Classic bikes, cutting edge technology, and a conspiracy thrown in too!
The first and only motorbike I have ever owned was a Bridgestone 175cc dual twin. A...what!? I hear you ask.
Believe it or not the the famous Bridgestone tyre company used to make motorbikes from 1952-1973.
Did you know that Bridgestone is a Japanese company?
I picked mine up second hand in 1977 for 125 pounds sterling.
What I didn't know at the time was that I'd picked up a veteran motorcycle with a fascinating history and some design features that were way ahead of its time...all except the brakes which were drum brakes and not the most efficient things especially in the wet.
The most unusual aspect of the bikes design was that it had a
dual mode gear box. That is 'two' ways of using the same gear box! This meant that instead of a simple up/down foot change the rider could literally switch modes by using a lever on the engine case and turn the gear change to 'rotary' which meant that all changes were 'down' cycling through 1,2,3,4, neutral and then back to first. The more 'bike minded' reader will appreciate that forgetting which mode you were in could have serious consequences at high speeds!
On this lens you will be able to learn more about the Bridgestone and some of the adventures I had as an owner. Here's a picture of the type of model I owned.
Happy memories thanks to Bridgestone Skew
Where did the name Bridgestone come from?
The Bridgestone company was started in 1945 by a man called
Soichiro Ishibashi.
Ishi Bashi means 'stone bridge' in Japanese and exports to the USA were made through Rockford Motors and began in 1963
My First Motorbike Trip
Just 12 hours after buying my Bridgestone
I had recently graduated and was working in student job in a factory. My friends (all bikers and owners of large cc Triumphs T150s, T160s, Hurricanes etc and other large cc Japanese bikes) had decided to go to Rhossili on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales on holiday. Rhossili is famed for being one of the best places for hang gliding in Europe and also the headland known as Worms Head Worm being an ancient word for Dragon:
image credit Worms Head City and County of Swansea
For me to join the trip I needed a bike and whilst I had passed my car test I hadn't taken my bike test so I was restricted to the cc of bike I could ride. In the local paper my friend spotted a Bridgestone 175 cc, we went and bought it that night and the following day I rode 222 miles to Wales on holiday!
Here's the 222 mile route:
View Larger Map
Fright on a Bridgestone
A wrong turn in the rain and a spooky statue in the night!
image credit Jan Gwosdz
On my first Bridgestone mortorcycle trip to Wales and The Gower Peninsula we travelled late into the night. Imagine... a dark rainy night and a bunch of bikers who are not sure where we are going. A wrong turn down a lane and I get his feeling I'm being watched. Turning around I see a ghostly white figure!!! That's when the 175 cc disk valve engine came into its own as I raced away from what I now know is the famous Port Eynon Fisherman
Bridgestone 175cc At The Isle of Man TT Races
My Bridgestone visits the Isle of Man
This is my Bike!
Its parked on a camp site at Union Mills a camp site on the Isle of Man TT race circuit.
When I arrived on the island my friends asked if I'd like to do a 'lap' of the circuit. So I hopped on my trusty Bridegstone and...39 miles later I completed one lap!
I managed to get a good top speed (wink!) down Snaefell to the famous Creg-nyBaa bend and it really brought home to me just what the racers do when they make six laps of the circuit.
The Bridgestone Conspiracy
image credit Corrupt.Org
So why did Bridgestone suddenly stop manufacturing and selling bikes in the 1970's!?
The theory is that the other Japanese Brands (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki) didn't like the market share that Bridgestone was gaining. So they alledgedly threatened Bridgestone that they would cease using its tyres on their bikes and in doing so ruin Bridgestone's main business!
The Bridgestone Motorcycle Range
Make no mistake these bikes were fast!
50 cc
60 cc
image credit Motorbike Search Engine
100 cc
175 cc Dual Twin
My Bike looked just like this. No chrome on tank, although pipes were black. Image credit Motor Bike Search Engine
175cc Hurricane Scrambler
image credit Motorcycle USA
350 cc
Follow The Link Below For A More Detailed Exploration of the Complete Bridgestone Range:
Motorbike Search Engine
Links To Bridgestone Knowledge
- Bridgestone Skew
- Lots of history and spare parts links
- Scott's Bridgestone Motorcycles
- Good general information resource
- Frank Melling writes fo Motorcycle USA
- A close look at the Hurricane scrambler
- Motorcycle Classics
- This includes a close look at the Bridgestone 350cc
- Road Racing Bridgestones
- A personal recollection
- Bridgestone Motorcycles e-book
- Mick Walkers highly informative e-book
Bridgestone Technology
The cutting edge
image credit
Euro Spares
A special feature of the Bridgestone 175cc and 350cc was the disk valve induction system . The benefit of this system was that it meant there was more precise mixture and gas which in turn led to more engine efficiency.
Here's a detailed look at the engine design with photographs
Bridgestones For Sale
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Bridgestone on Facebook
Bridgestone Blog Posts
- HowStuffWorks "1967 Bridgestone 350 GTO"
- The company then expanded into true motorcycles, the first being a hot 175-cc two-stroke twin that could embarrass many 350s. Then Bridgestone came out with a 350 of its own, which could likewise dust bikes twice its size. ...
- Bridgestone Motorcycles - IH8MUD.com
- Bridgestone was doing well and absorbed former employees of failed companies like Tohatsu and Lilac. Out of this came their most well known series of motorcycles, based on rotary valve engines, ranging in size from 50cc to 350cc. ... This prompted the 'SR' series in 90, 100 and 175cc, which were slightly modified race-only versions of the road-going models. The road-going 175 was enlarged to 200cc in 1970. Many of the cutting-edge engineering features found on ...
- big boring the TZR - Perth Street Bikes
- Firstly I need an RZ 250/350 bottom end in decent nick... As far as I can tell, up to 400cc, you don't need to modify the bottom end and can use the stock crank. if I can get a stroker crank and the machining to the crank cases done for less .... '87 TZR250 with RZ350 motor. Last dyno session, the bike was making. 75RWHP. '04 R6 front end set up by Traxxion Dynamics Ohlins Shock by Traxxion Dymanics FZR600 Rear Wheel Bridgestone slicks. Spare wheels with Bridgestone Rains ...
- b index
- bridgestone 90cc & 100cc rotary valve. bronco, apache 100. bsa d1 & d7. bultaco 4 & 5 speed models. ducati 100cc. garelli 100cc. hd pre 1967, 125cc, 165cc & 175cc. hodaka 90cc, 100cc, 125cc. maico mx. montesa 125cc, 175cc, 250cc & 360cc ...
Bridgestone Fans
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Reply
- Gene12 Gene12 Nov 19, 2009 @ 1:15 am
- I'm not a big fem of this bikes, although they last forever, but I like the lens created with a lot of care.motorcycle helmet
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Reply
- ChuckWagon61291 ChuckWagon61291 Oct 16, 2009 @ 10:12 am
- wow i really love your lense. Tons of info and insight. Check out my lense http://www.squidoo.com/stuntride
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