There was a kind of madness took hold of the Japanese big four in the late 70s. Spiralling size, weight and power. I used to read all the m/c mags in them days and the journos took turns to rave about the XS1100, Honda CBX, Kawasaki Z1300, Suzuki RE5. Lunch times used to visit the motorcycle showroom in Cadzow Street, Hamilton - was it Lloyd's M/cs? - and ogle those bikes.
Yamaha's strain of that madness was to rip up the design book and come up with something new. The shaft 750 triple for one, then they added a 4th cylinder.
But I felt then, and still feel now, that they were just too big. I know, I'm a hypocrite and I've since owned and ridden American muscle like FXDX and Victory Hammer. Buy a £300 10"-wide rear tyre and shred it in a thousand miles. I'm feeling better now, Thank You very much.
But in 1979, I side-stepped that size, weight and power race and put my money on an SR500. Was parked in Langholm one day and there was a bunch of great big Japanese bikes parked near; this old gentleman stopped to tell me I had made a far better choice. I thought so too.
But ETTO.
Yamaha's strain of that madness was to rip up the design book and come up with something new. The shaft 750 triple for one, then they added a 4th cylinder.
But I felt then, and still feel now, that they were just too big. I know, I'm a hypocrite and I've since owned and ridden American muscle like FXDX and Victory Hammer. Buy a £300 10"-wide rear tyre and shred it in a thousand miles. I'm feeling better now, Thank You very much.
But in 1979, I side-stepped that size, weight and power race and put my money on an SR500. Was parked in Langholm one day and there was a bunch of great big Japanese bikes parked near; this old gentleman stopped to tell me I had made a far better choice. I thought so too.
But ETTO.
