THE HISTORY OF
MOTORCYCLES PT.11
The 1980’s brought many changes to American pop
culture. The birth of Pac-Man and Microsoft Windows
paved the way for technology to supersede human
interaction, and the assassination of John Lennon ushered
in the downfall of music as we knew it. By the end of the
decade we saw the Berlin Wall fall and inflation rise to
record levels. What impact did this have on the motorcycle
world? Well let’s just say that Japan was doing far more
than selling the first compact disc players the world had
ever seen. Japanese bikes were quickly becoming hotter
Sturgis
Harley-Davidson 1340 Softail
Re-Print by Request
By: Melanie Schwarte
than an 80’s teen girl wearing Love’s Baby Soft.
Though motorcycling had been popular for years, it
became more accessible to some riders due in part to
the many low-priced and easy to ride Japanese models
on the market. To capitalize on the growing market the
Japanese began to leave behind the designs that had
originally helped them explode onto the motorcycle
scene in America. Some developments that emerged
earlier in motorcycle history quickly became standards
in the 80’s…water cooling, shaft drives as opposed to
chains, and virtually any modification that could boost
performance and speed. An interesting aspect of many
80’s bikes was the plethora of modern high-technology
additions including electronic instruments with basic
computers and LCD displays, 6 speed transmissions, and
triple disk brakes.
Some noteworthy Japanese bikes of the 80’s include the
Honda V45 and V65 Magna. Introduced in 1982, it was one
of the original 80’s cruisers with a 750. In 1983 the V65 was
released as an 1100. Many saw this as Honda challenging
Harley-Davidson by indicating engine size in cubic inches
(Harley’s standard measurement) versus cc’s. The Magna
would evolve through the decade into the Super Magna,
but would never gain as much respect on the American
market as the Honda Shadow. American buyers preferred
the more “Harley-esque” appearance and performance
provided by the Shadow.
Prior to the split between
performance bikes and cruisers
became as prominent as we
see today, Kawasaki decided
to take the engine from their
legendary “Ninja” and equip a
low slung cruiser frame with
it. What they produced was
the Eliminator…a 900 cc (later
a 1000 cc) water cooled inline-
four with a 6 speed transmission
that produced over 100 HP in a
sleeker and lighter model than
Honda’s Magna.
Suzuki produced the Madura
700 and 1200, and the models
certainly combined power and
style. Another example of an
80’s v-4 cruiser, but was quickly
abandoned by Suzuki after only
two years of production…a fact
14 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | August 2018 | www.thunderroadslams.com
that makes them somewhat of a rarity, though the body
styling appears quite dated to most. Probably the best
thing to come out of Suzuki in the 80’s was the Katana. The
Katana integrated style and function and added modern
aerodynamics without simply covering the bike in cheap
plastic panels. Its release did however lead in part to the
start of “plastic” motorcycles, when other manufacturers
began following the futuristic design of the Katana.
Yamaha made its own contributions to the technological
advancement of motorcycles in the 80’s. The FZR 400RR SP
burst on to the scene as one of the first aluminum beam
frames and housed a 399 cc inline-four. The SP enhanced
that simple rightness with a tapered aluminum swingarm,
a single seat, and a faired-in headlight. But perhaps
Yamaha’s greatest accomplishment of the 80’s was the
V-Max. The V-Max is the only “80’s bike” that remains in
production today. And interestingly, they hold their resale
value better than any other Japanese model…similar to
the value retention of a Harley.
Speaking of Harley-Davidson….what were they up to
during the decade of Space Invaders and now iconic “Brat
Pack” movies? In 1980 Harley is still owned by AMF, but
they released a historical bike anyway…the FXB Sturgis
model in honor of the iconic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The Sturgis model was equipped with a belt drive, black
chrome appointments, and an 80 cubic inch engine. 1981
rolled around and a letter of intent was signed by thirteen
H-D executives to buy back Harley-Davidson Motor
Company from AMF. The year carried on, and then June
15th happened….it wasn’t just the day my baby brother
entered the world and removed me from my youngest child
throne…Harley-Davidson was officially no longer owned
by AMF. Harley was back, and with a new commitment
to quality, they would cruise through the remainder of
the decade releasing the FXR/FXRS Super Glide II with its
rubber-isolated, five speed powertrain and the welded
and stamped frame for the new Sportster models. In
1983 Harley responds to the stockpiling of Japanese
motorcycle inventory in the United States by petitioning
the International Trade Commission for tariff relief…and
it is granted. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the
80’s for Harley was the release of the 1340 cc Evolution
Super Magna
engine on five models, including the all-new Softail in
1985. The Evolution motor was the result of seven years
of development, and designed to produce more power
at every speed, run cooler and cleaner, and was oil tight.
The end of the decade showed that Harley-Davidson was
again on top of its game when the company requested
the International Trade Commission terminate their earlier
granted tariff. A monumental move in American business
history that demonstrated confidence in Harley’s ability
to compete in the marketplace. They then released the
Heritage Softail model, began using the Evolution motor
in Sportster models, and bought the Holiday Rambler
Corporation. The 80’s was rounded out with the return of
the springer front end on the FXSTS Springer Softail and
the introduction of the Sportster 1200 to mark the 85th
Anniversary of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
The 80’s was a turbulent decade for many, but the
motorcycle industry continued to forge ahead as always.
The 1990’s was no exception. After perfecting the basics
in the two-wheel industry there is only one thing left to
do…and that’s improve. Next time we will look at what
advancements the industry made, and motorcycling
became mainstream.
Melanie Schwarte [email protected]
Madura
Yamaha FZR
www.thunderroadslams.com | August 2018 | Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi
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