Reproduction Wish List

[moonpup]

Time to add this to the ol' wish list.....the Bridgestone license backing plate.

These have been going for some insane $$$ lately for what amounts to a flat piece of stamped metal. These should be able to be reproduced in large numbers relatively cheaply.

I'd pay $20- $25 for a repop but no way in my life span am I gonna fork out $122.50 for one like someone on eBay recently did.... 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-BRIDGESTONE-LICENSE-PLATE-MOUNT-SUPPORTER-50-60-90-175-200-350-MOTORCYCLE-/261243629524?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item3cd3556fd4&nma=true&si=0YgsgKPJr185xj%252FZd8LXx8AYhOg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#ht_450wt_1399

It'd be nice to have one but it's not a "must have", at least not for me.

[RayK]

Funny you should mention this Moonpup. I saw this plate with 50 odd bids on it - at the same time another plate was for sale 'buy it now' for 15GBP ($25) from Denmark. It was in almost as good condition as the NOS one @ $122.50. Guess what ! I bought it for 15GBP.

RayK

[ziggy stardust]

I have one moonpup that's surplus to requirements, what I don't have is a spare GTR gearbox.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-bridgestone-350-sm217-transmission-gears-trans-/230998199697


Do you want it?Z

[redimport]

Hi Ziggy,

I can't remember but do you live in the UK ?.. asking as if you do getting a gear over to you would not cost that much.

Thanks ... ray

[ziggy stardust]

Hi Ray,
Yes I'm in the U.K.
Ive been riding the GTR and it runs great but I have hit a problem that I must have inherited with the bike and overlooked it on the build up.
It's jumped out of 5th gear under load a couple of times, I can still ride it but go from 4th to 6th gear. I'm commited to three big classic bike shows within the next few months so cant strip it down just yet so dont know exactly what the problem is so that's why I was looking at a full gearbox rather than individual gears.
Anything imported from the U.S. is expensive especially heavy items, so how can you help me? Do you have a set of gears or individual ones? Could be easier to live with it rather than repair it though.
Thanks
 Z

[redimport]

Hi Ziggy,

I have a couple of donor engines that have been stripped of other parts but gear boxes still there. I suggest you strip it and when you find out what is wrong I sure there will be used parts here to make it all better again. Between us the post will be cheaper for sure and only a few days.

later .. ray

[ziggy stardust]

Thanks for that Ray, wish I could do it now but the bike and I have commitments.
Should be around November or I may live with it, Ill be in touch.

Sorry to have deviated from the original post.

Z

[redimport]

Hi Ziggy,

Your right we were both wrong to change the coversation on this post !... sorry guys.

Hold the number plate, as I will have a use for that.

you can email me directly - ray@bsrestoration.com

[coxy]

i bought a nos one of these for around the same price less $100 or so .even thought these are a bridgestone product ,i think that beauty is in the eye of the beholder ,man these things are BIG ! if the bike went 50 mph faster i think you would get lift .maybe i should have hung on to it but i swaped it for somthing i needed .

[moonpup]

The insanity continues.... This one is currently @ $141.00 with over an hour left. Scheesh 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bridgestone-Chrome-Tag-Frame-NEW-Japan/161429303726?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24901%26meid%3De7302c48262649fd9a90e1719df1a2c5%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D10502%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D161429303726#ht_237wt_1161

[BRT-GTR]

Top of my list would be the CHAINGUARD, closely followed by the side carb covers, rightside first then left.

Ray, Surely these parts could be remanufactured to an acceptable standard/cost in China. I know Taiwan may not offer such low cost production these days. Do any of the original production tools  survive in Taiwan after 40+ years??

Brian.

[slawsonb]

We also need Left exhaust pipes (6352-9000).
...bert

[BRT-GTR]

Bert,
Think I have seen a response from Ray on the site, stating that he has looked at reproducing exhausts but the cost would be prohibitve.  Brian

[slawsonb]

Thanks Brian. I understand prohibitive costs (too well...;-)
Just is on my wish list. May have logged this before, but the one I have to rechrome is not exactly an excellent candidate.
...bert

[SR-175]

Hi All,

You'll have to excuse me this year as we have downsized our lives. Moved into an apartment, sold the house we had. Just in the process of setting up a workshop again in a warehouse we have bought. All this started in January 2014 and it's only October, so been a busy time.

1- Exhausts we can throw our hat at, the setup tooling costs are a killer. Also the low volume burdened the end piece part cost.

2- Chain guards for 350's, we looked at these and got tooling estimates from our sources in Taiwan, but to expensive. Let me get with Richard again and see if we can find a China source.

3- Right & left 350 carb covers. Again the pressure casting tooling was just to expensive for the low volumes we would sell. The only way forward might be sand cast parts ?... Similar to the SR-175 carb covers. This process may not let us all polish them to the original standard. If we could make these we would probably have to offer them as cast only, everyone polishes their own ?

later .. ray

[BRT-GTR]

Replacement Right Side Carb Cover

Ray,   To show it can be done, here's a sand cast replica that came with my original bike. I believe the previous owner had it cast somewhere in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. He is going to let me know who did it. Its not bad, some porosity but I dont have the machine tool facilities to finish it off. Would need an accurate jig plate making for the hole drillings. The narrow rim that takes the carb rubber hasn't reproduced too well, might work. I guess, the notch to the rear of the clutch could be omitted, it was filled with a grommet on later bikes to reduce clutch noise.
Brian.

[SR-175]

Hi Brian,

Thats a good start. Trick is to find a CNC machine shop. They would scan an original to produce a CAD file of the part. This can then be put into the CNC machine to drill the holes and machine the outer surface. You just "might" get a better finish on the outer skin that could be polished ??... note "might".

Will be interesting to know the cost of these ?... so we have a bench mark on costs.

Worst case, they could cast the left side and make pairs. These could then be painted ?

later

[davis]

Hey Guys,

The best bet for carb cover repros is CNC off CAD models. To remove tooling marks, the outsides would be polished and the inside, if desired, could be fine grit blasted to resemble a cast part. From my experience, China only wants volume. South Korean seems to accept small volume, high labor input type jobs better. But this job could probably be done cost competitively here using companies specializing in low volume (prototype) CNC work.

I am working on techniques to restore damaged tanks, exhaust pipes, and chain guards since these will determine how many 350's can be restored. I am working on two damaged right side carb covers also, but as mentioned, these could possibly be reproduced.

Throw none of the parts away!

[slawsonb]

That's a great moto for this bunch! Throw none of the parts away!
Even shelf worn, rusty, damaged stuff can be brought back with the right skill, process, and determination and someone can and will use them.
We should all protect this stuff from the dumpster or recycle pile.
Right on, Davis!
...bert

[old smokey]

can I get someone to give me a signed note to pass along to my wife?