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Okay, fellow Beaksters...

Here's another interesting "Moto Mania Trivia" mystery bike to try and baffle you with...

It's a goodie, with some really interesting engineering details. See if you can identify this wonderful little machine...














Good Luck!

Cheers!

Dallara

Blimey Dallara, you can't 'alf find 'em guvnor

At first I was convinced it was a Kriedler, then I thought it might be a Derbi, in the end I settled for a "Moto-Minarelli" 50cc.

But if I'm truthfull it's a bit of a guess and I'm not realy sure because there are a lot of bits on it that look Japanese. Trouble is, racing bikes get modified over time, get better brakes fitted from later models etc.

Head scratcher this one, for sure!
Si

Nope, Simon...

It's not a Minarelli, though that is really one hell of a good guess considering these pictures that *ARE* of a Minarelli 50cc racer...






However, you do have the displacement right! It's a 50cc tiddler racer... Goodness, how I miss the 50cc GP Class!!! Some of the most interesting racing machines ever conceived by man were in the tiddler class...

Oh, well...

Like I said - Great Guess, Simon - but you're gonna' have to try again!

Cheers!

Dallara

it looks so Japanese (for that time period)... looks like a TD, but methinks Nippon Gakki never made a 50cc RR....
Suzuki RM62......?
drum brakes worked OK when the bike weighed 118lbs......

Nope, Collyers...

Neither a Yamaha nor a Suzuki, though Yamaha did have a number of rotary valve race bikes (despite not incorporating that technology on the street much...). Needless to say, Suzuki played with rotaries a lot, but this is no 'Zook.

Good guess, though!

Kepp on trying guys! You'll get it!

Cheers!

Dallara

Something in the shape of the barrel and head looks like a Tohatsu - only saw one in about 62 in road trim - with the new then rotary valve inlet.

Dave, can you dig up some picks of those 50cc Honda GP twins that could do 25K rpm if pushed?

Acacia.

Nope, Acacia...

It's not a Tohatsu - which is another really interesting tiddler brand, and was going to be the subject of a future "Moto Mania Trivia" bike post, but now that will have to wait...

You want to see some pics of the "works" Honda 50cc World Champion twin?

Here ya' go!








50cc... DOHC... And revved so high it just wouldn't take no for an answer!

Cheers!

Dallara

Any "neked" pics of it?

Some engineering going on there - and for the 60's too !! Interesting 'disc' brakes.

Thank you.

Acacia...

I'm at the office now, but I think I have some pictures of the Honda (better known as the RC-116) at home without the fairing. I will see if I can find those this weekend sometime...

Those aren't "disc" brakes... In those days the guys in the "tiddler" class rarely used the brakes - which the reason the front brakes are so friggin' tiny. When they did actually use the brakes they usually used the rear so they upset the chassis as little as possible.

Those "discs" on the rear of the Honda re actually heat-sinks to draw heat away from the rear drum ot try and make the brakes live as long as possible!

Necessity is truly the "Mother of Invention", eh?

Cheers!

Dallara

Hmmmmm, the only Bridgestone 50 that I know of was a twin, which this plainly isn't.
That would leave Kawasaki in the hot seat, trouble is it's bedtime for us Brits (well this one anyway) so I'll check back ib the morning to see if anyone got it. Goodnight all!
Si

Alan,
The front brakes look like 'disc' brakes to me - bicycle type calipers behind the forks?

Acacia.

First, for Acacia...

Yes, indeed, the front brakes on all the Honda 50cc GP bikes from 1964 to 1966 (Honda didn't contest the 50cc class in 1967) are much like caliper brakes on a bicycle... clamping pads on the front rim. This was done primarily to save weight and reduce rotational inertia as much as possible.

I am going to start another thread for you Acacia with more pics and info about the amazing little Honda GP bikes. There I think I can give you all the pics you might need...


And now for Simon...

Well, no Simon... The bike in question is not a Kawasaki. I could just leave it at that, but it really wouldn't be fair...

The bike is, indeed, a Bridgestone 50... and a single. How do I know?

Because the logos and markings I re-touched out of the above pics said so!

Please note the frame bolted together in numerous places. Bridgestone liked that for some reason...

I actually have never heard of a Bridgestone 50cc twin. Do you have any pics or other info on the BS twin, Simon?

Cheers!

Dallara

Well Dallara, I think we should call that match a draw. As I didn't know Bridgestone made a single and you didn't know they made a twin it seems "honours even" to me.
As I have not yet mastered the art of posting pictures (someone will have to explain in really simple terms!) I have sent a nice photo of the B/S twin cyl 50cc race bike to your email and you can run it here if you would.
Bridgestone made the twin to compete with the Suzuki 50 (also a twin) at GP level but by the time they had it ready the Suzuki had been further developed and it was always one step behind being truly competitive.
Cheers, Si

Got the pic, Simon...

And for the rest of you folks out there, here's the 50cc, water-cooled, twin-cylinder, two-stroke Bridgestone...



Wow! 14-speed gearbox!

That's even more than the Suzuki 50's 13-speeder!

Of course, Suzuki was developing a 50cc *THREE* cylinder two-stroke before they dropped out of the class...

Cheers!

Dallara