350cc Motorcycles from the 1960's

A brief review of 5 middleweight Japanese motorcycles from the 1960's.

[@alanfenick1103]

I owned a 1968 Bridgestone 350GTR. The bike was bought from Montgomery Ward department store chain long gone. The Bridgestone was well built especially for a 220+lb rider. With 19 inch tires on both wheels it was extremely stable at highway speeds. One of the problems Bridgestone had was a small USA distributor, Rockford Motors with limited distribution and marketing. Another reason for it failure was the price was higher than the completion. I paid $650.00 US as a close out sale. Reliability was very good though it had a tendency to foul spark-plugs. I put over 43,000 miles on the bike and loved it. Lastly handling was very good and had an adjustable steering dampener. I did have to change the rear shocks as they were not adjustable and my weight.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Crikey $650 that was a lot back then.

[@Greg-w6t]

My 1st bike was a Honda cb 350 and loved it. Lots of memories.

[@BarryRedhead-n6o]

The best bike of this list!

[@markmark2080]

I fondly remember going down to the cycle center to look at the new Hondas in the early 1960s, the 305 Super Hawk being the one that we all drooled over as the "big bikes" like the Triumphs were far out of our price range. We were riding an assortment of Honda 50s -150s (and a Cushman Eagle), so the 305 (especially with the baffles out) was a screaming machine and I loved listening to them at night, wind out somewhere across town as I laid in bed on our screened in back porch. The 350 came out while I was in the Navy and then the 450, of which I bought a '69 Scrambler the first month I was out, and then a 750 Norton Commando six months later. The 1960s was such an amazing decade of change in so many ways, one of which was the transition into the Modern Motorcycle Era largely by the creativity of the Honda Motorcycle Company...

[@007theflyboy]

One of the more unusual features of the Bridgestone was chrome plated cylinders. I bought mine in 1969 thinking that the chrome would reduce wear considerably. Unfortunately, the application of the chrome was faulty and it would come off in pieces which could (and would) find their way into the crankcase where they would destroy the crank bearings and seals. You can guess how I know this. I had my rotary valves cut by Craig Vetter, of Windjammer fairing fame, He was racing one and had some ideas about hopping them up, but the valves were all I changed. Fond memories.

[@alanfenick1103]

When I bought my bike I was warned to add two ounces of two stroke oil to the gas tank as the injector pump was known to meter (inject) too little oil. I did have to go to hotter plugs. I never had a problem with the plating coming off! I was diligent in decarbonizing the cylinder heads and pistons regularly and inspecting the cylinder walls. I loved the bike for it’s stability and reliability.

[@FielderTerry]

Thank you! I bought a new Avenger 350 the year before the 500 and the Honda 750 came out. Those bikes burst my bubble about having the fastest bike in my small home town. It was quicker than my friends who mostly had the new Honda 350. But those who rode it up to the 10,500 RPM between gears soon list their transmission. Several friends had several transmissions that summer. As for handling, we thought they all handled well until one of our friends got a Bonneville and then we knew better. The BSA and Triumph 650’s and 500 all shook and bolts fell out but my 350 was tight and the vibration was more of a buzz in the foot pegs. A friend took my bike for a speed run and it registered 115 mph on the speedometer but then that was made by Kawasaki who likely made the stop watches for the marketing 1/4 mile speed tests. My older brother had a Bridgestone 175 from the year before the 350 came available here in Canada. His bike was really good and was likely fast enough for me. I bought my 350 Avenger in a box. There was no dealer in my town so I put it together myself. A 17 year old kid does not a perfect mechanic make. I put a t together in just over 1/2 a day and went riding. It was mine. There was no dealer for over 100 miles so it came in a good state of tuning and vote assembly. I used the factory manual and all went well. My bike needed to be kept reved. If I putted around town, the plugs would foul really fast. I bought a lot plugs during the break-in period. After that, the only weakness was how easy it was to blow a shift. There were false neutrals all over the place. Last point. I liked the rotary transmission in the Bridgestone that allowed you to go from top gear to neutral at stop lights. That was really handy. If I find a 1968 Kawasaki again, I want it! I loved that bike! Those were great times!!

[@motorcyclecafe]

very interesting read buddy thanks for taking the time to share it.

[@richardcovello5367]

350s deserve a Part 2! The 4 strokes from Britain and Italy.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Yes they do, good point!

[@CZ350tuner]

The Suzuki T350 Rebel (at 315cc) was only 10cc larger in capacity, than the T305 Raider (at 305cc). The T305 Raider was the T250 Hustler bored out to take T350 Rebel pistons. Yamaha did the same with their TM 305 series bikes, boring out DS engines to take YR pistons.

[@alistairbernard9574]

Wow this is an excellent Compilation of Great Motorcycles from Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasak and Bridgestone. I had to watch it over again. 😊 The Bridgestone in particular is very Interesting mainly due to its Rarity. But Man what a Superb line up of 60s Classic Bikes. 👌👍

[@davidstaudohar6733]

I just invented a motorbike call the little Mule , I'm 208cc engine on a seven-speed manual transmission, 175 miles per gallon of gasoline 🤣🤣‼️ absolutely awesome design by Diamond Dave ♦️♦️♦️ e

[@CactusJack-j1k]

I remember all of these bikes so well! I was 14-15 years old when they came out and had been riding Bridgestone 60s, 90s and a 175 twin on the dirt roads around our rural neighborhood. Being that I was going to be getting a driver's license in-the-not-too-far-distant-future, I lusted after a 350. In particular, I lusted after the GTR, since I had been riding their smaller bikes and its specs were so impressive. There was a family that we attended church with who operated a septic tank business as their primary enterprise, but also sold and serviced Bridgestones, storing and servicing the bikes in a backyard garage and having the parts in their basement and we had gotten all of our Bridgestones as used bikes from these folks (my Dad didn't believe in buying new vehicles of any kind). I couldn't afford to buy any of the 350s (even a used one); however, until I went off to college, 100 miles from home and 140 miles from my then-girlfriend, as I quickly tired of bumming rides home. So I began looking for a used 350 two-stroke street bike as even the bargain-basement close-out price of $700 for a new GTR represented an unacceptable 2/3s of my total savings. I couldn't find a used GTR, but I did find a 1971 Yamaha R-5B with about 4500 miles on it. Influenced (unduly as I later learned) by CYCLE magazine's 1970 350 comparison test and seduced by the much greater availability of Yamaha dealers and parts, I spent about 45% of my savings to get the used R-5B. While I was initially impressed with its power, having never ridden anything faster than a 175 Bridgestone, I quickly learned that while the R-5 had impressive mid-range power, it could not out-accelerate a Honda CB-350 as the R-5's power leveled off after 7000 rpm, while the CB-350s could rev to 10,500 (the 1970 CYCLE magazine comparison had indicated that the Yamaha was definitely quicker than the Honda). The R-5 was absolutely "dead-meat" for an Avenger, CB-450, etc. I also found out that due to its rear wheel biased weight distribution (which added to the illusion of "powerful acceleration" by encouraging unintended wheelies), relatively light weight and quick steering, the R-5s reputation for race-track handling was just so much advertising propaganda as its handling could best be characterized as "twitchy" with the stock handlebars, especially on a bumpy road. Between the R-5s relative lack of engine power, its twitchy handling, its poorly chosen gear ratios, propensity to foul plugs and it's difficulties in carrying a passenger (I had a new girlfriend who was a college classmate and was doing much more two-up riding), I became rapidly disenchanted with the R-5... and will forever regret that I didn't "bite the bullet" and purchase a new GTR. The GTR's engine, antivibration motor mounts and frame dimensions were so far ahead of the other 2-strokes that it was truly a remarkable machine. One could argue that the engine's sophistication wasn't surpassed until the water-cooled RZ series Yamahas. I would note; however, that I do disagree with your assessment of the GTRs performance. Firstly, GTRs that were tested in the U.S. cycle press did the 1/4 mile run from a low of 14.3 seconds to 14.8 seconds. (Bridgestone's initial claim was a 1/4 mile run of "under 15 seconds"). Secondly, the GTR had the 2nd highest (tallest) overall gearing of any of the Japanese 2-stroke street bikes generating 13 mph/1000 rpm in 6th (high) gear. The Suzuki T350 (315cc) was geared for 12.2 mph/1000 rpm, while the Kawasaki Avenger was 11.7 mph/1000 rpm and the Yamaha YR-1 was the highest at 13.6 mph/1000 (the later !970-72 R-5 was 12 mph/1000 rpm). If the GTR had been geared more closely to the Suzuki (the only other 6-speed "350"), it may have turned a 1/4 mile time .2 or .3 seconds quicker than with the stock gearing. GOOD VIDEO... as you can tell it brought back a lot of memories and some regrets.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@CactusJack-j1k thank you mate. That was an interesting read. Cheers!

[@rcnelson]

Agreed. The GTR was one sweet ride; nearly vibration-free, excellent seat, and outstanding styling. I'd dearly like to have one now.

[@frankguernier2280]

Thanks for your comprehensive talk on the 350"s. The Bridgestone GTR350 was my first bike when I turned 16 and 9 months on learner licence. New South Wales Australia.. Coming up to my licence I had GTR brochure images posted on my bedroom wall. I couldn't wait It was a beautiful looking bike with candy apple red paint and chrome every where. It had a mellow exhaust note and was very smooth to ride with at that stage I thought it was damn quick. Unfortunately being a first for Bridgestone it had gremlins. Which I struggled with. In a short time an engine stud pulled out of the alloy case. Somebody on the production line botched the assembly. Luckily my Dad was a fitter machinist and he fabricated a new stud with oversized thread and re inserted it. It was difficult getting the fuel mixtures right resulting in fowled plugs and the opposite to lean resulting in holes burnt in piston tops. The crank case split apart horizontally and we struggled to get good crank case sealing again resulting in rough running.l learnt a mechanics trade in the number of times I had that engine apart. Then a bearing on the crankshaft failed. McCulloghs ( The import Agents) said throw the crankshaft you have to buy another it mot possible to dissasemble the crank to just replace the bearing. My Dad came to the rescue again. As a fitter machinist he built a jig and pulled the crank apart. Replaced the bearing and perfectly realigned it.. It still is my favourite bike with great memories riding it . If only Bridgestone had kept going and refined it with a mk 2 model. In saying all of that if one came up for sale in Australia I would buy it in an instant. Cheers

[@motorcyclecafe]

You're welcome. Bridgestones are pretty rare now. Although i did see a couple 90cc come up 4 sale in my area last year but i missed out.

[@kevk9863]

I had a 1971 Bridgestone 350 GTS (although I believe it was actually manufactured in 1970) that I had over 100 mph multiple times. I believe I had it up to @ 114 one time. I was less than 120 lbs at the time!

[@Jerakeen2826]

I never had a T350 but my first bike back in the late '70s was a T250 and I can confirm that it did indeed handle better than the other bikes at the time

[@winkeemanley1820]

I bought a Suzuki T350 Rebel 1971 model brand new from a Suzuki dealer. I had it for 2 years then sold it to my friend as I bought a Honda 750. He rode it for a couple of years then eventually bought a Moto Guzzi 750. That T350 Rebel gave us both many miles of trouble free motoring.

[@JARRETT7121]

That Bridgestone 350 outclassed all the rest what a machine

[@motorcyclecafe]

No arguement from me buddy!

[@littleshopofelectrons4014]

I seem to recall the Bridgestone having what was then called a rotary shift pattern. This means that you could move from 6th gear directly to neutral by pressing down one more time. This meant that you didn't have to cycle through all the gears when coming to a stop. I had a Yamaha 350 (YR-1) and one of my friends had a Bridgestone 175 which looked identical to the 350.

[@007theflyboy]

The 350 had a standard type transmission {I had one!). It was the smaller bikes like the 90 and maybe the 175 that had the rotary shift pattern.

[@llewvirtue861]

Bridgies were great

[@stevegriffin2626]

I had one and no it couldn’t go from 6th to 1st. Think about that, you are going 80mph in 6th and a accidentally go into 1st. Not a good thing in so many ways

[@Titan500J]

Thank you for this video. The only bike I owned on this list was the Honda. It was very small for me as I was 6'4" and 220lbs. However I remember the Bridgestone as it was considered the giant killer. There was an article in Cycle Magazine in the later 60's of a test rider smoking a Sportster and a Bonneville off the light which was unheard of in the days. It would be a great collector's item today. .

[@motorcyclecafe]

Your welcome yes I would imagine most of these bikes would have given the bigger bikes a run for their money.

[@davidfarrant6591]

I had a slightly later Suzuki, the T350J. It was, like most of those two stroke twins, surprisingly fast accelerating. Best handling of that selection? I have not ridden the others so I cannot comment on the differences. But, my experience of my T350J was that at sensible speeds, it was pretty well behaved. The brakes were perfectly adequate. Tyres were reasonable, but not up to modern standards. Where it all got a bit laxative was pushing hard on curves, like when exiting a roundabout. The frame would flex enough to be clench inducing! I never fell off it, but there were a few moments...

[@michaelarchangel1163]

It was much the same with the T500 M I had in 1975. Almost went up a kerb when going around a bend two up at 85 MPH.

[@murraymarshall5865]

The CB350 was a great engine, mine started life as a 250 to which I put on 350 (325) barrels bored out to take 750 Kawasaki pistons, that made it a full 350, I raced it in classic events in U.K.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Some riders these days can't even change their oil

[@cavscout62]

@@motorcyclecafe - You are absolutely correct and that fact Boggles my mind.

[@barryschultz4956]

I owned a CB350 and it was a gem of a bike, howling like a banshee when you wound it out at high revs. However, I have ridden the GTR350 Bridgestone and, in my view, it was the fastest 350 of it’s generation, both in acceleration and in its top speed. Claimed performances in the 60’s were unreliable and always overstated. But the seat-of-the-pants dynamometer would put the Bridgestone on top by a wide margin over all the other 350’s. It’s a pity they were so short lived. But that could also have been because they were better made and more expensive than the rest. Extinction due to economics!

[@motorcyclecafe]

1/4 mile & top speeds depend on many factors im sure you know that. I take all mine from period road tests. I reckon it would have been pretty easy to get the gtr over the ton.

[@CactusJack-j1k]

@@motorcyclecafe But if you take your performance info from period tests you'll have to note that the 1967 Avenger that Cycle World tested was a "ringer" that had had both it's rotary valves and its crankcase intake ports modified. CYCLE magazine got a 15.1 second 1/4 with a 1967 Avenger SS.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@CactusJack-j1kthe figures I quote are from period road tests, fact!

[@davidcormier6346]

My dad had many many bikes over his lifetime but two of his favorites were the Bridgestone 175 and the Bridgestone 350 he just love them I remember the 350 and love to ride with him on that bike that's a great memory thanks

[@DavidCormier-er7em]

Bridgestone bikes were really popular here in Atlantic Canada. I've ridden the 175s and the 350s. That era of bike they handled very well great fun to ride I've never rode the Suzuki so I can't say. just a thought.

[@gmwensley1630]

I had a Bridgestone 350 GTR in 1967 and rode it for two years. It was my first motorcycle and it was great. I could easily get 105 to 110 mph and it would cruise at 75 on California freeways all day. The only negatives I ever noticed were 1) the front drum brakes would fade a bit if they were used too hard (I pushed the bike to its limits), and 2) during high speed cornering the frame would twist slightly and cause the front wheel to drift to the outside of the turn. Otherwise I loved this bike ; it looked nice too when all the chrome and aluminum was polished.

[@motorcyclecafe]

yes they do like very nice indeed!

[@Bdub1952]

Back in the 60's my friend had the GTR, my brother had the RD350 and I had a CB350. I got to know the look of their tail lights quite well.

[@motorcyclecafe]

oh well, the CB was still a great bike

[@Bdub1952]

@@motorcyclecafe It was. I have a '73 SL350 in the garage. 😁

[@rcnelson]

The Bridgestone was the cat's meow of the 350s. Smooth, fast, and beautiful.

[@theblytonian3906]

My first and terrrifying motorcycling experience in 1971. A rather immature, and as I was to learn stupid, 17 year old 'friend' bought a Suzuki T-350 Rebel with about three months riding experience. He persuaded a reluctant 16 year old me hop on the back with him (pillion), which I immediately regretted an recognised as a mistake with potentially seriously injurious life consequences. A beautiful and fast as that bike was, he neither impressed me nor enthused me with any love or respect for motocycles or motorcyclists. "Death traps" and "never again" were my strong impression and sentiment derived from that experience. It took another 'steady Eddy' friend I trusted implicitly before I ever hopped on a motorcycle again a couple of years later. Within a week after the latter experience, I owned my very own first motorcycle, a venerable 1972 CB350K-2. Was almost never off it in the 12 months I owned it (figuratively speaking). Fabulous memories of it.

[@josvandencamp8441]

I remember the Bridgestone. What a fine bike it was,

[@cavscout62]

I rode every single Bike here and owned a ‘72 SL350 that I wish I still owned. Although heavier and slower than the others, it was capable of light off road fun and wheelies forever because of it’s balance not to mention drop dead beautiful for it’s day.

[@motorcyclecafe]

yes it was a very nice looking machine!

[@Charon58]

The CB450 was the real game changer for Honda as far as tech went and of course the CB-750 ruled the world for a few years, but it was the beautiful CB/CL/SL 350 that made bank. They sold hundreds of thousands of these bikes

[@motorcyclecafe]

They did buddy and yes it was a very nice looking motorcycle. Even today it wouldn't look out of place.

[@Texmotodad]

I had an A7SS. Thanks for the memories!

[@motorcyclecafe]

My pleasure!

[@lh5943]

The A7 was quicker than the later 3 cylinder 350s

[@gwwayner]

I had the Yamaha YR2 350 in 1968 in candy apple red and I wish I had it now. Fast and fun, a good looking bike. Now 73 I'm still riding my 2010 modified Triumph Street Triple R 675.

[@motorcyclecafe]

I think we have all had bikes that we wished we still had.

[@dangunn6961]

In 1970 I was 14 years old and it was impossible for me to get a motorcycle but I knew I'd be a rider eventually. I watched them going through town and wished I had one. Now more than a half century later and having owned and ridden many bikes I've had countless experiences on 2 wheels. I currently ride a 2019 Yamaha Bolt and a 2023 Yamaha Zuma 125 scooter. It's as much fun now as it was 50 years ago. I'll keep riding as long as I can. These days I have as much fun doing maintenance on them as riding them. I prefer quiet pipes these days and enjoy listening to the engine internals instead of loud exhaust. I've always ridden for fun rather than transportation. It's a great hobby.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Ha, I had a 125 bws until recently. Most fun i ever had around town, it was a great scooter.

[@georgecrutchfield9850]

I had a 1972 Honda CB350. It hauled my wife and me all over till it was stolen.

[@michaelarchangel1163]

Great video. I much preferred the styling of the final Avenger model but that also applies to the later Yamahas. I think the RD 350 A in maroon with white and black striping was particularly smart.

[@giantgeoff]

That was mine I always referred to as Crack Cocaine on two wheels. Every time I went to fix something someone would tell me of some modification that would scare you shitless just like the first time you rode it. The last mod I made was boring out the cylinders and partial porting on the transfer ports larger carbs and the TZ 750 reed cages. I could literally cross town in half the time than anyone else could. Went to dr.s appt. And was put on BP meds when he measured my BP at 200 over 100 at 22 years old. True Story!

[@motorcyclecafe]

thanks mate, styling and looks is a very personal thing. I dont think any of these bikes are ugly.

[@telcobilly]

My friend's older brother had the Suzuki T350 which he customized and rode like a maniac on the smaller winding roads of the small coastal South African town we lived in. There wasn't enough money in the world to get me to ride on the back with him.. My first bike (that ran and was arguably road legal) was a '75 Yamaha DT400 Enduro over there..

[@petersteen4014]

My first bike was the A7 Avenger - in the same blue - which I picked up from Toorak Village Motorcycles in December 1968. It was an exciting ride certainly, but general disappointment crept in over the three years I owned it. What went wrong? It oiled plugs incessantly, so I needed to swap out to hotter ones whenever I spent time in a town or city environment. Eventually, helicoil inserts had to be installed because the aluminum lining just wore away. False neutrals were frequent and speed wobble over 90mph was terrifying; yes, it would do 98mph as mentioned by you, and no more! Handling never came close to Yamahas of the era, it didn't approach the reliability of any Suzuki nor did it have the features of the Honda. Have I mentioned braking? That was almost non-existent. BTW, the Bridgestone outdid all of them with looks; my mate's GTR had what appeared to be a suede seat and you could rest assured you weren't going to slip off; a nice touch. However, one thing the Kwaka did in spades was to teach me never, ever admit fear; you will come through!

[@grahamovenden9007]

you very briefly mentioned what I consider to be the best bike of the decade , the R5 . This bike became the basis for the TZ race bike . ( the crank cases on early TZ 's are stamped R5 and all parts are interchangeable ) Unlike the later RD series it was piston port and this gave it a very good top end . The R5 was street ahead of everything when it came to the track , it was a tuners dream . Without being detected you could really get one going . From green linings in the front brake ( which then out performed the RD disc ) Mild port work , modifications to the air box , no air filter and by feeding a sand blaster down the exhaust from the top you could gain considerably more flow by rounding off the punched out holes in the baffles without making the holes any bigger , which would then fail scrutineering . At the time Gerling shocks were an upgrade . Footnote , when the RD came out the R5 was banned from production racing on the grounds that it was not a currant production model ( this is the first time that this was a thing ). The Suzuki 315 handled ok but it flexed like all hell . look at the frame , there's no bracing at the swinging arm pivot . The R5 and YDS7 , I feel were the first of the great handling bikes to come out of Japan .

[@CactusJack-j1k]

Sorry, but I had a 1971 R-5B (orange and white) while in college and IMHO Yamaha should really be given the "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear" award for transforming the vastly over-rated R-5 into the RD-350. 'Course to do it they had to add reed valves, which enabled them to add a small boost port to the rear of the cylinders, raised the exhaust port 2mm and added the 6-speed transmission. I very quickly learned that a pre-K4 Honda CB-350 (the ones with the 10,500 rpm redline) would out-run the R-5 in a drag race and that the handling, with the stock bars, could best be characterized as "twitchy" (the CB-350s were much more stable). I also learned that the Yamaha "engineer" who chose the gearbox ratios, must've either been drunk or hungover. First was granny-gear low, which could make the tail-heavy R-5 very tricky to get off the line on a hill with a passenger (lots of unintended wheelie potential). There was a substantial gap between 1st and 2nd, so you had to wind first out pretty good before you shifted or it would bog in 2nd (not a good thing on a hill with an aforesaid passenger), but if you wound it up tight in 1st you likely would face another unintended wheelie when you shifted into 2nd, especially on the hill with a passenger. Second, third and fourth were pretty evenly spaced, but there was another gap between fourth and fifth, making fourth useless as a passing gear much above 60 mph. And please don't tell me that I didn't/don't have enough experience to evaluate the R-5. I put 15K on the thing, figured out how to secure the Autolube pump seal so that it didn't leak, learned how to lean the Autolube pump to an acceptable level after fouling innumerable plugs, finally added the "dealer-optional" oil line check valves and finally despaired of the stock air filter and replaced it with a K&N. My next bike was much less handsome than the Yamaha (the R-5's looks always promised a good time... that it couldn't deliver) and had a much less "sporting" image, but was a much better all-around bike... the Honda CB-500 Four. I subsequently commuted, toured, back-roaded and raced CB-500s and 550s with AAMRR and ERA/WERA for almost 10 years. As Cycle Magazine said... the best handling Japanese bike of its time... as long as you replaced the shocks.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

Cool bikes! I have a hotrodded 1971 CB350. It is a little spooky how quick it revs and at 70mph+ it kind of feels a little vague. It is a blast below that speed. I would love to run across one of these other bikes for a drag race. My butt dyno says it should be closer to 45HP now. I may put a 1 tooth larger FWD sprocket on it to calm down the engine at higher speeds.

[@johngalt97]

I’ve seen the Honda 350 twin run 11’s in the 1/4 mile with minimal tuning.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

@@johngalt97 I have little doubt about that!

[@Jim-nm1en]

One of my friends had a 350 Bridgestone and another friend had a 185cc Bridgestone. The 185 was faster than most other 250cc bikes at the time here in the UK. Enjoying your videos mate. Keep them coming.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@Jim-nm1en thank you mate!

[@tedecker3792]

Brings back memories of ripping all over the northern Black Hills; Spearfish, Sturgis, Lead, Deadwood on our two-stroke twin two strokes, fogging for mosquitoes as we went!

[@bryanwhitton1784]

Back in the day I had a 1971 Sprint from Harley Davidson. Nope, not stock. My uncle was Sam Arena and had Tom Sifton put a cam light weight push rods and some port work in it. Then sold it to me. Riding around in the Santa Cruz mountains I used to look for All these bikes to "race" with. My Sprint was good for about 105 MPH but handled incredibly well. It helped that I raced flat track on my racing Sprint ERS and later Kawasaki 350 Bighorn. Those were the days. Its amazing I survived. 😃

[@rotax636nut5]

Back in the late 70's the fastest 250 in the college car park was the Yamaha TDS7, my mate who was an ardent 'British is best' freak decided he would go on a mission to beat the Yams on his little 200cc 4 stroke single Triumph Tiger Cub, so he came to me with a proposal and we prepared his Cub accordingly, I did the engine unit as I was already successfully building Cub engines for grass track racing and when we were ready a short road race was organised between a couple of college lads on their Yamaha's and my mate on his Triumph. Sure enough my mate beat both lads with their YDS7's quite easily and winning money on some side bets he had made too which was a good laugh. I must say that the later 200cc Cub engine was incredibly tuneable and reliable, I used to get over 30 bhp @ 10.5K with good reliability, that's 4 times the standard power output..happy days

[@jeffward9174]

I like the style of older Japanese bikes especially with the chrome fuel tanks like older brit bikes. I think they look real classy. The only bike now with the chrome sided tank is the Jawa 350.

[@jlrutube1312]

Although it's a 650, I believe the Royal Enfield Interceptor comes with a chrome tank. I was just looking at one but it might have been a 2022 instead of a 2023 but I think they still have it.

[@glenminnick3724]

I totally agree, my old yamaha 250 twin had those cool chrome tank sides, very cool !

[@rdaystrom4540]

Very good and accurate coverage of the bikes.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Great thanks I do try my absolute best to get the correct info.

[@megastick9324]

I had an uncle that bought a Bridgestone when he got out of the Army in the late 60s. He rode that bike all over the country. I was young and knew nothing about bikes at the time, I just remember him riding that bike everywhere he went, all over the USA for a few years when he got home. It must’ve been semi dependable to take that much mileage I would think. He was the only person I personally knew that had one, ever. He eventually bought a Honda 750/4 and rode that until the end.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@megastick9324 at that time the Bridgestone bikes were pretty advanced they had quite a few features others didn't.

[@craigbahr1343]

I had one of the 1st Honda 350's in the Midwest. It was a beautiful bike. The Bridgestone, Kawasaki, and Suzuki models were being sold out of very small dealerships. I worried about them going under. After a few months, I traded the Honda for a Yamaha R1. I loved the R1. It was much faster than the Honda, and I thought it handled pretty well too. Of course, I weighed 125 pounds at the time. I've probably owned 10 Yamaha 350's over the years. Never disappointed. I currently own an RD250 barn find. After the 350's, I jumped up to a Norton Commando which I still own. It's a wonderful Bike, and I will never sell it.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Good on you buddy. Its good to see riders hang onto bikes for so long. I wish I did myself many times I sold bikes I regretted.

[@CaptHollister]

Correction: the Avenger was not the last Kawasaki two-stroke to use rotary valves. The 1976 KH100 currently parked in my shed is also fitted with rotary valve induction. It also has the same shift pattern as the Avenger. In fact, that was the standard pattern for all Kawasaki two-strokes, including the big triples. As you hinted, one other peculiarity of the Bridgestone 350's gear change was that it had neutral at the top of the pattern and you upshifted by pushing down on the selector. At least it didn't have the diabolical rotary gearchange of the 175 which allowed you to select either a 4 speed or 5 speed pattern. If you forgot that you had selected the 4 speed pattern, it would upshift directly from 4th to neutral and 1st again. Ask me how I know...

[@motorcyclecafe]

Dam it! I forgot all about those small bikes, I should have realized. Somehow I will have to put a correction in. I remember riding a bike when I was very young which had a gearbox like you mentioned but for the life of me I can't remember what bike it was. All I know (like you mentioned) it was a very bad thing!

[@lathejack]

The earlier version of the Kawasaki KH125 also used a disc valve, and the Kawasaki KR250 tandem twin from the 1980's used disc valves.

[@josephleister9198]

Excellent video....thank you

[@motorcyclecafe]

Great!!! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@putridreviews]

I used to race a 350 k4 back in the day (early 90s) man it used to scream ❤❤❤

[@squarewheel142]

Back in the late 60's and early 70's those Honda 350's seemed to be very common in South Florida and if I had to choose from all of the bikes on this video I would go with the Honda. Great video!

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks and to be honest I think any of these bikes would have been great at the time.

[@krabkrabkrab]

I had a CB350. Friend had one too. Never got it over 93mph.

[@RockyDave]

Mine struggled to do 70.

[@motorcyclecafe]

The performance figures are from period road tests so they must have been capable at some stage or another.

[@giantgeoff]

My 1st bike was a Bridgestone Surfrider 7 . The 3 speed transmission worked uniquely as well. Neutral, 1st, 2nd, 3rd neutral forward and the same in reverse with the standard heel toe shifter. I never understood why my Hondas and Yammies never worked as nicely.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks for sharing

[@TreDeuce-qw3kv]

I had the Suzuki T-500 which was an excellent bike. My brother had a Honda CB-350 a fun bike that a I dirt biked on pavement sliding it around corners with both wheels sliding. I never achieved that with any other bike on pavement including my Honda 400-4. It is interesting that new BSA and Royal Enfield 350's aren't as fast as the included bikes in this vid and comparably to the Honda 350 as they are both twins and 4-strokes. Thanks for the post bring back so many memories.

[@motorcyclecafe]

You're welcome, The Royal Enfields are certainly underpowered somewhat thats for sure.

[@peterjohn3123]

In 1969 I bought a new cb 350 for $800. At the age of 19 I thought I was the King of the road. Kept it until 1971,traded it for a Yamaha xs-650.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Those old 650's are just classics!

[@daylightbigboy]

I’ve got a 1968 Yamaha YR2C and it’s one hell of a bike. Not only does it scream and do 40 in second gear but it beat a 2003 Ducati 748. Definitely an upgrade to the YR1 looks and performance wise. Even with cheap Shinko scrambler tires, it out handles all of my other vintage bikes

[@motorcyclecafe]

Man who ever was riding that Ducati must have been a real sucky rider 😉

[@xvdd1]

Back in the early 70's I would have killed for an Avenger or Bridgestone they were mythical in the UK and I am not even sure they were imported here the only bike I owned out of your examples was the CB350 which I threw around enthusiastically enjoying the distinctive exhaust bark it produced at the upper rev limit but it could not keep up with the two strokes. It is interesting how many of those bikes had the combined speedo rev counter design which I think first appeared on 60's Hondas like the CB72/77 and the odd habit of producing much lower capacity engines then the allowed 350cc of the class this may have been down to simply boring out their existing 250cc models and being limited by the available material in the cylinders. Rotary disc induction had the advantage of providing more cylinder space for extra transfer ports before reed valves came along and suggested higher performance I think piston port controlled engines were more common because they were cheaper to produce although they seemed to work well enough for Yamaha race engines for 20 years.

[@davidshattock9522]

Great summing up.done in a fair and honest way

[@scottastell9415]

Thoroughly enjoyable trip down memory lane. Had two of the bikes on your list in early 1970s. A 350 Suzuki Rebel and the two tone red/white Honda 350 twin featured. The Suzuki was more nimble around town and thru the twisties. The Honda a better tourer as yes people toured on small bikes then as 350 wasn't considered small back then like today. The Police only had 650 BSAs and Triumphs in most rural Australia and those were large bikes. The later police Honda 750 fours changed all that. Loved both the Suzuki and the honda. Wish I had one of each in my garage today just to admire. Thanks for a great video. Keep up the good work.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks for the great feedback mate, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@lorditsprobingtime6668]

Oh man, the memories flooding back! One thing in particular took a few seconds then I suddenly realised at about the 5 minute mark that track they're on was one I've raced on, flag marshaled on and just been to, to watch races, both road, short circuit AND motocross, on separate tracks around the main circuit, Amaroo Park unless I'm mistaken! I was rather sad when I heard they'd closed it as I've got so many memories from there. It was fairly close, about 10 miles from memory from where I grew up. Hell, at 5.30 that could even be me sitting there on the rocks with long brown hair, watching the racing lol.

[@motorcyclecafe]

it might have been you buddy, you never know LOL

[@lorditsprobingtime6668]

@@motorcyclecafe It is possible. Do you know when that footage was taken? There was a big rock wall, more or less a cliff at one end and that was pretty much my choice for watching, that looks like where those guys are. That was one bad point about Amaroo race track, or the road track, there was nowhere you could be that you could see the entire track so, down there gave about the fullest view you could find there . Was that Amaroo? It's been a very long time since I was there so it's all just old memories to me but, that was the closest track to me growing up and did hold some pretty major races, along with just ordinary club racing, which was as much of organised racing as I could tolerate. I mostly didn't bother with all the messing about, the scrutineering, the whole organised bit just annoys me, I preferred to have fun racing someone else on 1 of our local plain bush tracks with nobody dictating or controlling, or on the road just having a blast along the Comenaro Parkway (back years ago, probably a rubbish ride now) or the old Pacific Highway between Berowra and Brooklyn, just racing for the fun of it when you're on a good stretch of road. EDIT: I stuffed up!

[@motsigman]

remember riding pillion as a little kid on my dads Yamaha, no helmet what a buzz..

[@cavscout62]

Bridgestone made great bikes, I knew several guys that rode them in the early ‘70’s. Every Bike in this video were actually great. Well done.

[@motorcyclecafe]

thanks and yes they were all great machines!

[@johnwood4448]

Thanks for the memories and the channel I'm enjoying is immensely. I had the Honda 250 which was only a little less powerful than the 350,suspension was soft and compared to the 2strokes was underpowered. I followed that with two Suzuki T250s both went like stink and handled quite well for their day and only slightly less powerful than the T350. I followed those with a T500K which other than the poor front brake,which was sor of solved with better brake linings,was great bike in the truest sense and could see off almost all comers except for the big Jap fours and Commandos. Thanks again

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks for giving me the great feedback buddy. I'm glad are liking the channel.

[@jlrutube1312]

I also had a 1971 green Suzuki 250 twin that I bought in 1980. My friend had a Yamaha 750 twin cylinder 4 stroke. I could always beat him off the line and leave him behind for a block or two. Eventually he would catch up and pass me. I really liked that bike and wish that I had kept it. I have had several bikes both before and since but that one was a really great one and I have such good memories of it.

[@Comeoffitman]

When I wasn’t looking at the bra section of the Sears catalog I was dreaming of these bikes.

[@MarkThornton1]

Suzuki's left side kickstart was a pain in the butt.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@MarkThornton1 yes probably but only because it was different. You do get used to kick starters on the left. Many these days dont even know what a kick start is.

[@gordonwilson1425]

I enjoy your videos. I also rode many of the machines you describe as my friends and I owned many of them. I owned a T350J Suzuki 350 and can confirm that it handled better than my friends CB350 and better than Yamahas R5. The Suzuki handling was on a par with the Yamaha RD350 which I owned and raced later with the Yamaha having better acceleration due to reed valves and better braking due to having a front disc brake. The T350 was no slouch though as I once put mine (which was stock) in a flying quarter mile which was run in both directions. I was told my top speed average of both directions was 104mph. At that time I would have weighed around 60 kilograms which would have helped.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Bikes in those days were fantastic machines, I love them all. Thank you for your positive feedback mate. It means a lot to read comments like yours!

[@dozerblade]

Great series, brilliant info, I notice with interest the power out put of these bikes against bikes of today has barely changed. I am currently in the process of buying the new Triumph Speed 400, which everybody is very excited about, because it makes nearly 40 HP, so 60 years forward this bike ought to make 55 HP wouldn't you think, with modern materials and all the computer aids that could be used. Have we really made any progress ? I loved my Yamaha YR3, it went like a rocket, mind you I was only about 10 stone in those days, and could barely hang on .

[@motorcyclecafe]

Like you I've noticed that power of some bikes stays pretty much the same, not all but some. Watch the comparison on the Interceptor, 50 years apart 🤔

[@dozerblade]

@@motorcyclecafe ok will do .

[@eddiehuman1]

I agree the Bridgestone great looking bike. Same as mine in the garage.

[@CactusJack-j1k]

I wish that I had had a GTR in my Dad's garage!

[@GraemeRobinson]

Tops! I had to check it wasn't April the Ist when you started banging on about a Bridgestone motorcycle. Wot??!!

[@phil6506]

The shots of Amaroo brought back memories.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Tell me about it. The Castrol 6 hour used to be the highlight of my year. It was great watching normal street bikes racing each other!

[@ramishrambarran3998]

At the end of the video 11:00 you stated the only bike on this list to have an electric starter was the Honda CB350. At 1:36-1:40 the Bridgestone 350 GTR appears to have an electric starter. I stand corrected. We never had that brand in our country. It is only recently I found out about a Bridgestone motorcycle. Thanks for the well narrated video. Trinidad & Tobago. West Indies.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Hmm I will have to check into thar further as far as I am aware it was just a kick start.

[@lh5943]

​@@motorcyclecafeMy friend had one and it was kick only. I had a Yamaha 250DS7E at the time and it had electric start.

[@ramishrambarran3998]

@@motorcyclecafe I got the answer. I saw a restoration video and figured out what it is. Because the Bridgestone had the two carburettors and rotary valves at either side of the crankshaft, the engine would be pretty wide. To put an alternator/generator at the side common in those days, would just make it wider and more complicated. So the unit I saw at 1:36-1:40 is the generator. Physically it really was like a starter mounted behind the crankshaft driven by a gear. In the late 70's Honda released the CBX 6-cylinder which was a pretty wide engine. They used a jackshaft to drive the alternator via a clutch. The jackshaft and alternator were located behind the crankshaft, similar to the GTR350, but were driven by a Hy-vo chain. Regards. Trinidad & Tobago. West Indies.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@ramishrambarran3998 thanks for the update buddy. Yes rotary valve induction although better in most regards did add to engine widths.

[@llewvirtue861]

Great series well done mate

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks for the great feedback buddy!

[@davidstaudohar6733]

🔴 when I was in high school I worked at a bicycle shop that also sold motorcycles , Richard cycle shop Chicago Illinois, they also sold Rupp snowmobiles, the Bridgestone motorcycle was a decent ride, durable and dependable , if I had a dime for every Bridgestone I assembled out-of-the-box you could call me John D Rockefeller 🤣🤣🤣‼️♦️♦️♦️

[@abefroman4953]

I own a 350 GTR that I bought in 1985. The quality of the build is unsurpassed for that period of time.

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@abefroman4953 that bike is a keeper for sure!

[@Jim-nm1en]

I bought a Brand new Suzuki GT500A in the mid 70's , never had another british bike after that although I now wish I had held on to some of the old Triumphs and BSA's that I had previously. I passed my bike test in 1973 on a 250 Yamaha that belonged to my best mate, not sure what model it was though.

[@motorcyclecafe]

I love the Titan. Not sure if you've watched the channels video on BIG 2-Strokes but it features in that video.

[@stevenbrown1798]

I had a little 90cc Bridgestone I don’t remember what year it was but I rode that steady for a couple years I was only 13 years old when I got it. Never broke down one tough little bike was a well used bike when I got it

[@motorcyclecafe]

is that the one with the 2 sprockets on the rear?

[@daveallen8824]

yamaha used rotary valves too, but only on smaller bikes

[@lathejack]

That's right, the Yamaha FS1E and the YB100 used disc valves, and also the Suzuki GP100 and GP125 and TS100.

[@lh5943]

​@lathejack I remember the YA-6 125cc rotary valve single with electric start. It was a 1965 or 66, I think. I had many Yamaha twins back then. 90cc, 100cc, 125cc, 180cc, 200cc, 250cc and 305cc. Those were the days!

[@richardcurtis2469]

What a cracking video mate.....what a scene from the past. Oh and the tyres.that where mentioned.....remember them nitto nylon tyres...agh Yokohama slippery bananas. Not your best friend in the wet....still a lot of fun

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks and yes tyres back then were not the best. Especially those ribbed type.

[@JonathanBays]

What are the gears thats lost in history now

[@sebaschirino9943]

mi abuelo tuvo una GILERA 300CC tipo boneville en los 60s , mi padre una GOLDWIN GL 1100CC en los 80s y yo de niño comence con una 49cc a pedales que yo restaure de ahi hasta una made in malasya con 3 cambios en el manubrio (weird no?) y luego de muchas pequeñas mi primer HONDA REBEL 250CC 1986 hasta que tuve un trabajo que me permitio mi gran amiga hasta hoy mi unica compañera ...cheers boss!

[@garysergeant9086]

Thx for the video.great to hear more about the Bridgestone

[@motorcyclecafe]

You bet!

[@chrisspeakman7215]

Hi thanks for the nice video , would like to add a few minor details regarding Honda's CB350 , Here in the U.K the CB250 was more popular as you could ride one on " L " plates . The advertising blurb at the time stated 30 b.h.p. @ 10,500 r.p.m. Gearing in 5th was 1000 r.p.m. = 10 mph , so in theory you could do 105 m.p.h. at the red line . ( you would have to be crazy to test this theory though ) I.m fairly sure the CB350 blurb quoted 36 b.h.p. , I'm not sure the red line was @ 10,500 though ? I fairly sure my CB350 had the red line at 9,500 ? . ( CB350 liked rev,s , 6k to 9k was the power band . I preferred my m8's CL350 , It would buzz along nicely and had more low down Torque .) Ride Safe , Thanks .

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@chrisspeakman7215 glad you liked the video mate. Cheers!

[@robertdavey319]

Great videos, love your commentary

[@motorcyclecafe]

Thanks for saying that mate, much appreciated!

[@johngalt97]

The days of multi-cylinder rotary valve 2-strokes with dual leading-shoe front drum brakes.

[@crippleguy415]

I really like that Bridgestone . ❤😊

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@crippleguy415 very advanced bikes for that time period & nice to look at too !

[@briangrigsby1842]

I had two 350 a GTR best looking and Gto was garishly painted. Bike was very comfortable best seat. With lots of HP it was my favorite but took maintenance. Also best handler with the Honda I also had. Honda took less maintenance.350 Suzuki that I had was a little tall and you felt like you are were on a bicycle. 315 cc it was a little down on power. I would not have a Yamaha they always loaded up and fouled plugs. Wish I could have found a Kawasaki 350 twin or a Benelli 350 twin.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

Bridgestone was a company that Firestone started in Japan before WW2. That plant many others belonging to American companies were confiscated by the Japanese. They called it being shown the bamboo curtain. Harley Davidson got an offer they could not refuse and took the money and ran.

[@stephenadams7211]

excellent video

[@coolhand1964]

I swear the guy who is doing the narrative is an ex-army NCO. I listen to the commentary and swear I am reliving my youth being given a lecture on the 'rifle, individual, 7.62mm, Lithgow, L1A1'. I keep expecting him to finish the narrative with 'Today you have received instruction etc, etc, and your attention has been adequate'. 😅

[@motorcyclecafe]

I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing but either way consider yourself on report 😉

[@rogerekholm236]

Correction, the Bridgestone 350 ran 14.3s quater miles and was the best bike of all of them

[@motorcyclecafe]

All the performance figures are from period road tests. As with top speeds 1/4 mile times can vary depending on many factors. I have no doubt a good rider under the right conditions could do better than 15s.

[@josephpumford856]

No mention of BSA 350mGoldstar

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@josephpumford856 I would put that in a 50s video

[@fabbri4497]

The CB77 305cm³ 28.5 SAE HP and 105MPH is missing! (compare with the so-called 43HP DIN of the Honda CB400N...and other)

[@motorcyclecafe]

@@fabbri4497 there is a few missing mate. Very hard to include everything

[@Palanibert]

The Bridgestone and Yamaha gas tanks look like they were installed the wrong way 'round.

[@motorcyclecafe]

Yes they do, it was just the style at the time!

[@54macdog]

I love the Brit bikes of the period but these babies rule the roost.

[@glenminnick3724]

I miss the old two stroke street bikes of that era. I had 250 yamaha yd3 in 1970 as an obnoxious 16 yr. old, those were the days!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

Honda sold 625,000 CB 350's.

[@motorcyclecafe]

I am not surprised they were a pretty nice looking and performing bike at that time.

[@rover100bunson]

apparently honda told bridgestone if it wanted to supply tyres it had to stop producing motorcycles, great looki g bike

[@motorcyclecafe]

yes that is one story!

[@MrSmileyshaun]

Great video 👍

[@hughchamberlain5018]

No mention of Jawa 350 ?

[@motorcyclecafe]

Nope, the video was about Japanese bikes, its in the description of the video

[@theoriginalmungaman]

Can you do a video on the 1986 Yamaha FZX Fazer?

[@motorcyclecafe]

Im not famliar with that model at all but I could check them out.

[@theoriginalmungaman]

@@motorcyclecafe So they only imported them 2 years in the U.S. as a 700cc to beat the tariff on 750cc bikes at the time. They made a 750 version that went into the 90’s in Europe. They call it a baby Vmax. It was incredibly quick and every magazine raved about it. Didn’t sell well in the states.

[@bermrailin]

Looks like an electric start on the Bridgestone at 1.35

[@johncrowley5612]

That's the alternator and ignition. The A7 Avenger is similar. Being disc valved there was no room on the ends of the crankshaft for these items so they were gear driven off the primary drive and lived above the gearbox, behind the cylinder barrels where, on a traditionaly ported 2 stroke the carbs would live.

[@lesscotford1419]

Was there a Yamaha YDS-7 250cc?.

[@motorcyclecafe]

yes

[@malcolmmathers2690]

bridegstone was a looker for sure not sure what honda was thinking with that lighthouse tail light on the CB otherwise a nice looking bike i think it was bridegstone that copied the 500 bsa twin later built by Kawasaki w 650 yer anyway cheers back at ya mate