When my brother got out of the service in 1971, he bought a Norton 750 Commando. The two of us on that bike would outrun any one person on a Honda 750. Hilarious.
Yep, British bikes were fast in the 60s and 70s. I had a 71 BSA 441 Victor Enduro. It was a torque tractor. You could hit the bottom of a hill idling in high gear and just hit the throttle. No need to downshift. Instant acceleration in top gear all the way up without hesitation.