and so it was little surprise that the King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen, and his desert racing cronies opted for them. Combine its success with its incredible red, silver and gold good looks and Husqvarna had a legend on its hands.

Harley-Davidson XR750 – 1970

While the typical Harley in your mind’s eye may feature ape hangers and a Hell’s Angel, the 1970’s reality was far from the case. Throughout the sixties, Harley-Davidson dominated the American Grand National Flat Track Championship with the KR750, until a rule change in 1969 threatened to level the playing field for foreign manufacturers. However, the Americans weren’t ready to give up their national championship that easily, and developed the XR750 in response.
Homologation rules dictated that two hundred examples were built, which could be bought by the public for $3,200, or £2,346 ($21,067, or £15,445, in today’s money).

Powered by a 748cc air-cooled V-Twin, it was a roaring success, winning the most races in the history of American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racing and becoming the bike of choice for legendary daredevil Evil Knievel. From 1972 to 2008, riders on XR-750s won 29 of 37 AMA Grand National Championships, earning it the title of the "most successful race bike of all time".

An XRTT road racing edition (this one featuring brakes) was also developed, and in 1989 a modified model won the AMA hillclimb championship.

BMW R90S – 1973

With a bikini faring, sleek tail and two-tone style that could well be seen on any number of modern classics, the Hans Muth-designed BMW R90S was arguably the OG. But the Bavarian manufacturer hadn’t always been so cool – in fact, this model was introduced in 1973 in an attempt to shake its staid and sensible reputation.

That it certainly did, with 17,455 R90S models sold from 1973 to 1976. Powered by an 898cc type 247 air-cooled flat-twin ‘boxer’ unit, the R90S made 68PS (50kW), boasted a top speed of 124mph and could accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds. It became BMW’s flagship and brought the manufacturer into a stylish new era.

Yamaha XT500 – 1975

The Yamaha XT500 deserves its spot on this list for a whole host of reasons, but perhaps the most impressive is its victory in Africa’s infamous rally raids – first the Paris–Abidjan-Nice Rally, followed by the 1979 and 1980 Paris-Dakar rallies, in the hands of Cyril Neveu. Add to that Bengt Åberg’s success in the 1977 500cc Motocross world championship season, and Yamaha had a legend in the making.

Powered by a 499cc four-stroke single cylinder making 32PS (24kW) and 39Nm (29lb ft) of torque, it was overwhelmingly simple for its time. And that was all part of its charm, with the bike’s functionally stylish design as revered today as it was back then.
Remaining in production until 1989, the XT500 laid the groundwork for the whole XT family, from the 125cc model to the XT660Z Ténéré.

Honda CBX1000 – 1978

By the late seventies, Honda’s CB family had already achieved notoriety, with the CB750 of the previous decade bringing the transverse, overhead camshaft, inline-four configuration to popularity.

Well a decade later, in a fitting follow-up, the CBX1000 did the same for the inline-six. It was Honda’s latest flagship, designed to retake the ‘world’s fastest superbike’ title from Kawasaki. Inside an otherwise conventional frame sat an advanced DOHC 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine, inspired by the manufacturer’s 1960s six-cylinder RC racing models. Weighing a not insubstantial 272kg wet, it made 106PS (78kW) and 85Nm (63lb ft) of torque – enough to push the beefy bike to a top speed of 140mph. Reportedly, it boasted ‘handling that belied its girth and dimensions, with the bike riding well at any speeds’.