two gto;s

[coxy]

hey guys happy new year
I have just acquired two gto's they are both gold and I think 68 models and they need a little tlc which brings me to this ,is the left side cover supposed to be bent in ? one is bent in and one is bent out .
the other thing is under the gold paint it is blue on both of them ,maybe they came factory blue and painted by the dealer ?
cheers

[moonpup]

Yea... more GTO's!  Good job coxy.

The first GTO's were part of the 1970 year models and had gold & chrome gas tanks w/gold side covers. The following year (1971) they changed the color to a solid white tank w/white side covers.

The left side battery cover was bent in on the left side as seen here in this ebay auction...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Bridgestone-Motorcycle-350-GTO-Side-Cover-/251600519506?hash=item3a948f4152:m:m-xgsRu5PEN_L2E6t-DjYfA&vxp=mtr

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[BRT-GTR]

          Welcome to the GTO club, just joined it myself.                First impressions - they do look good with the upswept  pipes but are a pain to work on. Those pipes have to come off to do any work on the engine, battery, electrics or cables  .

       I have been maintaining a list of post 1969 350s (GTOs & GTRs) that appear on the site, in an effort to pin down how many were made, along the lines of the lists kept by Graham Weeks but as well as the VIN number on the frame side tag I also include frame , engine numbers and body colour where available.
     Can you let me have this info for your two machines.

   My conclusions so far:-  It is well documented, a 1000 gold/chrome GTOs built in late 1969( usually called 1970 models) and were possibly VIN numbered 6800 to 7799. The VINs I have back this up.

   Now, it is always suggested a further batch of a 1000 350s were built for 1971 (500 white GTOs, 500 All gold GTRs). That would only take the VIN numbers to 8800 but we know VIN 9730 exists and I have seen a frame number as high as 9790 on an advert by Roadrash (a possible blue GTO).  The numbers don't add up, yet. Did BS leave gaps in the VIN numbering system or were up to 2000 machines built for the final batch ? It's starting to look that way but I'm not sure, we need further evidence via the VINs.

  It is also possible that a small number of alternative colour machines were produced towards the end of production, Blue being the most likely with maybe Moonpup's nemesis, the Sequoia Green GTR/GTO being another candidate. 

  I will publish the list when I am more confident about the conclusions. My best guess at the moment is there were no more than 9800, 350 machines produced, at least 1500 being GTOs but maybe up to 2000.

    Brian.

[moonpup]

         
  It is also possible that a small number of alternative colour machines were produced towards the end of production, Blue being the most likely with maybe Moonpup's nemesis, the Sequoia Green GTR/GTO being another candidate. 

And yet the only one ACTUALLY listed in a factory dealer brochure and at the BEGINNING of the GTO production is...... 



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[moonpup]

More color info....

The 1970 Model Line-up brochure is THE only reference to any other color besides gold for the 70 GTO.   
 
HOWEVER.... it appears that while blue in not listed as an option in any sales/model brochures for either the GTR or the GTO (that I can find), both my 1970 & 1972 parts price lists shows the  gas tank, oil tank & battery cover (5110-9000 / 5510-9000 / 6811-9001) available in blue for the GTR.  That would definitely suggest that blue WAS an option for the GTR’s.
 
Bummer is that while green is on the 70 model year brochure, it ISN’T in either of my parts price list manuals..... (super bummer!  )

[coxy]

thanks for the photo mike I will shoot you a email soon.
the numbers are serial #21w06800
frame#na1-06814
engine#03346
both these bikes have the vehicle id sticker, manufacture date 11/69 on the headstock
second bike
serial# 21w07257
frame#07275
I could not make out the engine number at this stage on this bike without taking the oil tank off .
it also seems there was a problem with the kick gear on these year models ,both have let loose putting a hole in the crank cases has anyone heard of this or am I just unlucky?
cheers

[OldSwartout]

The kickstarter gear breakage was a common problem.  Read here: http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=4373.msg25519#msg25519

[BRT-GTR]

       Coxy,
                 Many thanks for the GTO numbers.
           I nearly fell off my chair when I read the VIN for the first bike, is it really 21W6800 !!  That number machine is actually referred to on a factory Service bulletin, Feb 69, for the carb mod to the float pins. (Sorry, can't find link to a copy)  The significance being, it was issued 6 months after production had stopped on the red GTRs in July 68 with a then total of 6782 built. Not knowing if the 350 production line would ever run again, they allocated VIN 6800 to the Bulletin with no month letter shown.
        This suggests they planned to start any future production at number  6800 !!

    Could yours have been the first GTO off the production line . Do you know any history for the two bikes, American imports? Wow, Would certainly give that GTO some provenance, she has had an engine change at some stage(approx Sept 67 engine).

     Strange about the blue paint under the gold, does the paint look original, any overspray on the back of the panels/tank?

    You have been unlucky with the kickgears, not an unknown issue, recent post by Steve in the UK :-.............Karl beat me to it
         http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=4373.0
       Maybe a previous owner being heavy footed on the kickstarts or trying to shift stuck pistons. Damn.

     Brian.

[moonpup]

Wow coxy.... I think Brian is right and you may indeed have THE first GTO!

Also from Graham Weeks Serial # I.D. thread...

"Serial number 6800 was taken from a Dealer Service Letter describing mods to the Carburettor Float Pivots on the production line. It mentioned that all bikes from "21..06800" would be fitted with the modified carbs. The serial didn't include the month code, but the Service Letter was dated February 1969 and so I originally guessed at "21N" (i.e. February 69) for ths serial. BS350s were built in discrete batches, and it is lokely that the service letter was issued while the 350 production line was closed down, and refers to carb mods to be made from the start of the next production batch. Thus I now suspect that 21..6800 hadn't been built at that time, and probably was the first of the production batch built at the end of 1969 - which would probably make it 21V6800 or 21W6800 (Oct or Nov '69) - unless, of course someone out there knows different!  Thanks to Brian the Brit for spotting this one.

[coxy]

wow!!!!
is it possible that the engine could be a leftover from the gtr production run of 67 as no numbers match .there are apparently no other cases that were from the place I bought it. this is awesome!

[slawsonb]

Congrats on the very cool find coxy! And nice sleuthing Brian and Mike...
...bert

[moonpup]

Congrats on the very cool find coxy! And nice sleuthing Brian and Mike...
...bert

Thanks Bert, but Brian deserves ALL the credit for noticing the significance of coxy's vin number.   

[RayK]

Coxy you certainly are a tinny bugger when it comes to rare BS bikes. Congratulations and best wishes. To answer Brian: to the best of my knowledge GTOs were not imported in the late 60s to Oz. All imports of 50, 60, 90, 100, 175 DT & HS, 350 GTR BS bikes were stopped in early 1968. The big year for BS bikes in NSW was 1967 when they outsold Yamaha.

Happy New Year
Ray

[moonpup]

Let me play the role of “Devils Advocate” here for a moment.

Since Bridgestone in all it’s wisdom decided that the GTO didn’t need its own serial number designation, all we have to go on apparently is a service letter announcing future changes to the 350 carbs for bikes produced after a certain serial number. So this, combined with a few other bits of production history/knowledge, is all we have to go on to say that 21W6800 is THE first GTO produced for sale to the general public.

Is that enough?   Would it be enough to convince someone to pay big bucks for it?

I have my own thoughts, but just wanted to hear what others may think.

[coxy]

yeah that's for sure how much would it be worth if it is, is the big question ?

[coxy]

pics

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[coxy]

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[coxy]

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[coxy]

ive got to say thanks to all cheers

[farmerdl]

Don't want to hi-jack this GTO thread but you were discussing serial numbers, frame numbers and engine numbers.  You mentioned serial number 9730 which is one of my GTRs.  The frame number is 9890 and the engine is 9920. Just in case it helps with anything.