The first real motorcycle I rode was a Bridgestone 50. That little rotary valve, rotary shift screamer felt like a real hoot to my 12 year old self. This 175 is a beauty. Jeez, you guys just keep on stirring up my long lost youth....
Believe it or not, I remember my folks taking me to Sears for school clothes in the kate 60's and seeing Bridgestone motorcycles in the sporting goods dept.
You had to be there. Bridgestone motorcycles of all sizes were superb. They were a little higher priced than the Japanese competition and maybe that hurt the brand, but what a bike.
The 175cc Bridgestone was used by Jo Schutters (born Februar 18 1947, Heemstede, Netherlands) to build his 125cc, ( topspeed 137 mph)watercooled, GP-winning machine, winning Francorchamps 1973, one of the fastests circuits.
I used to own one. Mine was blue though. Mine had pipes that came out and they looked like a 50 cal barrel out the back. The best feature was the rotary or non rotary tranny. I couldn't find parts for it anymore so I sold it for 75 bucks back in the 80's.
I never even heard of them until i saw one in kennebunk Maine a couple years ago. A buddy just gave me an old cycle or cycle world magazine article where they built one back then to race daytona.
In the early 70's I owned a Bridgestone 100 and 175. The 175 would easily outrun any Honda 350. I still have the scarred piston I had too replace because I set the oil injection too lean!
they built those with FAMILY NAME EMBOSSED eg GO SOC&SONS and other BUSINESS NAMES i have seen one 7th AVENUE CALOOCAN RIZAL MAMA&BALAT HONDA MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOP HONDA 90 cc ABIGAIL MARKETING
