Bridgestone

Bridgestone motorcycles were a division of the Bridgestone Tire Co. of Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Japan that produced mopeds and motorcycles from 1952 to 1970. Initially producing power assisted bicycles, the division moved on to producing mopeds and then motorcycles. The motorcycles were technologically advanced and powered by two-stroke engines. The high technical specification resulted in the machines being more expensive compared to other manufacturers models. Production was stopped in 1970 to protect the supply of tyres to other manufacturers. History In 1946 the tyre manufacturer Bridgestone started to produce bicycles and in 1949 the Bridgestone Cycle Company was formed. In 1950 an agreement was formed with Fuji Seimitsu Jogyo (Fuji Precision Engineering Company - now part of Nissan) to supply auxiliary engines for these bicycles. Initially the engines were supplied separately but from 1952 Bridgestone produced a bicycle fitted with the engine, the BS21 Bambi. The 26 cc engine was mounted above the rear wheel and was inverted. The rear wheel was driven by a friction drive on the tyre. 38 cc BS-31 and 49 cc BS-41 were later added. In 1958 the first motorcycles were produced. The initial model, BS Champion, had a pressed-steel frame and was powered by a fan-cooled 50-cc two-stroke engine. Most of the production was exported to the USA. The US importer was Rockford Motors in Rockford, Illinois. Bridgestone tyre suppliers to the "big four" (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki), and following pressure from those companies, Bridgestone agreed not to compete with them in the home market.