You're absolutely right. There never would have been a 700cc bike if it weren't for the Harley tariff. I think it was rescinded several years ago though.
I'm still waiting for Harley to pay me back the extra several hundred dollars I paid for my '84 Ninja 900 due to the over-749cc protectionist tariff.
Back in 1980, I felt the same way. The nerve of HD asking for tariffs, running up the price of my favorite Japanese bike! So I did some research to augment my bench-racing arguments. What I uncovered surprised me . . .
The protectionism is alive & well . . .IN JAPAN! The HD FXRS I bought new in 1982 cost me $5800.00 out the door (incl. tax, license & title). That same motorcycle in Japan cost over $30,000.00 in 1982. Even though they command 75% of the big bore motorcycle market in Japan, Harleys haven't gotten any cheaper in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is currently cheaper for a Japanese citizen to purchase a Gold Wing from the states (Ohio to be exact), ship it to Japan and pay the import tariff than it is to buy one locally!
Maybe you should be bitching about the lack of a level playing field instead of griping about the 80's tariffs . . .