The shaft drive UJM isn't dead, it just retired to Italy

In the glory days of the mid 1970s through to later 1980s, every single one of the "Big Four" Japanese manufacturers had at least a couple of UJM's in their line-up.
If you never heard the expression, UJM stands for "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" - a no bullshit, unpretentious, basic street bike that's just as good at getting you work every day, as it is for a coast to coast adventure trip. Such bikes came in many configurations - 2, 3 or 4 cylinders, air or water cooled, engine size varying from "medium" to "massive" - but most had one thing in common: they were available with a reliable, easy to maintain shaft drive option.

official Moto-Guzzi V7 promo image