Japan burst into the American motorcycle scene like a maelstrom in the 1960s, eroding the market share of traditional British and American manufacturers. Reliable and affordable, they often matched or bested the best the U.S. and UK had to offer in terms of speed. By the 1980s, Japanese makers put British makers such as BSA, Triumph, and Norton out of business and nearly buried Harley-Davidson. Over these 30 years, Japanese manufacturers produced some truly innovative, stylish, and high-powered machines. Here is a list of 10 of the best classic Japanese motorcycles produced from the 1960s through the 1980s.

1 Yamaha XS650

1972 Yamaha XS650
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Side profile shot of a 1972 Yamaha XS650

When the Yamaha company unveiled the new 1970 XS650, they fired a shot across the bow of the entire British motorcycle industry. The Yamaha XS650, then and now, is an excellent alternative to the Triumph, BSA, and Norton twins of the day. The XS650 had one of the world's most modern large displacement parallel twin engines in the world when it hit the market. Compared to its pushrod-driven British counterparts with origins in the late 1930s to 1940s, the Yamaha’s 650cc parallel-twin engine featured a single overhead cam. The overhead cam valvetrain allowed for an engine that revved quickly, made great power, and did not require constant valve lash adjustments. The Yamaha XS650 was used successfully as a street bike and a race bike. Capable of running the quarter mile in the high 13-second range, the XS650 was as fast as many of the top muscle cars of the era at the dragstrip. In recent years, its reliability and close resemblance to classic British twin-cylinder motorcycles have made it a favorite of customizers wishing to get the look of a classic Triumph or BSA without the constant maintenance.

2 Kawasaki H1 Mach III

1971 Kawasaki H1 Mach III
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Side profile shot of a blue 1971 Kawasaki H1 Mach III

The mid-1960s witnessed the boom of the muscle car fad in the United States, the largest motorcycle market in the world. Japanese bike manufacturers realized that Americans wanted faster motorcycles along with their faster cars. Kawasaki sought to produce a 500cc bike that could run with any American muscle car at the dragstrip, and the result was the H1 Mach III. Displacing 499ccs, the two-stroke inline-triple engine propelled the motorcycle to low 13-second quarter mile times with speeds near 120 miles per hour. For straight-line speed, the bike was a fantastic machine. However, braking and handling were marginal at best, and the bike gained a reputation as a somewhat dangerous machine when ridden aggressively on the street.

Related: 10 Motorcycles That Have Been In Production For The Longest

3 Honda CB750 SOHC

1972 Honda CB750
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Side view shot of a 1972 Honda CB750

In the mid-1960s, Honda began to explore the desire of American consumers for faster and larger bikes. Honda first released the CB450 twin-cylinder motorcycle to test the waters. A sales success, the manufacturer decided to create a genuinely revolutionary mass-produced motorcycle. The result was the CB750. Called the first “superbike,” the CB750 offered features no other mass-produced rival could match in 1969. Utilizing a single overhead cam 736cc transverse-mounted four-cylinder engine, the bike produced nearly 70 horsepower and achieved a top speed of 120 miles per hour. Capable of an impressive 120 miles per hour and producing nearly 70 horsepower, the Honda was remarkably smooth and vibration free compared to its contemporaries. Along with its unique engine, the bike came with front disc brakes and an electric start, making the Honda CB750 unrivaled in its set of features when it hit showroom floors. Sales blew the company’s expectations out of the water. From 1969 to 1978, when production on the first generation ended, nearly 400,000 examples were sold to the public.

4 Kawasaki Z1

1973 Kawasaki Z1
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Side and front view of the 1973 Kawasaki Z1

Kawasaki realized its two-stroke H1 was faster down the dragstrip than the new Honda CB750; however, the Honda CB750 outclassed the H1 in handling, braking, and standard features. Seeing Honda rack up impressive sales numbers, the engineers at Kawasaki worked hard to produce the world's first superbike. The result came in 1972 as the Kawasaki Z1. Using Honda’s winning formula, the minds at Kawasaki used a transversely mounted 903cc four-cylinder engine. While Honda opted for a single overhead camshaft actuated valvetrain, the Kawasaki employed a dual overhead camshaft system. While more complicated, this helped to produce more power. The Z1 also featured an electric start and front disc brakes, matching the feature set on the Honda CB750. Due to the more significant displacement and dual overhead cams, the Z1 produced more power and faster top speeds than the Honda. When the Z1 debuted, it was the most powerful mass-produced motorcycle available to American consumers. At a time when muscle cars were beginning to see sliding power figures, the Kawasaki Z1 was upping the ante on fast motorcycles.

Related: 10 Best Diesel Motorcycles Of All Time

5 Honda CB450

1973 Honda CB450
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Side profile shot of the 1973 Honda CB450

Honda’s first try at a “big” motorcycle, the CB450 sold relatively well and helped the company test the waters for bigger and bolder machines such as the CB750 a few years later. A parallel twin design, the 444cc engine was innovative in its use of dual overhead camshafts and torsion bar valve springs in place of the traditional coil valve springs. The Honda CB450 produced 45 horsepower, an impressive performer, roughly equivalent to the more aged British 650cc designs it competed against for customers. Initially styled like Honda’s other bikes, the early CB450 “Black Bomber” bikes have become increasingly popular with collectors. Able to propel the bike to a claimed 110 miles per hour, it impressed many with its speed for such a small displacement engine. Utilizing a system similar to “Ram Air,” the bike possessed a computer-controlled set of butterflies that opened via electric servos to induct more air into the engine, raising power by approximately ten percent at higher RPM.

6 Yamaha V-Max

1985 Yamaha V-Max 1200
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Side shot of the 1985 Yamaha V-Max 1200

Our first real muscle cruiser on the list, the Yamaha V-Max shook up the industry when it dropped in 1985. Propelled by a massive at the time 1,197cc liquid V-4 engine, the V-Max was as shockingly fast as it was visually imposing. The powerplant featured dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and a high compression ratio that produced nearly 120 rear-wheel horsepower. Making use of a lightweight aluminum frame and employing the engine as a stressed member, the bike was light for its size and power. While generally soft-sprung and mediocre in its handling, the V-Max was known for its impressive acceleration. Only minor changes graced the bike from its introduction in 1985 until the more powerful and modern second generation debuted in 2007. These bikes enjoyed a large following in the drag racing community and are an excellent example of 1980s Japanese engineering prowess and design.

Related: 10 Best Modern Classic Motorcycles Under 1000cc

7 Suzuki GS1100E

1980 Suzuki GS1100E
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Side view of the 1980 Suzuki GS1100E

In 1980, Suzuki dropped a bomb on its Japanese competitors with the introduction of the GS1100E. Based on the earlier GS1000 series, the GS1100E featured a new cylinder head design. Dual overhead camshafts, four valves at a narrow angle, and a new specially shaped combustion chamber helped the engine produce 108 horsepower. When the GS100E debuted, it was the fastest mass-production bike on the market, and for three years in a row, it won Cycle World’s Superbike of the year award. A favorite of drag racers, the engine used in the GS1100E has seen countless racing victories at the amateur and professional levels alike. The engine is known for its power potential and durability four decades later. Aftermarket performance companies still offer large big bore kits to increase displacement and horsepower.

8 Kawasaki GPz900R

1985 Kawasaki GPz900R
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Side and front view of a 1985 Kawasaki GPz900R

In 1984, Kawasaki, not content with their standing in the bike horsepower wars, introduced a machine to overthrow the reigning champion, the Suzuki GS1100E. The GPz900R produced 115 horsepower, thanks to the introduction of liquid cooling. More efficient than previous air and oil-cooled models, this 908cc transverse four-cylinder engine possessed increased compression and aggressive camshaft and ignition timing profiles. The lightweight, aerodynamic, and powerful Kawasaki became the first bike to reach a top speed of 150 miles per hour. The father of the famous Ninja line of sports bikes, the GPZ900R. The Kawasaki garnered Hollywood fame as the bike of Tom Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the 1986 film Top Gun and became an icon of 1980s superbikes.

Related: Top 10 Most Expensive Motorcycles

9 Yamaha RZ350

1985 Yamaha RZ350
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Side profile view of a yellow 1985 Yamaha RZ350

With a lineage going back to the 1970s with the RD350, the RZ350 was the swan song for fast, light, two-stroke street bikes in the United States. Yamaha’s RZ350 was the last in a long line of small to medium-displacement two-stroke street bikes. Possessing a liquid-cooled 347cc parallel twin two-cycle engine, the RZ350 used a primitive computer system to operate a power valve system that changed port timing to produce both solid low-end torque and high RPM horsepower. The small engine makes about 43 horsepower and gives the motorcycle a top speed of nearly 100 miles per hour. Available from only 1983 to 1985 in the United States due to increasing emissions standards, the RZ350 is highly sought after by two-stroke enthusiasts and enjoys strong aftermarket support due to the engine being the same (minus the power valve system) as that used in Yamaha Banshee ATVs.

10 Honda Cub

2017 Honda Super Cub
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Front and side view static shot of a 2017 Honda Super Cub

Some would argue that the Honda Cub is the motorcycle equivalent of the Ford Model T in that it introduced motorcycle ownership to a wide array of buyers that may not otherwise have purchased a bike. Honda used the marketing slogan “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” to sell scores of these machines. Basic, rugged, and economical, the Cub helped Honda break into the American market by offering a cheap alternative to more expensive and less reliable options from scooter makers. Featuring a simple pushrod-operated 50cc engine, the Cub was low compression, making it easy to start and run on the most marginal fuels. The engine was cheap to produce, and the bodywork made of synthetic materials instead of sheet metal helped keep the cost down. The most prolific motorcycle ever sold, the Cub has been in continuous production since 1958 and has sold over 100 million units worldwide in varying engine sizes.