THESE ARE THE MOST CLASSIC JAPANESE MOTORCYCLES FROM THE 1960s to the 1980s

See and read about the classic Japanese bikes that changed the motorcycle industry at such a rapid pace as to leave the once dominant British, American, German and Italian motorcycle industries in the dust. Well almost. They're all still here but that's not why you are here. Read on...

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Thirty years on, almost every one of these old Japanese bikes has been modified by successive owners such that many are unrecognizable from their original form.

Some of these modifications are for pure performance, while many are outrageous styling exercises. Most are somewhere in between. But you got to check them out!

The most popular mods must be cafe racers, but many of the big boomers have been superbly modified into streetfighters and there are lots of folks creating some really imaginative and inexpensive bobbers and choppers.

Whilst 2-strokers such as the once ubiquitous Yamaha RD/RZ350 are getting few and far between on the street, they remain among the most nostalgic of the early classic Japanese bikes. And no-one who grew up an enthusiast can ever forget the sound and the fury!

Lightweight examples like the Honda CB400F and Yamaha SR500 are also rarely seen but much loved and will be looked at here. I suspect a whole lot of them are hiding in barns and such, waiting to be re-discovered.

And middleweights Kawasaki KZ650s, Honda CB750s, Suzuki GS750s and Yamaha XS650s etc will be featured here. These are just the kind of classic bikes many of us bought as our very first mounts and remember them fondly.

As well, there's lots of Umbrella girls pics and motorcycle wallpaper or background photos to scan and scope. And there will be more as time goes by.

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Classic Japanese Superbikes

While Japanese superbikes and early classics are the main focus, this site crosses a broad spectrum of machines. The site includes machines such as the Yamaha XS series, the Suzuki GS models, Kawasaki's legendary Z and KZ line, and of course Honda's trailblazing CB bikes that really started the Big Fours' breakaway from the field.

The very term "Superbike" finds its' origins with these machines and for the most part, they are the ones that really put the Japanese motorcycle industry into the forefront and caught the imagination of the bike buying public.

Let's have a closer look at these bad boys!

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Classic Japanese streetfighter motorcycles

A close cousin of the café racer special is the Streetfighter. Although a relatively new phenomenon, and a mainstay of stunters and hooligans alike, many older classics such as the Kawasaki KZ900/1000 series have been converted into streetfighters with some rather spectacular results as you'll see here. You won't believe the Honda Goldwing streetfighters. An unlikely candidate but these builders have created some killer bikes.

Perhaps the first streetfighter conversions were the result of crashed more modern sportbikes with full fairings. Owners who didn't want to spend huge cake on new plastic just left them off, and then went for the minimalist look, resulting in a whole new genre of motorcycle. Remember seeing rather odd looking Suzuki GSXR750s on the road with no bodywork? Often, that was on purpose! Check it out here.

Classic Japanese bobber motorcycles

Definitely some of the coolest bikes on the road. Classic Japanese Bobber motorcycles are generally the smaller displacement bikes taken by enthusiasts with little money and lots of imagination and motivation, and turned into something like this XS650 Bobber. This Yamaha shows really nice style and skill. From what I've seen, a great many Japanese bobber motorcycles are derived from the Yamaha XS series of bikes, with most of them being the XS650. It's an easy build because a couple of quick cuts on the back frame loop, add a saddle or bobber seat, chop the pipes back a ways and you're half-way there. A lot of bobber motorcycle builds depend mostly on the details rather than huge modifications. Some folks like a hard-tail look and so need to find a suitable frame and that gets to be like work! So most use the original frame and change out the shocks, seat, handlebars, and put same-size wheels on both ends. Paint, tiny head and brake lights, fat tires and an abbreviated fender, and bob's yer uncle so to speak. Check out more Bobbers here. Classic Japanese cafe racers Classic Japanese Bikes includes a section on Café Racers. With emphasis on the Honda CB line and Kawasakis' Z1, KZ900 and KZ1000 specials,as well as the Yamaha XS models etc, this is where shadetree mechanics and backyard bodgers are at their most creative and inspired. Lately smaller displacement Hondas are becoming popular cafe racer conversion favourites. Simply put they're cheap to buy, Honda still has lots of OEM parts available and with cc restrictions in Japan, they're the only alternative. There are some real pros doing amazing things with ratty barn bikes and these can serve as an inspiration to those thinking of ditching their old, neglected rides. A sizeable cottage industry has grown around products for this popular art form. Pretty much any old Japanese four-stroke and many two-stroke bikes lend themselves readily to cafe conversions simply by checking out all the cafe bike sites out there selling bolt-on stuff for you name it! Handlebars, seat-pans in fibreglass or aluminum, wild tanks in carbon fibre, fenders galore! Strip your old ride down to the basics and you can simply order up a cafe look as easy as you can pull your credit card out of your wallet. It's FUN! Classic Japanese motorcycles We also take a look at lesser known but admired types such as the Yamaha RZ/RD two strokes, Kawasaki's Green Meanie triples, Honda's CBX1000 and other motorcycles of note. And we'll have a look at some old racers like the Yamaha TZ750, RC Hondas and more obscure but cool stuff. The Honda VF1000R shown here marks a transition to full-fairing bikes that would dominate the sportbike scene for years to come. Remember the original Honda Hurricane? I remember seeing the red and white Hurricane 600 with the outlandish tear-striped graphics and being awestruck! It was clear as day the future was here and the old naked super-bikes of the 70s were soon to be gone forever. Alas, they're back with a vengeance, catering to nostalgic memories of a simpler, less flashy time. In fact, other than the touring and cruiser market, which are not covered here, The full-faired sport bikes and soon to be dubbed super-sports would constitute the bulk of future classics. Kawasaki GPZ750s and 1100s, Suzuki GSXR 750s and 1000s, the Hurricanes and Yamaha FZ750s and 1000s are the new generation of classic Japanese bikes, pushing those from the 60s and 70s into vintage territory. It was clear as day the future was here and the old naked super-bikes of the 70s were soon to be gone forever. Alas, they're back with a vengeance, catering to nostalgic memories of a simpler, less flashy time, but with fuel-injection, modern rubber and modern price-tags! Classic Japanese 2-stroke Motorcycles The first Japanese 2-stroke motorcycles hearken back to this 1946 Honda Type A. When engineer Soichiro Honda got his hands on some tiny war-surplus 2-stroke engines, he bolted them to his in-house bicycle frames and thus was born the Japanese motorcycle industry! Post-war, Japan was short on everything from petrol, to steel and rubber, so bicycles were a major source of transport. But the public needed more serious get-around and powered bicycles were increasingly popular, if unwieldy, smoky and crude. Honda's Type A begot Type B and so on, until the famous Honda Dream became a four-stroke step-through scooter sold everywhere by the millions. And they still are sold in the developing world by the ship-load Later on, the other big three of Japanese motorcycling would all contribute to the two-stroke pantheon. With such famous marks as the Kawasaki H1 500 triple, and the rather infamous 750 cc "Green Meanie", as well as Yamaha RD350 and RZ350 series pocket-rockets, the sweet smell of Castrol "R" would cloud horizons the world over. Suzuki's lineup of two-strokes such as the GT250, GT380 and the aptly nick-named Water Buffalo GT750, as well as the wicked and late-lamented RG500 Gamma would add to the cacophony and the hooliganism until clean-air laws brought the fun to a screeching halt in the mid-late 1970's. Just how many young hooligans do you think got hooked on two-stroke Japanese bikes and most particularly machines just like this very Yamaha RD350 or one of it's many iterations? Methinks there were millions! Were you one? So let's have a closer look at the many 2-stroke classic Japanese bikes that captured the imaginations of a generation of bike enthusiasts. Just put on your Bell helmet and keep the blue smoke out of your eyes. Classic Japanese Motorcycles-The Lightweights Here you’ll find many of the classic and renowned lightweight bikes like this Yamaha SR400 pictured here that started the Big Four on the road to complete world domination. A good selection from Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha for enthusiasts of the four-strokers that weren’t always huge sellers in the west, but gave the Japanese factory engineers and stylists the experience and motivation to go after established big-bike makers like Norton, Triumph, Ducati and Harley Davidson. Of course, after the legends-in-the-making such as the Honda 400-four, Yamaha RD350/400, and the Kawasaki middleweight KZs, and such, the poor Brit bike industry was under the gun. It's the same old sad story and we've heard it all before but at least we got our greasy hands on some reliable, fast and fun new bikes that would shape the future of the industry and our very lives! And hey, let's not get too down for the British. Triumph is ressurected and with newfound respect for the customer and some very tasty retro models for those die-hard fans to sink their teeth into. Go Brittania! Classic Japanese Motorcycles-The Middleweights Four-stroke middleweight such as the Kawasaki KZ650, Suzuki GS650, and more… we’ll take a closer look at popular and classic Japanese bikes commonly referred to as middleweights. Bikes like the Honda CB750Four, Yamaha XS650 etc. Most Japanese motorcycles sold in Europe and North America in the late 60’s and early seventies were small displacement two-strokes. Aside from the 1969 introduction of the awesome Honda 750Four, in fact there simply were no “middleweight” classic Japanese bikes. But with the success of larger displacement bikes, particularly in the great expanses of North America, the big Four sought to flesh out their line-ups with models like the Kawasaki KZ650 and Suzuki GS650 Yamaha XS1 and others. Track Girls, Pit Babes, Ducati Girls,Superbike Babes etc. For you dreamers, here be some tastefully presented pics of the motorcycle racing world's most gorgeous eye candy. More pics will be added from time to time, so be sure to have a look back every now and then to see what you might have missed. Motorcycle Desktop Wallpaper, Magazines and Clubs Here's some computer "wallpaper" to jazz up your monitor backgrounds. Classic Japanese motorcycle magazines and clubs worldwide are also listed here for enthusiasts to check out. For those looking for products and services for a particular machine, you'll find links to sites that cater to your needs. There is an amazingly extensive original equipment and aftermarket range of companies that can supply you with virtually anything you might want. And with links to Motorcycle Clubs and magazines, you can get lost browsing. So, after all that... Enjoy classic-japanese-bikes! Back to the top classic-japanese-motorcycle pic of the week! Classic Japanese motorcycle picture of the week! Japanese bobber motorcycles Japanese bobber motorcycles cafe racer motorcycles Find out here all about the cafe racer motorcycles phenomenon and the cafe racer clubs that abound. Streetfighter Motorcycles Popular classic Japanese streetfighter motorcycles include the Kawasaki KZ900,1000 and Z1 seriesand so on into the modern era. Check out more Classic Japanese Streetfighters here! Classic Japanese Motorcycles Everyone’s got their favourite classic Japanese motorcycles. What’s yours? On this site we’ll look at many of them Superbikes Superbikes. Think Kawasaki Z1,Honda CB750, Suzuki GS1000 etc. How fast do you wanna go? Classic Japanese 2 stroke motorcycles:Yamaha RZ350,Kawasaki H1 and more Classic Japanese 2 stroke motorcycles Middleweight four-strokes Find great pics and info on the Honda CB750 Four and other four-stroke middleweights Lightweight fourstroke Classic Japanese Motorcycles. Read about the legendary Honda Superhawk, Suzuki GS500 and other lightweight four-stroke classic Japanese motorcycles here. Ace Cafe London History of the Ace Cafe Classic and vintage Japanese motorcycle LINKS Classic and vintage Japanese motorcycle LINKS motorcycle wallpaper:motorcycle wallpapers for all Find motorcycle wallpaper for classic japanese bikes,Superbikes,BMW's and others. Superbike babes, umbrella girls Superbike babes.Have a look at tastefully presented pics of Superbike girls and umbrella girls here… Honda bobber motorcycles Honda bobber motorcycles Kawasaki bobber motorcycles Kawasaki bobber motorcycles Suzuki bobber motorcycles Suzuki bobber motorcycles Yamaha bobbers Yamaha bobbers Honda streetfighter motorcycles Honda streetfighter motorcycles Classic Kawasaki Streetfighters Classic Kawasaki Streetfighters like the KZ1000, KZ900 and more Suzuki streetfighter motocycles Suzuki streetfighter motocycles classic Yamaha streetfighter motorcycles classic Yamaha streetfighter motorcycles Honda cafe racer motorcycles Honda cafe racer motorcycles honda cafe racers page2 honda cafe racers Classic Kawasaki Cafe racer motorcycles Classic Kawasaki Cafe racer motorcycles Suzuki cafe racer motorcycles Suzuki cafe racer motorcycles Yamaha cafe racer motorcycles Yamaha cafe racer motorcycles Honda 2 strokes Honda 2 strokes Kawasaki 2-strokes Kawasaki 2-strokes Suzuki 2-strokes Suzuki 2-strokes Yamaha 2 strokes Yamaha 2 strokes Honda CB 750 Four Honda CB 750 Four Honda CBX1000 Honda CBX1000 Classic Honda GoldWings Classic Honda GoldWings Kawasaki KZ1000, KZ900, Z1 Kawasaki KZ1000, KZ900, Z1 Kawasaki KZ1300 Kawasaki KZ1300 Kawasaki GPZ750 Kawasaki GPZ750 Kawasaki KZ550 Kawasaki KZ550 Suzuki GS1000 Suzuki GS1000 Suzuki RG500 Gamma Suzuki RG500 Gamma Yamaha XS 650 Yamaha XS 650 Yamaha XS1100 Yamaha XS1100 Honda middleweights Honda middleweights Kawasaki middleweights Kawasaki middleweights Suzuki middleweights Suzuki middleweights Yamaha mid-weights Yamaha mid-weights Honda lightweight motorcycles Honda lightweight motorcycles Kawasaki lightweights Kawasaki lightweights Suzuki lightweights Suzuki lightweights Yamaha lightweight motorcycles Yamaha lightweight motorcycles Honda Wallpaper Gallery Honda Wallpaper Gallery Kawasaki Gallery Kawasaki Wallpaper Gallery Suzuki Gallery Suzuki Wallpaper Gallery Yamaha Gallery Classic Yamaha Motorcycle Wallpaper Gallery paint your motorcycle paint your motorcycle KevinWaughsclassicjapanesebikes KevinWaughsclassicjapanesebikes.The story Buy a motorcycle:Classic Japanese Motorcycle Buy a motorcycle - Seen on the street Seen on the street Classic-Japanese-Bikes Blog Keep up to date with the latest on Classic Japanese Bikes. contact us Contact us. 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