Where there any REAL Bridgestone dealers in your town?

[Bridgestone Man]

Where there any REAL Bridgestone dealers in your town?  By this I mean good dealers, not just a locksmith that would sell you a Stone. I mean a real shop that acted like a real motorcycle shop.

Sam Keys

[RayK]

When I was an 18 year old growing up in Sydney NSW AUSTRALIA I bought my first Bridgestone (100 Sport) from Brian Collins Bridgestone (BCB) in Parramatta (suburb) in 1968.  Brian had a full showroom with all models on display (except SR racers - to my knowledge never came to Australia from Japan). He also had a full workshop.  Unfortunately BCB were financially over extended and closed in 1969.  Not long after that McCulloch, who were the importers of BS wound back sales of BS in Australia.  They provided spares until about 1975 - I think. Remaining spares were reportedly taken to the tip (dump)

Thankfully there are still quite a few spares in the US for BS fans to complete restorations.

RayK

[rocketman]

The local Harley Davidson dealer,Garretts cycles in Street MD sold Bridgestone as a second line. They shared the showroom floor with the Harleys and Mr Garrett sold and serviced the full line,and ran a racing program out of the shop where he also was instrumental in supporting a lot of the local racers with parts and service. He continued on after Rockford took the line over,and held on right to the end. Mark.  

[OldSwartout]

I was one.  It was Bridgestone & Hodaka stand-alone dealership on the south side of Indy, a couple blocks north of the Harley shop. Another guy and I worked at the dealership some, then bought it.  We closed 2 or 3 years later about the time Bridgestone quit making bikes, before the Rockford bikes.

[Dave K]

In Sidney, Ohio where I bought my Bridgestones was a dealership named Sturm's Cycle Center. It was a Ducati and Bridgestone dealership. Also in Bellfountaine, Ohio was Kennedy's Pair O'wheels. He sold Bridgestone, Norton, Jawa, and I think Motoguzzi, Bulltaco and BMW.

[Toystoretom]

Bluffs Cycle in Council Bluffs Iowa carried them, along with other makes, such as Triumph, BSA and Honda, if I recall correctly. Back in the day the Bridgestones showed well against those other brands on the showroom floor, but I have no idea how many he sold. I was about 14 - 15 years old back in '67 and always wanted a 175.

[old smokey]

Madison Indiana had one. I think it was called Thurnall's. I'd have to check with my dad, last time I stepped in there I was probably about 6 years old.

[paul]

Thanks for the names of these old dealers. American Pickers is on the way

[Mike Anderson]

Hi All,
I was born and raised in Findlay, Oh. and we had a Bridgestone dealer. It was S.A.E. karts which built go karts. I raced for the shop and they were also a Bridgestone dealer. I rode a GTR from the time they showed up at the shop until I sold my last one in 1975 when I purchased a new Gold Wing. Wish I would have kept my GTR that I sold at that time. I have had 4 GTR's  a 200 and two GTO's one of which I bought from Larry Young since getting the Bridgestone bug again . Thanks Larry.
Have a great day.
Later Mike

[sidi]

In Harrisburg IL, the established Harley dealership carried the full line of  Bridgestones. Did a brisk business with Sportsters, Sprints, M50s, Bridgestones and the Glides. I believe they supported some BS racers.  Around '69 or '70 they added Honda, just when the CB750s sales took off. So, that move lessened the loss of the Bridgestone line. While in high school during the mid 60s, I would use my lunch time to walk to this Bridgestone dealer to get brochures and look at the new cycles on the showroom floor.  There were some smaller BS dealers in other nearby towns that turned their two car garages or outbuildings into small sales shops.

[dcr]

A friend of mine has been a bike mechanic since he was old enough to hold a wrench. He worked at a Kawasaki shop forever. When I started my restoration project I talked to him a bit about what I was getting into and he mentioned that there used to be a Bridgestone shop in Quarryville Pennsylvania. He wasn't sure what the history of this dealer is/was but I am going to dig a bit to see what I can uncover. Quarryville is in Southeast PA, about 90 minutes from Philadelphia. Its a small rural town with 2 red lights and bar.

[James14p]

My dad had a dealership in Maple Park, Illinois from about 1967 till the end of Rockford Motors. Also had MCB, Hodaka, Ossa, and tried to sell some of the 2 stroke Harleys for our local HD Dealer.

[farmerdl]

Sugarcreek Ohio had a dealership that started as H and M Cycle with Bridgestone only in 1970.  Later added Norton and continued to carry B/S parts for a few years.  Later added Suzuki to the Norton's then dropped the Norton's and added Harley Davidson. Then dropped Suzuki and was Harley only.  The owner told me he Meade three times the money with HD as with The Suzukis. Later sold the business and the new owners renamed it Adventure Harley Davidson.  Interesting note - the original owners names were Hochstetler and Miller and had been raised Amish.

DL

[Mopar5426]

   Sandstone Minnesota   By Buddy Mikes Father Owned A Gas Station & Repair Shop   He Took On The B S Dealers Ship In 65 And Serviced & Sold Them Untill They Went Out   I Got A 90 175 & 350 From Them   They Were Only A 1/2 Mile North Of Our Farm   Mike And I Un Screwed The Spedometer Cables And Rode Them In The Parking Lot When His Father Was Gone   I Think Some Of Them Had a 100 Miles Or More When They Were Sold   Sure Was Fun   GENE

[william anderson]

  in sparta tn. we had  jim an earls sports center they were a boat , motorcycle , sporting goods , an even sold a  few six or eight wheel all terrain vehicels , they sold the bridgestone , an later rockford taka , tora , an chibi ,  mcb , an they sold  the cimitti line , they got out of the motorcycle sales i think about 1973 , an later closed there doors about the 1975 era , this is where i got my first taka , along with a  BS100 gp , a cimatti ss 50 , an so on , i think we had a dealer in nearby cookeville tn. but not sure of the owners at that time , thanks william anderson

[Skinny]

A member of this forum, P. Degray was a BS dealer in Orem Utah. I recall that that he also
sold Montessa, Norton and BMW.
It was a full blown dealership that attracted many of the young wannabe's like myself.
I remember he rode a GTR.
I still have one of the SR175 racers.
Cheers,
Skinny

[rwgibbon]

In Norwich, NY R.D. Smith and Sons was our Bridgestone Dealer.
They were also a farm equipment dealer.

I worked for them in the summer of 1970 preparing new bikes for
sale and doing minor repair work. Jim Smith was the main mechanic.

[CL-100]

I bought my first bike, a used Yamaha 60, from a Bridgestone dealer called Shlagel's in Tarpon Springs, FL.  Mr. Shlagel was a one man shop that rented an old gas station near the center of town.  I had cut grass and done odd jobs for almost a year when I bought the bike for $135.00.  I don't recall if he sold any other brands of bikes because I was so enamored with the Bridgestones.  The Yamaha allowed me to get a part-time job at a carwash and within a year I bought a new BS 100 G/P.  I always wanted one of those red 350's, but it took me another 42 years to finally get one.  Looking back on this I'm amazed my parents let me have a bike because my mother was alone with three kids during this time while my father served in Vietnam.  By the way, my 100 was a 5 hp special edition for Florida.  State law permitted 15 year olds with a learner's permit to legally operate motorcycles of "5 brake horsepower" or less from sunrise to sunset.  When I went for my learner's permit on my 15th birthday the DMV told my mom that both parents had to sign the application.  When my mom told them my dad was in Vietnam, they wrote "father in war" on the form and let me take the test. 

[Kenneth Pagel]

There was a Bridgestone dealer in Greenfield, Wis. back in the 60's. Was called King Powersports (I think). Not sure if they carried other lines. Seems to me they were BS, and possibly a go-kart dealer. They had a full parts and service dept. I had a '67 BS Sport at the time I purchased from a private owner. I remember drooling over the new '67/68 GTR they had on the floor. They later became King Honda (cars, not bikes).

[dcr]

I went to NJ today to but a 100 Sport. Its a craigslist ad that Moonpup was kind enough to share on this site. I bought it from a guy that collects old motocross bikes. There was a guy there buying another bike and he saw the bike I was picking up. In our conversation, he told me there was a Bridgestone dealer off Route 77 between Elmer and Sicklerville. They guy that owned it was Ray Lamson, who unfortunately passed away recently. He didn't remember much, but did say that when Bridgestone went out of business, Ray gave away his parts inventory. Guys would come in the shop for parts and he literally gave them what they needed for free.

Anyone from the South Jersey area on this board that might remember him or his shop? He was a flat track racer.