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Non VW Bridgestone Motorcycle

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DubbyFan Wolfsburg Wizard

518 posts · joined Nov 2010 ·

#935381
Classic Garage (Barn) find, have known about this baby for a bit and things fell my way and she became mine about a year ago,
a Bridgestone 175cc two stroke. (Yep you read correct) Bridgestone of tyre fame had a stint making motor bikes in the late sixties
and early seventies. They had quite a unique set up having a mechanical rotary fuel pump, very fast to the extent that the other
japanese bike manufactures put pressure on Bridgestone telling them if they didn't stop making the bikes they would stop buying
the tyres, yep corporate bulling in the seventies, Bridgestone gave in and their bikes ceased to exist!

How she was when I picked her up.




The original plan was to clean her up put her back together and one day when funds and time allow have a crack at getting her running.
Where I am lucky to live the speed limit is 25klms and we have around 9klms of road with few hills so I was thinking about electrifying her.
After searching the net I found a guy quite close by, Jon Eggenhuizen has a company called Catavolt in Newcastle on the east coast, he
made me up a suitable 12 volt set up and with not to much fiddling she is in a running. Of course quiet and no exhaust fumes!









Now she is no speed demon but does not have to be 25klm speed limit, for the purest worried about damaging the jem I managed to use
the original engine mounts for the engine and battery holder. Original chain too, she had 12 volt lights and horn, no indicators will go for
rego inspection next week.

ClockworkMonkey Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined Oct 2009 ·

#935386
Amazing little piece of history you have there! Did you keep the engine to rebuild?

DubbyFan Wolfsburg Wizard

518 posts · joined Nov 2010 ·

#935433
Yeah she is nice and I guess a bit different with the electric engine. Have kept the two stroke and no mods to the frame
so could refit the original engine easy peasy.

SuperOwen Fahrvergnugen

868 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#935531
cool conversion, especially if it's all easily reversible. What sort of range and charge time?

DubbyFan Wolfsburg Wizard

518 posts · joined Nov 2010 ·

#935532
Haven't really tested out the range side of things, with a standard 12 volt charger the battery will take a couple of days to charge, have plans to go solar charger down the track.

You need to use a deep cycle battery to handle the up and down nature of the way the voltage is being used.

surfpig Officially Full-On Dubber

253 posts · joined Aug 2011 ·

#936084
You should rebuild that two smoker!
Small capacity two strokes are awesome. Do the battery and solar thing in a postie or something similar.
Im so happy I could just shit.

DubbyFan Wolfsburg Wizard

518 posts · joined Nov 2010 ·

#936146
surfpig wrote:You should rebuild that two smoker!
Small capacity two strokes are awesome. Do the battery and solar thing in a postie or something similar.
Yeah one day, I have not had to weld or mod the frame in anyway so that I can one day swap back.
Just like the "steam punk" idea of something modern in something old! Been a nice challenge in
saying that it wasn't that hard, the electric mods went in super easy.