Rockford Motors was the American importer for the wonderful Bridgestone motorcycles that occasionally dotted US roads. In ’71, Bridgestone stopped selling bikes, leaving Rockford with a bit of a hole in their product portfolio. They decided to take over manufacturing rights for the tiniest Bridgestones, specifically the 100cc “Taka” and two 60cc bikes – the “Tora” and the Rockford Chibi which you see in front of you.
The Chibi was a minibike that came with fold-down handlebars (just like the competition) and somewhat lacking quality (unlike the competition). This is a “Deluxe” model, so named because it came with lights, even though it was not street legal. Consider it a competitor to the Honda Mini Trail or CT70, but with a Bridgestone engine. Chibi is Japanese slang for ‘short person’ or ‘small child’. The rotary valve engine produced 5.8 horsepower, which were fed through a 3-speed transmission. For more information, check out this pdf of a vintage Chibi ad from Route 6×6.
This specific Rockford Chibi is claimed to be a time capsule that was purchased as part of a set of Rockfords from a collector. It has no rust and has sat in storage for 5 years. You know the phrase…’ran when parked’.
Find this Rockford Chibi for sale in Anderson, South Carolina with bidding up to $780 and the reserve not yet met