From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 59 – first published in 2016.
Story and photos Ray Kinch
Ray Kinch is afflicted with what he calls the BS Disease – a rare and often undiagnosed condition peculiar to those who took up riding in the late ‘sixties. At this point in time, there appears to be no cure.
My first Bridgestone was a 1968 100 Sport with ‘Jetlube’. At the time in early 1968, the year after I completed my HSC and having started work as a Laboratory Assistant-in-training on $23 per week, I realised that I needed affordable transport to get to work and Sydney Technical College, and to have some social life. The Bridgestone 100 seemed to fit the bill as it was affordable at $355, and only ever having ridden bicycles it seemed to be agile enough for a learner. I caught the train to Parramatta and with cash in hand did a deal with Brian Collins Bridgestone. Brian threw in a Stadium helmet and free rego, and as I had not yet learnt to ride, delivered the bike to my home in Lidcombe.
After some shaky lessons on a nearby vacant block, I was let loose on Sydney roads, albeit with ‘L’ plates. After I did my 5 minute test for a ‘P’ plate licence there was no stopping me. The little 100 took me to and from work and Technical College and got me to friends’ places all over Sydney. I joined a local motorcycle club which held its meetings in the Scout Hall in Tavistock Road Auburn; it was known as the Light Cycle Club of NSW. This club was a great way for me to learn more about bikes and participate in weekend rides to such places as Wombeyan Caves. I also remember travelling as far south as Currarong near Nowra for camping holidays. The 100 Sport was loaded with a tent and other camping gear.
As my social life gained pace, I bought a car and the Bridgestone spent more time in the shed. In 1972 I traded my little bike for another little bike, a Hodaka 100B and with the help of my Holden HR ute, I carted the Hodaka to places such as Menai and Colo for weekend trail riding.
In 1974 I married my dearest Therese and bikes seemed to disappear from the scene as we bought our first house and went on to raise four children.
Re-acquaintance with Bridgestone motorcycles in 2008
1967 – BS 175 Dual Twin
Just a few days before Christmas 2008 my son Simon rang regarding a 1967 175 DT Bridgestone for sale on eBay at Grenfell for $150. He was keen to do a ‘father-son’ restoration. Although I was a little wary of this project, he won the bid at $150 and we went off to Grenfell to pick it up. Well what a sorry looking bike it was, lots of missing and damaged parts. Not long after he bought it the old ‘house/children’ situation was having the same effect on Simon as it did on me and he asked if I would take over the restoration.
I sourced parts from USA and having spent a couple of thousand dollars on re-chroming and NOS parts the bike was ready to assemble. My spray painter son-in-law Steve came to the rescue and a not-too-bad restoration began to take place. The bike is now on VJMC club rego and goes well.
I thought after this marathon effort that would be the last of my restorations – well little did I realise that the ‘BS’ disease was taking hold.
1966 – BS 50 Sport (pre-mix)
In August 2009 just after I returned from a 3 month locum at Royal Darwin Hospital Pathology Department, I spotted a black Bridgestone 50 Sport for sale on eBay. The last 50 Sport I saw was in Brian Collins’ showroom in 1968. I just had to have this bike. Very few of these survived as they were virtually a ‘throw away bike’. Bridgestone manufactured 82,200 of these between late 1964 and sometime in 1968. Having won the bid I convinced Therese that she might like a weekend away in Victoria and we just might have to take the trailer. The restoration on this bike involved a complete disassembly and re-paint (courtesy of my son-in-law). I was able to source NOS parts from Certified Parts Corporation (CPC) in Wisconsin and with the help of John Somerville (Bultaco Metralla guru) we re-built the engine. The little beast managed 35 mph with my 86 Kg on it. This bike won ‘Best Other Marque’ trophy at the 2011 VJMC Rally in 2011.
1967- BS 90 Mountain (pre-mix)
In November 2009, I displayed my BS 175 DT at the Cooma Motorfest which coincided with the annual Snowy Ride. A chap from Adelaide who was participating in the Snowy Ride said he had a BS 90 Mountain to sell (and guess who bought it?). With the help of the local freight company in April 2010 the blue BS 90 Mountain joined the BS 175 DT and BS 50 Sport in the shed. Once again a full strip down restoration was required. Steve did a great paint job on it and NOS parts from CPC and chrome work from Electro Plating Technology (EPT) in Queanbeyan did the trick. This bike won ‘Best Single’ Trophy at the VJMC Rally held at Warilla in 2012.
1967- BS 90 Deluxe (pre-mix)
Once again eBay got the better of me and in June 2010 I spotted a very sad Black BS 90 Deluxe in Cowra. This bike had been bought in a farm clearing sale. It was missing a head and cylinder not to mention the other parts. The ‘tail’ was cut off with an angle grinder and the forks and rear shocks were foreign. It had a ‘Lukey’ muffler on it as well as a 6 volt coil from an early Holden. The tank, however, was in quite good condition. Luckily I had accumulated an NOS cylinder, head, seat, headlight, muffler, front guard and quite a few other essential parts. Gene Mosbek from Elk River in Minnesota came to the rescue with used forks, steering head and the ‘tail’ which a friend of mine, Jim Wakeford, did an excellent job of seamlessly welding it onto the pressed metal frame. I had the tank chromed by EPT and I painted the bike at home using auto enamel. I added the blinkers from the 1967 BS 90 Mountain and I was able to ride this bike in the 2012 Debenham Rally held in Moss Vale. This bike was awarded ‘Best Single’ at the 2015 VJMC National Rally held in Canberra.
1967- BS 90 Sport (Jetlube)
I bought this bike via word of mouth through the VJMC in September 2011. It was in worse condition than I realised. It was a typical ‘coastal’ bike from Engadine in Sydney having been left uncovered outdoors for several decades. The fuel tank had more holes in it than a lace doily, as did the seat base. I sourced a replacement seat and tank from Kevin Hahn at Scrambler Cycle in Wisconsin, USA. I also bought a NOS cylinder from Richard Clark in Indiana, USA. This model featured a chrome bore in an alloy cylinder. EPT did the chrome work. In the interest of economy the paint work was all Powder Coat (PC). Unfortunately, the ‘Flame Red’ colour I chose turned out to be Flame Orange, which is what happens with PC sometimes. The engine was rebuilt with new bearings and seals and the bike is currently on VJMC Club rego. Approximately 11,000 of this model were made by Bridgestone between early 1966 and mid 1967.
1970 Chibi Deluxe (60cc Pre-mix) made by TAS/Tanaka
Once again I found this little beauty on eBay in Wagga Wagga in March 2012. It looked complete and the price was right. This mini bike was built by TAS/Tanaka in Japan after it acquired 60cc and 100cc tooling from Bridgestone once the company ceased production of motorcycles in 1968/69. It differs from the BS 60 motor in that it has an alloy cylinder with a chrome plated bore whereas the BS 60 Sport has a cast iron cylinder and bore. I did the painting at home using 1K Acrylic with clear gloss as a final coat. NOS parts came from CPC and the restoration was quite straightforward. It has folding handlebars so that it could be transported in the boot of a large American car. It is not road registerable in Australia. It was sold in Australia and NZ under the TAS Motors brand and in the USA under the Rockford Motors (American Bridgestone importers) brand.
1966 – BS 90 Sport (pre-mix)
This was an interesting story as I constructed a bike starting with the motor that I bought from a chap in South Australia in April 2012 for $76. The motor came from a Go-cart and was very clean. This reflects on the better housekeeping and storage by go-cart owners as opposed to those in possession of old motorcycles. Having previously swapped a frame from a BS 90 for some parts and having accumulated many BS parts, I was able to complete a ‘BS 90 pre-mix Sport’. Although I had to drill some additional holes to accommodate the longer tank and seat, the result turned out well. I painted this bike metallic blue using 1K Acrylic. The original pre-mix 90 Sport only came in Black, whereas later Jetlube models came in Candy Apple Red, Black and Metallic Blue. The correct frame on this bike had a different rear end and was known as the ‘Humpy’. Bridgestone manufactured approximately 12,000 of this model between January 1965 and December 1966.
1967 – BS 90 Trail (Jetlube)
On Easter Monday April 2013 I spotted a BS 90 Trail with Jetlube about to close on eBay with no bids. The seller stated that if it was not sold it was going to the tip. I couldn’t let this happen so I put a $1 bid on it, and guess what? I won the bike for $51. It was in extremely poor condition as it had been left outdoors in Lismore for several years. It also had an early Suzuki A100 tank on it which turned out to be in excellent condition. The A100 tank went to a well known owner of Tohatsu motorcycles in WA. I just happened to have a correct spare BS tank which helped make the bike complete. The bad news was that the piston had fused with the cylinder and all I could do was cut the con rod. Luckily I found an NOS cylinder via Kevin Hahn and had the crankshaft re-built. I painted the bike with Auto enamel ‘Harbour Blue’. It was a close match to the original metallic blue. As I was now retired, economy was a major factor when doing restorations, so I did most of the work myself with minimal re-chroming.
An interesting point regarding the Australian delivered Trail model is that it appears to have come with an upswept muffler whilst the USA models had a down or parallel muffler. Bridgestone produced 3 models of the 90cc (88cc) cast iron cylinder bikes between 1966/67 and 1968 available in both pre-mix and Jetlube (oil injected). The Mountain with its bash plate, folding footpegs, upswept muffler and 64 teeth rear sprocket; the Deluxe in road going trim; and the Trail, which was a hybrid of the Mountain and Deluxe.
Approximately 67,000 of the pre-mix BS 90 Deluxe/Mountain/Trail (D/M/T) were built between early 1964 and late 1967. Earlier Mountain models were called ‘Mountaineer’ not having an enamel side cover badge(s) stating ‘Mountain’. The side covers on these earlier BS 90 Mountaineers were made of plastic whilst the later models had metal side covers. The pre 1966 models had a ‘flat sided’ fuel tank. The later models had a conventional convex shaped tank. Approximately 31,000 Jetlube D/M/T models were built between early 1966 and late 1968.
1967 – BS 175 DT rolling frame/ 1966 BS 90 Sport (pre-mix) motor
By now I had become accustomed to sniffing out Bridgestones wherever they were. In June 2013, South West Motorcycle Wreckers in Sydney had a composite 1967 BS 175 DT with a pre-mix BS 90 Sport motor installed in it for sale. I still ask myself why anyone would do this. However, I became the proud owner of this combo. I thought at first it would be good for parts, later I found that the rolling 175 frame with tank made the beginnings of another bike. So the 90 motor was re-built as a spare and I disassembled the 175 frame for future use.
Not long after I took possession, a fellow BS owner, Andrew Cox, who owns a 175 DT, mentioned that he had a spare 175 motor that he no longer needed. He kindly donated the motor to me and this encouraged me to seek parts from Kevin Hahn to make a complete bike. Some months later a large box arrived via DHL from Wisconsin. It contained all the necessary parts to complete the 175. Unfortunately the re-build will be a hybrid of the Hurricane Scrambler (HS) and the Dual Twin (DT) as low pipes suitable for the DT are almost unobtainable, whilst the upswept pipes for the HS are relatively easy to find. This project is still in the planning stage.
1967 – BS 90 Mountain (Jetlube)
In June 2014, I participated in the Debenham Rally held in Moss Vale. A gentleman riding a BSA Bantam mentioned that he had a BS 90 Mountain ‘project’ that he had become frustrated with during its restoration. We came to an agreement regarding price and another 90 joined its siblings in my shed. Apart from the blue paint job done with a rattle can it wasn’t in too bad condition. Everything (I mean everything) was painted blue including any zinc plated and chromed parts. Once again the perfunctory strip down and engine rebuild were carried out along with a coat of ‘Harbour Blue’ auto enamel. I was pleased to have this bike as it complemented the 1967 pre-mix 90 Mountain that I had acquired in 2010.
1967 – BS 100 Sport (Jetlube) – motor only
In January 2014, I managed to obtain a BS 100 Sport motor through my vigilance on eBay. The seller stated that it was ‘locked up’. Upon dismantling the motor I found an extensive wasp nest built around the flywheel/magneto and to my delight the rest of the motor was in excellent condition. The BS 100 Sport was similar to the BS 90 Sport (Jetlube) apart from the larger bore and piston. Approximately 18,000 were built between January 1967 and June 1968.
1965 – BS 60 Sport (pre-mix) and 1967 – BS 90 Trail (Jetlube)
In early 2014, I received a phone call from the gentleman in Adelaide, from whom I bought the 1967 BS 90 Mountain in 2010, asking if I was interested in his 1965 BS 60 Sport. As the last time I saw one of these was in the Brian Collins’ Bridgestone showroom in 1968, I felt an irresistible urge to add it to my collection. There was a catch however in that he would only sell the 60 Sport if I also bought his 1967 BS90 Trail. I already had one of these and didn’t need another – but I couldn’t help myself and with the services of the local freight company, two lonely Bridgestones swathed in cling wrap sitting on a pallet arrived in their local depot.
The restoration of the BS 60 Sport involved re-painting in ‘Signal Red’ 1K Acrylic paint and lots of expensive re-chroming by EPT. I replaced the original chromed steel rims with alloys sourced from Thailand (these are 17 x 1.2 with 17 x 2.25 tyres fitted). I feel I will have to re-paint the tank as it is a little too pitted even after several coats of paint. Unlike the 1966 BS 50 Sport, the BS 60 Sport is the only one that I know of to date. I know of at least 3 other Australian delivered BS 50 Sports that still exist. Approximately 25,800 BS 60 Sports were built between January 1965 and June 1967. Earlier models such as my 60 Sport have the muffler located on the right hand side of the bike with later models having the same muffler as found on the 1967 BS 90 Mountain which is located on the left hand side. I entered the BS 60 Sport in the 2016 National VJMC to be held in Canberra.
I have just begun the restoration of the BS 90 Trail. So far I have made a bold decision to paint the bike in white auto enamel even though it originally came only in metallic blue. I have decided to keep this bike in the collection as it is the first model I have found with all 4 blinkers that have the lenses in good condition. As 90s were not sold with blinkers in the USA replacement lenses are virtually unobtainable.
1966 – BS 90 Mountain (pre-mix)
At the 2015 National VJMC Rally held in Canberra in March of that year I was approached by a chap from Goulburn who asked if I was interested in buying his BS 90 Mountain. I replied that as I already owned 2 x BS 90 Mountains I really wasn’t interested. He persevered and said if I bought him a bottle of Bundaberg rum I could have his bike and he would deliver it to Canberra. Once again I was unable to resist this offer and agreed to his proposal. Well what a surprise when I went pick it up: it had no rear wheel, a fuel tank that had more iron oxide in it than steel and a motor in a very sad way. Not such a bargain after all. Luckily Gene Mosbek came to my rescue with a replacement tank, rear wheel and hub and a used cylinder. After obtaining the required NOS parts from CPC, I set about restoring this sad little bike. The explanation for the motor’s condition was that the bike was left to ‘die’ by a farmer in a shed directly under a hole in the roof where the water leaked into the tank (no cap) and through the tank (no fuel tap) into the cylinder (no spark plug). This made an excellent corrosion system that went to work over several decades. Ironically the alloy cases, muffler and clutch were in original condition. As a side note Peter Bates from Inverell mentioned to me that his father owned a bike shop in that town which sold around 300 BS 90 Mountains to farmers in the area. In the mid sixties they were very popular with Australian farmers. I have repainted the bike with 1K Acrylic metallic blue and have rebuilt the motor. Although I do have two other BS 90 Mountains, this model has the ‘flat sided’ tank and the muffler on the right hand side.
I have been told by my wife Therese that this collecting of Bridgestones has to cease forthwith. I have agreed with her wish (command) at least until that affordable 350 GTR appears and the rolling frame for the BS 100 Sport motor materialises.
