Spotted a well-preserved 1984 Honda VF700C Sabre for sale recently, and it brought back memories of a fascinating era in motorcycle history. It was the mid-1980s, and Harley-Davidson, facing financial difficulties, sought government intervention. The solution? Steep tariffs on imported motorcycles with engines larger than 700cc. The idea was to protect American motorcycle manufacturers by making Japanese bikes less competitive. However, this protectionist measure didn’t quite pan out as intended.
Instead of crippling the Japanese motorcycle industry, the tariffs sparked a wave of innovation. Japanese manufacturers swiftly adapted. Their response was ingenious: if the US government wanted to penalize bikes over 700cc, they would simply create a new class of motorcycles – the 700cc Bike. It was a brilliant sidestep. Popular 750cc models underwent subtle engine modifications, with slightly smaller bores or crankshaft strokes, bringing them just under the tariff threshold.
But the ingenuity didn’t stop there. These newly engineered 700cc bikes weren’t just smaller versions of their 750cc predecessors. Manufacturers tweaked camshafts and carburetors, often resulting in 700cc engines that were even more powerful and responsive than the models they replaced. And to add insult to injury, these high-performing 700cc bikes were often offered at a lower price point than the remaining 750cc inventory, which were unaffected by the new tariffs and were being heavily discounted.
I recall my former son-in-law purchasing a Yamaha 700cc Fazer in the early 90s. This machine was a marvel of engineering, boasting a four-cylinder engine with five valves per cylinder – a total of 20 valves! At the time, I was riding a BMW 1000 with significantly fewer valves. Riding that Fazer 700cc was an eye-opening experience. It was incredibly quick and agile, demonstrating the impressive capabilities packed into these tariff-beating bikes.
The market was soon flooded with exceptional 700cc motorcycles from various Japanese manufacturers, each showcasing their own take on this new engine displacement. Models like the Honda Sabre, Yamaha Maxim X, and Suzuki Madura became symbols of this era of clever adaptation.
The motorcycle tariff, implemented in 1983 and lasting until 1988, ultimately failed to achieve its intended goal of saving Harley-Davidson through protectionism. Harley’s resurgence was driven by internal factors – factory modernization, product improvements, and management restructuring. The 700cc bike era became a testament to the Japanese manufacturers’ ability to innovate and adapt in the face of trade barriers.
And if you want further proof of Japanese motorcycle engineering prowess, delve into the story of the late 80s and early 90s Japanese domestic market regulations. To discourage large, powerful motorcycles, the Japanese government imposed financial restrictions on bikes over 400cc. This led to the creation of incredibly high-performance 250cc and 400cc “pocket rockets” – street-legal race bikes with sky-high redlines, showcasing yet another instance of ingenious adaptation to market constraints.
The 700cc bike story remains a fascinating chapter in motorcycle history, illustrating how innovation can flourish even in response to protectionist policies.
