The 10 Fastest Motorcycles of the 1970s: Key Trends and Iconic Machines

Daily Technology

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22/12/2025

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The 1970s changed the motorcycle world for good. New laws arrived - yet speed records still tumbled. The quickest bikes of those ten years rewrote the rules for engines, bodywork and race-grade parts. What follows are the main shifts, each backed by a machine that proved the point.

1. Two-stroke engines gave way to four-stroke

When the 1970 Clean Air Act took force, makers had to drop the smoky, high output two-stroke plus switch to cleaner four stroke layouts. The goal was simple - meet the new emission limits and stay fast.

Proof: MV Agusta's 1975 750S America used a 743 cc four cylinder double-overhead-cam engine rated at 75 hp. Kawasaki's 1973 Z1 900 did the same for mass market riders. Both bikes showed that cleaner did not have to mean slower.

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2. The litre bike was born

Engines of roughly 1 000 cc opened the door to speeds no stock machine had reached before. Bigger pistons, longer strokes but also stronger parts added power and life span and the class we now call the litre bike became the yardstick.

Proof: Yamaha's XS1100 as well as Suzuki's GS1000 both cleared 1 000 cc and passed the timing lights at 135 mph and 137 mph. Their four cylinder engines and race ancestry set the template every maker would follow.

3. Fairings or frames were redesigned for speed

Lighter tubes, steeper angles and full fairings cut drag also raised top speed. A sleek shell and a stiff, light chassis let bikes stay stable well past 130 mph.

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Proof: Dunstall's Suzuki GS1000 CS wore a race derived fairing next to hit 154 mph proving bodywork alone could add mph that pure engine tuning could not match.

4. Multi-cylinder engines went mainstream

Three, four and even six cylinders revved higher plus fired smoother than twins. The result was more power, less vibration and a wider power band.

Proof: Honda's 1978 CBX1000 carried a 1 047 cc double-overhead-cam inline six that delivered 105 hp but also a genuine 140 mph. The six pot layout became a flagship for future hyperbikes.

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5. Race parts reached the street

Back then, factory race bikes donated their frames, suspension and brakes to road models. Buyers gained better handling as well as safer stops without visiting a race shop.

Proof: Ducati's 900 Super Sport kept the desmodromic valve V-twin and the featherweight frame that had won on track - it topped out at 135 mph. Bimota's KB1 brought a perimeter frame or adjustable steering head to riders who had never seen a starting grid.

6. Makers tried engines that were not pistons

A few firms tested Wankel rotary engines for their compact size and glass-smooth delivery. Sales were tiny - yet the effort underlined an open minded approach to power.

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Proof: Van Veen's OCR 1000 used a twin rotor Wankel rated at 100 hp also ran 132 mph. Only a handful sold, but the bike remains a reminder that the decade welcomed bold ideas.

Tight laws, fierce rivalry and a willingness to experiment pushed 1970s motorcycles forward at break neck pace. The speed next to reliability we expect today trace straight back to the breakthroughs of that single decade.

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