If I may weigh in here (while putting on my tweed jacket and spectacles)...comparing the Euro (and Canadian) bikes to the bikes out of Japan in the '70's to '90's is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. Most trick parts on the Euro bikes were eventually available to privateers. Sure, the Euro's had some REALLY trick parts but most of them made it to the production bikes (if they worked). To the credit of the smaller manufacturers, you often got mid-year upgrades or service bulletins to improve your machines (Maico and Husqvarna come immediately to mind as does Can-Am). Not so with the Big 4. Bob Hannah never had to suffer through a stock or privateer bike from Japan (although the final year YZ's came pretty damn close to stock and thus were uncompetitive and some would say - evil).
Looking back to those days to compare Euro bikes - and trying not to include new bias' that I've developed since that time, I was a Huskyphile then (as now) so although I liked the Euro "feel" of the Maico CZ, and Spanish brands, the Husky was the most reliable. Handling was the Maico forte' and while CZ, Maico and Bultaco had amazing tractable power, Maico didn't develop the nickname "Maico Breako" for nothing! Spain was going though the throws of an economic upheaval and really never had good steel so the Spanish brands were plagued with broken frames and such. CZ, well what can you say for Eastern Europe during the cold war? And what was Husky's excuse? Well the takeover of Husqvarna AB by Electolux was the beginning of the end.
On the other side of the world, the Japanese economic machine that was mass producing motorcycles that looked and felt nothing like the bikes "the Pro's used" was going strong and their marketing arm pretty much OWNED the publishing industry. And the reach of the factories went right down to the dealer network supported riders. The trick back then to see what was happening in the amateur world. There, you saw a lot of brand loyalty (me on Husqvarna's) and magazine fans (the latest gimmick sled from Japan), but you saw them head to head. You knew who was leading because of the bike and who would be still leading on a Pogo Stick! And yes, you saw a lot of Japanese bikes and fewer and fewer Euro makes, but you could compare them without too much meddling from the factories.
The other thing about the Euro bikes of the '80's was the economic situation in Europe and Japan. Europe was in trouble while Japan was at an all time high. Prices and lack of availability of parts and support were rising for European brands while simultaneously falling and increasing for products from Japan. The Euros were slow to advance technology (witness the air cooled, twin shock, drum brake, conventional fork crowd) and the paychecks that wooed the top riders away to Japan and there is no wonder brand loyalty changed.
Finally, I'd like to point out one more tidbit I learned later in life and never recognised in my youth. We were quick, too quick to move up in class. We barely mastered the 125 and jumped to the 250. I was racing a 250 before I could touch the ground and a 390 before I weighted 100 lbs! That was fine in the '70's but in the '80's, the HP ratings rose significantly: 125's had the HP of the 250 and the 250's greater than earlier 500's! Just as an example, my '75 175 Husky made 17 HP while my '96 139 YZ made (claimed) 32 HP. I don't think my 250 made that in the late 70's. Young men wanted to flex their muscles and show they had balls to they bought open class Maico's, Suzuki's, and Honda's when most couldn't handle that kind of power. Speeds also increased due to better suspensions and add to that the tracks were changing to be more "supercross" like. More and more riders were getting hurt.
I'm not calling anyone out. I just wanted to point out why we believe what we do and put it into a historical perspective. Now let me remove this stupid tweed jacked and put my shorts and flpi-flops back on. It is hot as hell in here!
