There’s something exotic and charming about a bike from a long-defunct brand or manufacturer. It’s a sort of moving, rideable “I Was Here” from people who sank their time and effort into the thing several decades ago.
And you’ll probably need to be a little bit of a romantic to buy this bike, because its carburetor needs to be cleaned – or “maybe rebuilt,” according to the seller. That’s the sort of job where it always helps if you possess a patience born of love for a thing. The thing in particular is a Bridgestone BS90. The Bridgestone Cycle Company, a division of the Bridgestone tire company, was formed in 1950 and originally produced bicycles and bicycle-derived mopeds. It wasn’t until 1958 that the company got into motorcycles, starting with 50cc machines.
In 1965, Bridgestone rolled out a new 90cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine capable of roughly 8 horsepower that it put into a number of bikes, including this beauty. Which I think – based on images of other models – is, in fact, a BS90 Deluxe. I know effectively nothing about Bridgestone motorcycles, however, and since the seller doesn’t identify it as a Deluxe I won’t either.
The bike is “almost completely original and in good condition,” according to the seller. It runs but has been sitting in a garage since the Obama years, hence the need for some carburetor love. It looks to be in good condition, though, and even still has a little sticker on the speedo advising top speed during run-in. Imagine keeping a motorcycle to less than 25 mph for 250 miles.
Bridgestone, meanwhile, didn’t last for very long after this bike was made. While the Big Four were on the verge of changing motorcycling forever, the rest of the Japanese motorcycling industry struggled in the 1960s. For Bridgestone, high production costs resulted in high price tags. Consumers didn’t respond well.
Additionally, other manufacturers weren’t terribly fond of buying tires from a name they were competing with in the motorcycle market. Bridgestone sold far more tires than bikes, so it decided to close the door on its motorcycle division in 1970.
With 745 miles on the clock and bidding currently at $1,000 but the reserve not yet met, this BS90 is for sale in San Jose, California, here on eBay.
Editor’s Note: While I was racing AHRMA at Inde Motorsports Ranch, I met someone named Paul Piskor who actually races a Bridgestone (though it’s a SR175). You can briefly check it out here, you may get a kick out of the sticker: