Bridgestone 350 GTR
(Page 3 of 4)
March/April 2007
By Roland Brown
Top speed is about 95mph, rather than the 100-110mph quoted by some Bridgestone sources. More to the point, the GTR is happy to cruise at a steady 60mph or so, feeling very smooth thanks to its rubber-mounted engine. Making the most of its performance means sticking to fifth gear on the straights rather than using the overdrive sixth ratio, which cuts speed unless the bike has the benefit of running downhill or with a tail wind.
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Inevitably the upright riding position dictated by the Bridgestone’s fairly high and wide handlebars would make high-speed riding tiring, although this was hardly a criticism in the days when fairings were rarely fitted as accessories, let alone as standard equipment. On my ride the bike was comfortable enough, thanks to a reasonably well padded seat, plus suspension that is reasonably firm without being too stiff.
Handling is good by contemporary standards, thanks in part to a twin-cradle steel frame that is rigid enough to prevent the notorious head-shaking suffered by some rival two-strokes. (Who mentioned Kawasaki?) Neither the front forks nor the rear shocks have any adjustment, even for preload, but the shocks can be tuned by moving the top mounting point fore and aft (think Velocette), which changes the shock angle with the ride getting firmer with the units set vertically. This bike’s angled-forward units weren’t too far out for my 200lb.
Similarly, the GTR’s drum brakes work quite well, with even the twin-leading-shoe front unit that was borrowed from the firm’s 175cc model providing reasonable stopping power. I also had no problem with the 350’s tires (Bridgestones, of course), which gripped well despite their narrow size (though it would probably have been a different story in the wet).
From tires to bikes to tires
Unfortunately for Bridgestone, the GTR’s quality came at a high price, for in most markets the bike cost considerably more than rival Japanese two-strokes, and it was competing directly with larger-engined four-strokes. It also faced resistance from riders who were dubious about a high-performance two-stroke’s reliability. This concern was not unreasonable, given the problems that early engines had with oil seals, and with broken air filter parts being sucked into the engine.
Relatively small numbers were sold following the model’s U.S. introduction in 1966, and the GTR also failed to trouble the sales charts in Europe when it was released there in the following year. By 1968 Bridgestone was coming under pressure from rival Japanese companies, which were also customers for its tires, Bridgestone’s most important product; bikes were really only a sideline. The story goes that Honda applied pressure, suggesting that if Bridgestone wanted to continue supplying the huge numbers of tires Honda purchased, it should consider its priorities. Shortly afterwards, Bridgestone quit bike manufacture to concentrate on tires.