The mid-1980s was an exciting time of innovation for motorcycling. Having seen the demise of the British bike industry in the 1970s (and most of the other European brands too), the decade had started with a technology race, as the dominant ‘Big Four’ Japanese manufacturers looked to break their UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) image, which had seen the majority of bikes use a tried and tested formula, with cookie cutter designs and air-cooled inline four cylinder engines of between 750 and 1000cc powering the range topping models.
Suddenly those machines, which not so long ago were cutting edge, felt very old. The Eighties ushered in a new era. Turbos and 16 valve engines became trendy, fairings and water-cooling became the norm and fuel injection appeared as manufacturers looked to gain an edge. Some ideas stayed and others were no more than a passing fad. Lightweight two-strokes, V4s and fully dressed tourers battled it out as motorcycling set out on the highly segmented path we’ve come to know today.
These 1980s ‘inbetweeners’ bridged the gap between old and new, and bikes registered in 1985 are now approaching ‘Historic’ status, which means they are exempt from vehicle excise duty and don’t need to undergo an annual MoT test (although they still need to be roadworthy and have valid motorcycle insurance).
So can you run a Historic motorcycle as an everyday ride? We think you can, and here’s five from in and around ’85 we think proves the point perfectly.
BMW K75
The 1980s were not generally that great a time for BMW’s motorbike division. The innovative boxers from the early ‘70s had been overtaken by advances from Japan and it would be well over a decade before the GS (which was a staple of the ‘80s BMW range) would become the market changing adventure bike we’ve come to know today.
Instead the Bavarians saw their future in a series of three and four cylinder ‘K-series’ models, which were packed with modern tech (watercooling, four-valve heads, fuel injection and even, by the end of the decade, ABS brakes) but which were often defined mainly by their uniquely mounted engines.
Launched in 1983, the four cylinder K100 debuted the longitudinally mounted K-series engine, which was expected to replace the signature flat twin engines which had powered their range since the 1930s. In contrast to transversely mounted engines found on Japanese machines, these ‘laid down’ motors offered a lower centre of gravity – just like the traditional BMW boxers. The positioning of the engine gave a distinctive look, with the prominent cam covers earning them the nickname of ‘brick’.
They were fine touring machines and, in 1985, the three cylinder K75 came along. Lighter but less powerful (the triple essentially being three quarters of a K100 engine) it was a more manageable motorcycle. BMW’s high prices and dowdy image meant it was never a massive seller, but those who experienced them were generally devoted to the cause. With BMW’s legendary build quality, they racked up big miles (often in the hands of couriers) and if you can find a good one today they’re still more than capable of doing a job in their later years. Although never iconic, like some of the boxers which outlived them, the K75 is distinctive and represents an interesting period for the German brand.
Honda XBR500
The Honda XBR500 is a curious thing. Introduced in 1985 as a throwback to single-cylinder British machines of the 1950s, it was generally overlooked by a technology obsessed ‘80s audience. It finds its place here because it’s just the kind of bike that’s come on trend in 2025, proving that what comes around usually goes around.
The XBR’s air-cooled single cylinder engine was based on the unit found in the off-road style TT series. Putting out a claimed (but probably optimistic) 44bhp, it was seen as a bit frumpy and old fashioned on launch and, after decent year one sales, was quickly forgotten about.
Revisited 40 years on, it makes more sense than ever. It’s the sort of thing Royal Enfield are making today, but it’s unencumbered by all the emissions equipment that are making modern retros heavier, quieter and less powerful. It’s simple and charming motorcycling, and all the better for it.
Most attracted an older and gentler audience and, as a result, have been well looked after. They may not (and will never) be as historically important as the famous CB and VFR models Honda introduced in the 1980s, but as a distinctive classic bike you can buy for not too much money, and ride every day, the XBR has a heck of a lot going for it in 2025.
Triumph Bonneville T140
Triumph’s demise at the beginning of the 1980s, and its rebirth at the end of the decade, are well documented, but somewhere in the middle a thousand or so bikes rolled out of a Devon workshop to keep the bloodline alive. These ‘Harris’ Bonnevilles are now 40 years old and approaching Historic status, and they are actually pretty usable bikes.
Having bought the assets of the bankrupt Triumph at auction in 1983, John Bloor allowed Devon based Les Harris to build Bonnevilles and Tigers under licence, to keep the Triumph name alive. Harris had a successful business making spares for British motorcycles and had put in a bid to buy Triumph, only to miss out to Bloor. Even so, the agreement allowed him to fulfil a dream of building complete motorcycles.
Bloor was strict in the terms of the deal. Harris didn’t have access to the latest eight-valve TSS engine that had been developed just before the company went bust, so he had to make do with older designs. Further complicating things, much of Triumph’s supply chain had also gone, and the ancient tooling was worn out, so the Harris Bonnevilles used many parts sourced from mainland Europe, with Lafranconi exhausts, Magura switchgear, Paoli forks and a twin disc front brake set up with calipers made by Brembo, a company which would go on to become the most desirable name in braking today.
In the end, 1255 Harris Triumphs were built and sold between February 1985 and March 1988. They may not be as iconic as some Meriden-made Bonnevilles, but they make a rare and interesting classic motorcycle with a good availability of spare parts. Les passed away in 2009, but fittingly his family continue to run his company, making components to keep classic Brit bikes on the road, often using the tooling purchased from the original manufacturers and suppliers.
Suzuki GSX-R750
No feature on the top bikes of 1985 would be complete without reprising the Suzuki GSX-R750, the game changing sports bike that would set a blueprint for race replicas for decades to come.
Lots of different tech came and went in the early ‘80s but Suzuki found the special sauce with the GSX-R. Within a few years the 750cc sports bike would become the must have machine for performance minded bikers of the era.
The Gixxer, as it became known, enjoyed a huge following. Some were raced, many were crashed, but despite its comparative rarity and historic importance, good examples are still fairly affordable classics, which are supported by the manufacturer’s Suzuki Vintage Parts programme.
Would we run a GSX-R as a daily bike? Probably not, but it’s a bike which can still be ridden regularly on the road, to bike meets and at classic bike track days. It’s a legend, but still a pretty affordable legend.
Yamaha FZ750
Overshadowed by the GSX-R at launch, Yamaha’s FZ750 is a classic which regularly goes for banger money.
Where the Suzuki took a fastidious approach to weight saving, the FZ was all about the engine. It debuted what the company called it’s ‘Genesis’ design technology. At a time when four valves per cylinder were still a big deal, the Yamaha boasted a total of 20 of the things (three inlet and two exhaust valves per cylinder) while the cylinder block was tilted forward to lower the centre of gravity. It was a concept which would be refined over the years and was part of Yamaha’s design philosophy right through to the first R-series models in the late 1999s.
With its steel frame and only a half fairing (initially at least) the FZ lacked the sex appeal of the GSX-R, even if it was a bit more powerful and frequently duelled with Suzukis on the race track. Yamaha really got it right a few years later, when it mated an evolution of the Genesis engine to the new aluminium Deltabox frame on its FZR models.
Although the FZ is often overlooked, it was an important machine in 1980s motorcycle development. Other manufacturers may not have seen the benefit of 20 valve engines, but in many ways it was very appropriately named – being the genesis of so much of the technology which would go on to define sports bikes in the 1990s and beyond.
Photos (except the good Suzuki GSX-R750 one which is © Suzuki) are from Wikipedia. Credits are:
XBR - By Fiah84 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11789235
K75 - By Etamme - Desciption page was here, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1743434
GSX-R - By Loren11 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15573354nn
Bonneville - By meriden.triumph - Flickr: Harris Triumph T140E Bonneville 750cc, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18390757
Yamaha - By Rainmaker47 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44271097
