Is this really a Bridgestone 50 Sport?

[RayK]

Your comments please:



Ray

[hixon31272]

I am guessing that parts of it are bridgestone, seat doesn't look original nor does the fuel tank.

[Mopar5426]

   Wow  Ray   Thats Cool  I Always Liked The Small Bikes  Sure Is A Rare Looking One To Me   But Its A Bridgestone In My Opinion   You Better Grab It If Avalible    GENE

[william anderson]

 this looks to be a bridgestone SPORT  50 , but it is hard to say if this is a orignal , it not being a U. S. model ,  looks to have a yamaha 90 gas tank that some one has painted   the letters  B S  , the yamaha tank emblems  , the seat looks to be from a honda rebal , the rear signals  an tail light dont look like any ive seen on the U. S. sport 50 Models 

[RayK]

Gene/William/Hixon

I found this bike whilst surfing YouTube. It looks like a European numberplate. I agree the tank looks like it from a Yamaha and the seat is also foreign. The muffler is not from a Bridgestone and the front mudguard/fender could be from an early 90 Deluxe.

Here is my Australian delivered 1966 BS 50 Sport still awaiting correct rear blinkers and tank pads. Note the tail light is different to the US models and the front blinkers incorporated into the handlebar switches. The tank has been fully painted in 2 pack black (chroming the tank alone costs around $900 here) - the tank would end up costing more than the rest of the bike, so I opted for economy instead.

http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=866

Cheers
Ray

[hixon31272]

Nice looking bike, Ray.

[paul]

My guess is Japanese home market machine or Asian export model. The tank badge looks a lot like the one on the 125 prototype that has been pictured on this web site. Would like to see more close ups.Do we know where this BS was filmed?

[RayK]

Paul
 My guess is that the numberplate is European. ? Netherlands or France. Maybe some of the British members may have some ideas.

Cheers
Ray

[disc_valve]

I reckon it could well be an original bike, and possibly from a Far East market. Bridgestone used a similar tank and square "BS" emblem on late BS90 models (I've got a late model 90 brochure tucked away somewhere). The rest of the bike looks pure BS50 Sport. Having said that, the cylinder head fins look a bit deeper than the normal BS50 Sport, and the top fork crown is an aluminium casting like used on the BS60 Sport, so maybe it's actually a BS60 hybrid with BS50 Sport badges added?

I'l agree that the seat does look a bit out of place, although single seats and "Bum pads" were common on models sold in the Far East. The single seat here is large and it may be an after-market option for added comfort.

It sure is an unusual bike, though.

Graham

[disc_valve]

Hi, again,

I've attached a couple of Brochure scans showing the BS90 with this odd tank etc.

The first two scans are from a Japanese market brochure for the 90. The last two scans are from a Bridgestone brochure printed for the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.

In the brochure pics, you can see the square rear lamp and the same tank as in the video bike. The last pic shows a budget version of the 90 which Bridgestone produced (for the home market?) which used the BS90 pre-mix engine fitted with BS60 Sport forks and front brake, and presumably using a BS60 Sport frame (the headstock is different between the 50/60 and the 90). As the video bike seems to have 50/60 Sport type forks, it is possible that it started life as one of these "budget" 90s, the owner blew up the original motor and fitted a BS50 engine to get the bike running again, which might explain the rather scruffy side cover badges which look a bit out of place with the rest of the bike. (The engine mount centres are the same on all BS disc-valve singles, be they 50cc, 60cc, 90cc or 100cc).

Having looked at the video clip again, I think I was wrong about the deep hed fins - I thinks this is a 50 motor, not a 60.

Graham

[scrambler]

As mentioned earlier, I am pretty sure that tank on the bike in the video is from a Yamaha YL2.

[Bikenstein]

As mentioned earlier, I am pretty sure that tank on the bike in the video is from a Yamaha YL2.

You are definitely right about that Scrambler. I recognized the Yamaha tank at first sight. There were several around town back in the day.   Looks like they did a good job on modifying the emblem. Wonder how the tank swap came about. Maybe he hit a deer

[RayK]

Bikenstein
Looking at the YL2 the front mudguard (fender) is very similar to that on the 'BS 50 Sport'

Interesting discussion.

Cheers
Ray

[Bikenstein]

As you probably know, that style mudguard was common in the sixties. I found photos of this bike with both Vietnam and Russian headings

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoS6PlgJRMmoAzTuJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dbridgestone%2B50%2Bsport%26_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dbridgestone%2B50%2Bsport%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D92&w=604&h=453&imgurl=img.photo.yume.vn%2Fphoto%2Fpictures%2F20111225%2Fphongle_industry%2Fthumbnail%2F604x604%2F12252011645_2063582729.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fyume.vn%2Fphongle_industry%2Fphoto%2Falbum%2Fbestolife-corporation.35AA50A2.html&size=103.2+KB&name=Album+h%C3%ACnh+Bestolife+Corporation+c%E1%BB%A7a+PhongLe+-+YuMe.vn&p=bridgestone+50+sport&oid=7b4ddbce3710cb70214ea2a5a9509eeb&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=Album%2Bh%25C3%25ACnh%2BBestolife%2BCorporation%2Bc%25E1%25BB%25A7a%2BPhongLe%2B-%2BYuMe.vn&b=91&ni=96&no=92&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12fbij4r8&sigb=14a2fs9v0&sigi=137n6krb3&.crumb=xvVvTVpmBpn

[paul]

SO do we think our mystery 50 resides in Vietnam? That might explain the supposed Yamaha tank, BS replacement parts may have been hard to find. Or what do we know about Bridgestones that were sold in Vietnam?

[old smokey]

Monday evening I saw 8 deer grazing in a field a 1/4 mile away from my home.....
It's all fun and games until you hit one....

[Bikenstein]

Just jokin about the deer. The Yamaha tank on the 50 made me think of your bike. I know deer are a serious threat. Every time I see one on the road, I think about your accident. Because of your experience, I'm much more alert when ridin especially at night.

[Bikenstein]

Bikenstein
Looking at the YL2 the front mudguard (fender) is very similar to that on the 'BS 50 Sport'




Ray, I believe that is a Yamaha fender on the BS

[hotrod]

I dont think so because i have a 1963 BS 50 sport and it looks nothing close to that so ya it might be a racer but no. plus I might be wrong cause i just started my restortion and i just started working on BS bikes  Hope i can help thanks hotrod