The Honda CB750 made its debut in 1969, but it had such a profound effect on and influence on everything that followed in the 1970s that we simply had to include it here.
The Yamaha XT500 has earned a legendary status as a motorcycle thanks to its powerful single-cylinder engine, sturdy yet lightweight frame and high suspension.
When it was first debuted in the late 1960s, the Moto Guzzi transverse V-twin engine was unmatched, and it still is today.
The 750 Sport America's impossibly complex engine, which was directly evolved from racing four-cylinder engines, cost three times as much as a Honda CB750.
Honda may have invented the idea of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle in 1969 with the CB750, but in the late 1970s, the astounding six-cylinder, 1,047cc CBX upped the ante.
The Japanese were experts at making engines in the 1970s, but they understood very little about creating the frames that would house them. Bimota stepped in at that point.
Although their motorcycles were well-made and dependable, they lacked excitement. They were also not athletic, nor could you purchase one in any color other than off-white or black.