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The 1980s Sportbike Craze That Disappeared Overnight

bart

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In the 1980s the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers went head to head building powerful, technologically advanced middleweight sportbikes powered by turbo-charged engines. From the Honda CX500 and 650 Turbo to the Suzuki XN85 and Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo to the venerable Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo.

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20 Comments

@GPz84 1 month ago

Owned a GPz 750 and 750 Turbo. Both handled like boat anchors due to having 18' wheels, but that turbo was a freaking missile back in the day.

@AFJDM 1 month ago (edited)

The H2 was Kawasaki being Kawasaki, but Honda's electric supercharger isn't just about power, but about creating a more fuel efficient high-power bike where boost is efficiently controlled to optimize fuel and air ratios in combustion to reduce emissions. Porsche is doing the same with the 911 for the same reasons, despite both companies being able to produce wild power figures without such systems. Also a V3 is awesome and it's a great return of Honda to the crazier side of their innovation!

@dmstrobel 1 month ago

I did! I owned a Suzuki XN85. Lovely bike, good handling, good powerband. Felt like a 900 in power and weight, and it cost about the same as a 900, so there really wasn't any advantage. The turbo lag was detectable but not obnoxious, at least to me. I sold it to get a ZX-10, which is still running and in the family.

@klugshicer 1 month ago

„No more turbo puns“
„That‘s where Suzuki was“
You‘re on goddamn fire today 🔥
(Or: congratulations on becoming a father maybe I suppose)

@Xt1000 4 weeks ago

I assembled and Test rode everyone of these bikes. I was the assembly guy at a Japanese dealership. Early 80's.

@trapperjohn3488 1 month ago

I had an 83 Seca Turbo. Pressurized carburetors. Poor steering. Weak brakes. Crappie suspension. I still miss that bike. The feeling of the turbo kicking in was incredible

@evelcustom9864 4 days ago

That CX500 turbo is beautiful. It is as quintessential a design of the 80s as the Lotus Esprit Turbo.

@natedostalik3538 1 month ago (edited)

Realizing Fluump has a car and bike channel in 2026 is like finding out an old friend has a secret Formula 1 career

@ScoutSniper3124 1 month ago

Owned a 1986 GPZ 1000 and it was a FAST BEAST. Then traded up to a 1988 ZX-10 which was and is a REFINED FAST BEAST. It's sitting pristine in my garage, just waiting for me to take it out for a ground flight. Beautiful bike.

@vincedibona4687 1 month ago

Turbo-shmurbo, the GPZ was just the best-looking bike out there at the time... 🤩

@Gassit 1 month ago

The CX500 was popular in the UK as a courier bike.

@howebrad4601 2 weeks ago

All 4 imo absolutely beautiful bikes. Really emphasized the "tech look" and high tech push of the 80s. Good video. Miss seeing bikes like these in showrooms

@roybatty2030 4 weeks ago

The CX500 was very popular with despatch riders in London, they were everywhere, a big seller.

@getadoglittlelonggi7333 1 month ago

The design language of motorcycles peeked in the 80s no question

@FoundingStockNZ 1 month ago

I'm pretty sure my calling in life is to turbo every bike I have, and more.

@BrettB-n1s 1 month ago

The GPz 750 Turbo was my dream bike for many years. I did own a GPz 750 eventually, never the turbo which was probably just as well. There was an aura to the Turbo tho back in the day.
Thanks for the coverage on the turbo bikes and their short reign.

@labrador_wow_wow 1 month ago

Honda claims to have sold 330.000 CX500 (maybe adding the 650 in that number). I'd say it was a wildly popular bike.

@davereinhart9933 1 month ago

You did it again! A superbly researched, written and produced video. Thank you. It is incredibly insightful.

@stevew8010 1 month ago

I have an '82 Seca Turbo. Probably the best, most interesting "vintage" bike I've ever had. Did a couple suspension upgrades (Progressive springs and fork brace) and the bike is very comfortable, fits me well. Turbo is non-existent until over 5k rpm under load, but it sure is fun when it hits. I like that it is so "80's" and such an obscure footnote in motorcycle development. The bones of it are pretty straightforward and it's not that bad to work on.