I grew up hearing older riders talk about the 1970s as the Golden Era of Japanese motorcycles, and Yamaha was right at the center of that conversation. When I look back at that decade now, five Yamaha models stand out as truly legendary, not just for their specs but for how they shaped culture, engineering, and what riders still expect from a bike today. These machines did not simply sell well, they rewrote the rules for air-cooled twins, two-stroke performance, triple-cylinder touring, and full-size superbikes.
To understand why these five Yamahas still matter, I focus on how each one set a benchmark that later bikes had to answer. From the Yamaha XS650 that helped define the decade’s street style to the Yamaha XS1100 that pushed big-bore touring into new territory, every model on this list earned its place through a mix of innovation, reliability, and long-term influence that modern reporting continues to recognize.
The Yamaha XS650: Revolutionizing air-cooled twins
The Yamaha XS650 arrived at the start of the decade and quickly became a foundational 1970s Yamaha model, built around a 653cc inline twin engine that riders still talk about for its balance of reliability and character. Modern coverage of legendary 1970s Yamahas singles out the XS650 as a defining air-cooled twin, and one detailed slideshow of 5 legendary Yamaha motorcycles from the 1970s explicitly highlights how that 653cc layout helped set standards for durability and style in the era’s street scene. When I look at period photos and surviving examples, what stands out is how the XS650 blended a classic upright stance with an engine that could handle daily commuting, long-distance rides, and later, extensive customization without losing its core identity.
That cultural impact is part of why the XS650 keeps resurfacing in lists of Top 10 bikes of the 70s and in enthusiast videos such as “1970 Yamaha XS650-Top 10 bike of the 70s-XS650 Yamaha,” where the channel MotoSee shows how the model still attracts attention, and where the metrics “909” and “287” appear alongside prompts to “Subscribe” and “Share” as viewers engage with the story of this Yamaha. For collectors and builders, the stakes are clear: the XS650 is not just another vintage twin, it is a platform that helped Yamaha cement its place among the great motorcycle manufacturers of the world, a point echoed in broader retrospectives on Yamaha classics from the 1970s and 80s. When I talk to riders who lived through that era, they often describe the XS650 as the bike that proved a Japanese air-cooled twin could be both tough and stylish enough to stand beside European icons, and that perception still shapes how people value surviving examples today.
The Yamaha RD350: Icon of two-stroke excitement
The Yamaha RD350, launched in 1973, is the bike I think of first when someone mentions 1970s two-stroke performance. It used a 347cc parallel-twin two-stroke engine in a lightweight chassis, and that combination gave riders a level of agility and punch that felt more like a race machine than a commuter. Modern coverage of iconic 1970s motorcycles repeatedly points to the RD350 as a standout, and a detailed rundown of the most iconic motorcycles from the 1970s underscores how its performance and popularity among riders made it a benchmark for street and track use. When I look at how the RD350 is discussed today, it is clear that its reputation rests not just on raw speed but on how approachable that speed felt for everyday enthusiasts.
That legacy is reinforced by focused coverage of the RD350 as a legendary two-stroke, including a feature titled “2-stroke or 4-stroke Yamaha? When the RD350 LC came out it made a lot of the bigg…” which describes the Yamaha RD350 as a legendary two-stroke motorcycle introduced in the early 1970s, known for its lightweight chassis and aggressive performance. For riders and collectors now, the stakes are twofold: the RD350 represents a high point in two-stroke street bikes that regulatory and market shifts later made impossible to repeat, and it also serves as a touchstone for how much character a relatively small-displacement engine can deliver. When I compare it with modern middleweight machines, I see how the RD350’s blend of sharp handling and explosive power delivery still defines what many riders expect from a truly exciting bike.
The Yamaha XS750: Triple-cylinder innovation
The Yamaha XS750 arrived in the middle of the decade with a different mission, introducing a smooth 747cc inline-triple engine that aimed to bridge the gap between sporty riding and long-distance touring. Its 1976 introduction marked Yamaha’s move into triple-cylinder territory, and the bike’s engineering, including its shaft drive, signaled a focus on refinement and low-maintenance practicality that appealed to riders who wanted more than a simple commuter. Modern coverage of collectible motorcycles from the 70s and 80s highlights the XS750 as a triple-cylinder model that has become increasingly valued, and a detailed feature on the most collectible motorcycles from the 70s and 80s notes how its engineering and relative rarity today help drive that collectibility. When I look at the XS750’s spec sheet and period road tests, I see a bike that tried to deliver the smoothness and comfort of a tourer without giving up the responsiveness riders expected from a Yamaha.
For today’s enthusiasts, the XS750’s triple-cylinder layout and shaft drive show how Yamaha experimented with configurations that could stand alongside the more common inline-four superbikes of the era. That experimentation fits into a broader pattern that video retrospectives describe as These Japanese motorcycles from the 1970s showcasing the Golden Era of Japanese engineering, combining durability, performance, and Timeless design, as one “10 BEST LEGENDARY JAPANESE 70’S MOTORCYCLES …” feature puts it. The stakes for collectors and restorers are significant: the XS750 is not as ubiquitous as some contemporaries, so finding clean examples and correct parts can be challenging, but that scarcity is part of what makes it a sought-after piece of 1970s history. When I talk with riders who own one today, they often describe the satisfaction of keeping a distinctive triple-cylinder Yamaha on the road as a way of preserving a chapter of engineering that might otherwise be overshadowed by more famous fours.
The Yamaha RD400: Refined racer for the road
The Yamaha RD400 took the RD350 formula and pushed it further, arriving in 1976 with a 398cc two-stroke twin that delivered more power along with chassis and braking upgrades. It evolved directly from the RD350, and the move to a larger displacement, combined with the adoption of disc brakes, gave riders a sharper, more controllable machine that still felt like a racer adapted for everyday use. Coverage of standout 1970s motorcycles consistently ranks the RD400 among the decade’s best, and a detailed feature on the six best bikes of the 1970s includes the Yamaha RD400 as one of the top machines of the era, emphasizing its refined two-stroke design and racing heritage. When I look at that recognition alongside period race results and club-level stories, it is clear that the RD400 earned its reputation on both the street and the track.
For riders now, the RD400 represents a point where two-stroke technology for the road reached a mature balance of speed and usability. Enthusiast videos such as “Unforgettable 1970s Motorcycles You Wish You Owned!” frame these kinds of bikes as Legendary Motorcycles that You may Never Heard Of, asking “Which of” these machines riders have owned and reminding viewers how much character they packed into relatively compact packages. The stakes for modern owners are practical as well as emotional: keeping an RD400 running means dealing with aging two-stroke components and emissions-era compromises, but it also means preserving a style of performance that later regulations made rare. When I see an RD400 in person, the combination of compact dimensions, bold graphics, and purposeful stance still looks like a distilled version of 1970s racing energy, and that visual impact is a big part of why the model continues to command attention at shows and in private collections.
The Yamaha XS1100: Powerhouse of the late 1970s
The Yamaha XS1100 arrived near the end of the decade as a full-size superbike, using a 1101cc inline-four engine that produced over 100 horsepower and pushed Yamaha into the high-performance touring segment. It was designed as a powerhouse that could cover serious distance at speed, and its combination of displacement, output, and comfort made it one of the most imposing Japanese motorcycles of its time. Modern rankings of historically important motorcycles recognize the XS1100 as one of the greatest machines of the last century, and a detailed list of the 25 greatest motorcycles of the last 100 years includes the Yamaha XS1100 as a standout 1970s superbike, highlighting how its powerful inline-four engine influenced later touring models. When I compare its role to that of contemporary big-bore bikes, it is clear that the XS1100 helped set expectations for what a Japanese touring-oriented superbike should deliver.
For today’s riders and collectors, the XS1100’s significance lies in how it bridged raw performance and long-distance practicality at a time when manufacturers were still figuring out what large-displacement road bikes should be. Video retrospectives such as “Top 10 Motorcycles From the 1970s We Want Back in 2025!” talk about 7 WORST and 6 BEST Motorcycles Out of The 1970s, with MotorCycle Zone highlighting how certain Legendary Motorcycles You still want to see on modern roads, and the XS1100 fits neatly into that desire for big, characterful machines that can still tour. The stakes for the broader market are clear: as interest in vintage superbikes grows, models like the XS1100 help define how collectors value late-1970s engineering and how manufacturers think about reviving classic names or design cues. When I see how often the XS1100 appears in discussions of influential touring bikes, it reinforces the idea that this Yamaha did more than chase top speed, it helped shape the template for the modern sport-touring category.
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