Bridgestone Motorcycle Parts Discussion Board
General Category => Members: Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Sye on August 30, 2014, 12:28:35 PM
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Just thought that I would introduce myself as I've been lurking for a while.
I live near Liverpool in the UK and bought my 1st Bridgestone, a 175 Hurricane in 1971 from Bill Smith Motors in Aigburth Rd, Liverpool. I sadly crashed and sold it a few months later and haven't owned one since. Rode my friends 350 GTR at the time and loved it but couldn't afford one, so I bought an A10 for £12.00 that leaked oil everywhere and went, sometimes. Been riding and owned some sort of bike or other continuously since 1970.
Currently looking for a 350 GTR to buy for the last 6 months without success but I will keep trying. Hopefully I will be able to say I am an owner before too much longer.
Currently ride a 96 VFR750FV and a 2013 Caponord 1200. My other half rides a BMW F800ST.
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Welcome to the forum Sye.
Looking for a GTR? Well they do come up as restoreable wrecks now and again at DK's or from other importers but rarely in good running condition. With these bikes it is possible to do a good restoration but you need deep pockets and certain things are not available so do your homework and consider this before and when buying.
Z
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Thanks for the reply Ziggy. I'm not really looking for a project (I've bought a few after saying that though), I'm trying to get hold of a roadworthy bike that doesn't need too much doing to it. Maybe I need to broaden my horizon and include a 175 in my search?
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There is another post today about a GTR in very good condition for sale on eBay in Minnesota. Take a look. This one appears to be less of a project than some recently offered "wrecks" (as Z put it). Consider trading shipping costs for wreck fixing costs. The US is clearly a better source for GTRs than your homeland. Good luck.
...bert
Here's the link to eBay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Bridgestone-BS-350-GTR-/301294681868?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item46268fff0c&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Bridgestone-BS-350-GTR-/301294681868?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item46268fff0c&vxp=mtr)
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you would have to loose that wind shield they would charge you an extra grand for shipping
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Sye,
We come to the Bridgestone site i am from Rhyl in N Wales so not far from you.
I live in the States now i think i can help you if you are looking for a GTR i
Know of some for sale ( not mine) etc anyway all the best.
Steve.
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Sye,
We come to the Bridgestone site i am from Rhyl in N Wales so not far from you.
I live in the States now i think i can help you if you are looking for a GTR i
Know of some for sale ( not mine) etc anyway all the best.
Steve.
Hey Steve, thanks for the reply. I was in Rhyl last week and the weather was lovely for a change. If you can recommend a 350 GTR for sale then I can always have it shipped home.
Ride safe, Sye
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Hello Steve
I was talking a while back to guy called John Kiely who lives near Dublin he told me of a 350 for sale here in Ireland it was going for about 3500 euros but is meant to be good one,
John is the Bridgestone expert for the VJMC over here, his number i can PM to you if you are interested
Regards
Bill
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Hey Sye,
Just to help about John Kiely, I met him at Stafford last October or was it the October before? Anyway we had a good chat about Bridgestones and he came over as a decent bloke, hope that helps.
Z
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Hello Steve
I was talking a while back to guy called John Kiely who lives near Dublin he told me of a 350 for sale here in Ireland it was going for about 3500 euros but is meant to be good one,
John is the Bridgestone expert for the VJMC over here, his number i can PM to you if you are interested
Regards
Bill
Yes please, that would be great Bill.
Sye
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Hi Sye,
The 350 GTR that John Kiely had is with me now. I supplied a lot of the parts to get it running. A friend of mine bought it but he ended up leaving it with me to sell on for him. I have been too busy selling our old house and moving into another one, so no time to be bothered.
Steve Thomas has seen it as he bought a few project 350 GTO's from me.
The bike does run, but will need a new battery at this stage. Possibly carbs cleaned ?
It had a light restoration but main focus was on getting the engine correct & running at the time.
You can email me at - ray@bsrestoration.com - and I'll see if I can dig out a few photo's of it. It is now in storage in a warehouse that I own.
later .. ray
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Hi Sye,
Just noticed your post. I am just outside Blackpool, so not too far away. Like you had a Bill Smith supplied BS back in the late 60s - second hand, GTR in my case. Currently restoring a US import machine.
You will be extremely lucky to find a roadworthy GTR for sale, off the peg in the UK. They do exist, maybe 20 but tend to owned by BS enthusiasts who have this strange addiction and rarely part with them. There is one at a dealers site in North London but they want £11K for it !!! £6K might be a more realistic price unless you've won the lottery. If you do decide to go for a project, make sure you get the most complete bike that you can. As stated above, certain parts are only available if you can get a bike with them on. Usually, carb side covers and chainguard. Many US imports have these stripped off before they get to us.
It would be good to have another BS enthusiast in the NW, I'm only aware of one other in the Bolton area but have not yet made contact.
Should you take up the Irish bike offer , message me, I might have a joint proposition for you, to share some costs.
Can certainly help out with advise and maybe parts as and when you get one.
Good Luck, Brian the Brit.
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Dear Sir, You mention that your first BS was from the Bill Smith dealership. Do you recall Smith road racing a GTR? Have a great day
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Hi Paul,
'Sir' ??? Unlike a car rental commercial currently running in the UK, we are not all members of the nobility. Sir is normally spelled 'cur' in my case. ;D ;D ;D Only joking.
No, I am not aware that he raced a GTR. I was only in my teens, we didn't have the internet in those days and relied on magazines, motorcycle press etc to get to know what was going on. I did marshall at Oulton Park race track for a number of years and did see him in racing action but usually on a 250/305 Honda as I recall.
Anyway , lets not divert Sye's Introduction post, by all means message me or start another post if you want to chat further.
Brian the ??? (At least until Wednesday's vote)
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Hmm, I do have a bike in the pipeline Brian but I won't say where it's from just yet if you don't mind.
Paul, I don't remember Bill Smith racing a Bridgestone. I seem to remember he was a Honda man when he was racing.
As an aside, Bill Smith had a small shop at 300 Aigburth Rd in Liverpool and the then apprentice mechanic was a lad called Geoff Wilding. The last time I saw him was in the early 90's when he was the manager at the Liverpool showroom. I have heard on the grapevine that he is now in the old Aigburth Rd shop doing bike repairs so I must go and see for myself next time I'm in Liverpool. He would be a handy man to know when (if) I get my 350 GTR.
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Hi Sye,
Yes, they do exist, if you can track one down and acquire it , I shall be very pleased for you. No don't post any details on here or you would be killed in the rush ;D ;D ;D
Good luck and please keep us up to date and post some pictures. if successful.
Regards, Brian
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Well Brian, the deal is done. I've just paid for it to be shipped to the UK.
1970 350GTR, one owner from new and a genuine 835 miles from new. It's been sitting in a private collection since it was new and only ridden on high days and holidays. It's in original condition and so long as the ship doesn't sink I should have it in around 6-weeks. ;D
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Wishing your baby fair seas.
...bert
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Hi Sye,
WOW !! that's one good looking machine, very well done. You obviously had contacts we didn't know about. That looks like a left hand mirror, so she will have been R/H drive ??
I am jealous but pleased you will be able to enjoy her. May see you and the bike at local events. Just got a new one myself but not as good as yours.
May the next 6 weeks pass quickly, Brian the Brit
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Great find Sye, wish I had the courage/contacts/balls to import one like that.
Z
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;D Nice new bike for ya.....But do,nt you have to pay inport fees too?????? Happy rideing when ya get her!!! :D
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Sye, I'm still drooling over the picture of your machine. What a find, as near as dammit , a brand new GTR. Terrific.
No one has posted yet to say they knew of that bike in its previous life and there's not much in the BS world that our eagle eyed members don't know about.
Do you know the VIN number for the bike (if you are happy to disclose). I've never been able to pin down whether any GTR's were built in 1970, GTO's certainly were. BS built two special batches of the 350 in 1970/71 at the request of Rockford Motors, the US importer. 1970 could be the year of first registration, the VIN would tell when it was built. See article by Graham Weeks on this site.
One day less to wait!!! :D
Regards, Brian
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Brian, I posted a link about this bike back in July in a couple different threads. It's on the 2nd. page of this one....
http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=3576.20 (http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=3576.20)
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Sye,
There you go, I said we had some eagle-eyed members.
Moonpup, Did follow the pricing thread and may have seen your link picture but didn't remember it, don't get old !! :D :D
A great acquisition anyway, you're going to love it, welcome to the site and the addiction, now where's the next one coming from !!.
Hope that ship doesn't have the letters 'titanic' in it's name, Brian.
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Brian, I posted a link about this bike back in July in a couple different threads. It's on the 2nd. page of this one....
http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=3576.20 (http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=3576.20)
That's the one moonpup. He accepted an offer, gave a reasonable quote for shipping and the good exchange rate helped too. As an aside, the guy I am buying it from is called Richard Scoular who has been very helpful and was a good racer in the 70's and 80's competing all over the world and the IOM TT.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=richard+scoular+racer (https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=richard+scoular+racer)
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Do you know the VIN number for the bike (if you are happy to disclose). I've never been able to pin down whether any GTR's were built in 1970, GTO's certainly were. BS built two special batches of the 350 in 1970/71 at the request of Rockford Motors, the US importer. 1970 could be the year of first registration, the VIN would tell when it was built. See article by Graham Weeks on this site.
One day less to wait!!! :D
Regards, Brian
VIN is 21F05918
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Hi Sye,
Your beautiful 'new' Bridgestone 21 F 05918 was definitely built in June 1968 as part of the initial (and maybe only) GTR production run. The line was stopped in August 68 with 6800 bikes built (I now believe). It should have all the production modifications made and is the latest 350 engine available on a GTR as far as we know.
Be aware that higher mileage bikes did suffer from vibration fretting of the carb float pivot pins which enlarged the mounting holes and maybe upset the float height or operation. Lightly crimp or peen the alloy mount posts and add some loctite, if necessary. There is a Service Letter available on this fix but I can't find it on here to post a link.
I have just acquired 21 G 06738 GTR (Graham) in good original condition, under 7000 miles genuine, not 'messed with' but not as good as yours!! A few issues to sort out, hopefully nothing serious. It has a few minor parts looted from it including the proverbial 'Chainguard'. Can anyone help me out ? GENE, you seem to have amazing access to parts, got another chainguard??
5 weeks to wait now, Sye?, Brian the Brit.