[barefoot_hiker]

Someone considering a large Japanese sport-bike or even a UJM would not likely be interested in a Harley. Were the Japanese even making big cruiser bikes back then that were direct competition for Harley?

I ended up with a Nighthawk 700S instead of 750. Honda shrunk the engine 50cc to avoid the tariff.

Someone wanting, say, an Interceptor 1000, was out of luck - pay the punitive tariff or buy used.

[refermech]

Nighthawk 700S was a great bike. Way ahead of its time and could still smoke any stock Harley with only 700 cc. I had two of these. Tariffs are bad because it encourages the other country to do the same. So there is probably no net gain. Harley would have survived just fine without the tariffs.