New in Northern Virginia

[jarz21]

Hi all, my name is Kevin and I just picked up a pair of BS175DTs.  One is a titled 1965 (16T) with a stuck engine, and the other is a 1966 (16F) that turns over.  Both are generally complete rollers, though some parts are missing (keys, metal airbox tubes, 2 of the side covers), broken (both clutch and brake levers, one ignition switch, those darn rubber carb boots and muffler seals), or stuck (cables/ carb slides?).  I figure that I should ultimately be able to make one rideable bike out of the parts I have, but I'm already noticing slight differences between the two years.  For instance, the '65 tank has a crossover tube, as well as a small, triangular bolted-on extension on the right side of the rear fender.  Plus the points covers are different between the two, so I'm guessing that means they may have the two different dynamos.  All I know is that it seems like a steep learning curve coming from years of vintage Hondas!

Any tips/ suggestions/ encouragement are appreciated!  I'd like to see at least one of these on the road, but I'm still not certain whether I've bitten off more than I can chew right now (especially with a Honda CB500T and Honda Z50A Mini Trail in the queue).  Guess we'll see...

Kevin in VA

[rwgibbon]

Kevin,

Welcome to the group.

My suggestions for you is to download and review the service manual, parts manual,
and service letters that are available for free on this site.

These should answer most if not all of your questions and concerns.

Take your time and enjoy.

Randy

[dcr]

Kevin,

Welcome to the highly addictive world of Bridgestone motorcycles. Sounds like a good find there. If you post pictures of your irregularities or what you need help with, the folks on this site will quickly address them and give you all the help you will ever need. Everyone here is extremely helpful.

Question: do you have titles for both bikes?

Dan

[slawsonb]

Welcome to the party, Kevin. Ask lots of questions. Many capable, willing helpers on here!
...bert

[jarz21]

Thanks, guys!  I've been working my way through some of the materials.  Oddly enough, I had a lot of them downloaded from 8+ years ago when I almost bought a BS back then.

Regarding the irregularities, I guess I'm more curious whether I should be concerned about value versus functionality of the bike.  The '65 has a title and the '66 does not.  The stuck engine in the titled '65 frame has ~6,800 miles, while the unstuck engine has 10k+ miles.  I suppose both of those are relative depending on care, but it makes me wonder if I should swap the entire engines or just the top ends.

And here are a few (kinda fuzzy) pictures, with the untitled '66 having the side covers:







Kevin in VA

[slawsonb]

Not much has changed (nothing...;-) about the docs in 8 yrs, so you're good! I would try to get the unstuck motor running and figure out what that takes. The business of the motor transplant is secondary (in my opinion) to determining how much motor rebuilding you have to do. You might want to pull the heads off the good motor to see what the condition of the cylinders is. If cylinders bores are good, then you may be able to just clean and tune.
...bert

[paul]

Welcome aboard the BS boat. Should be less parts than a CB 160 or CB 175

[jarz21]

Welcome aboard the BS boat. Should be less parts than a CB 160 or CB 175

Thanks!  I guess my CD175 falls somewhere in the middle of those two, having only one carb and one set of points 

[dcr]

value versus functionality is a personal preference and all depends on what your plans are for your finished product. If you are value conscious, then I would certainly focus on the bike with the title and keep the original motor with that bike. You can swap the top ends if they other motor is free and the chrome plating in the cylinders is intact and in good shape. That in itself may not get you going but it is a much less expensive solution than getting a set of cylinders re-plated. I dropped $400 getting a set done for my 175DT.

If you are simply looking for a functioning bike, take the best of the 2 and start swapping parts from one to the other until you have the best possible bike. There is no right or wrong answer.

I will say that from the pictures, they both look to be in pretty good shape and both could be restoration candidates. Not sure how VA is with getting a title for a bike that doesn't have one - all states seem to be different, but from the many discussions on this site, it isn't an easy process and is either really expensive or simply not possible in some places.

Best of luck and keep posting your progress.

Dan