Tanshanomi's Snap Judgments

Bridgestone 350 GTO

Mon, March 1st, 2010


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1969–71 Bridgestone 350 GTO
Performancewww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
For its time, the Bridgestone was an absolute screamer. It would be sorta fast for a 350cc bike even today—able to beat a 250 Ninja in a drag race, and only a few ticks behind an 883 Sportster (although an RZ350 would beat it by well over a second in the quarter mile).
Handlingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Better than Kawasakis and Yamahas of the time, but that isn't saying much. Drum brakes are pathetic.
Lookswww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
They have that cobby, somewhat confused and disjointed look common to most '60s street bikes, but the scrambler exhaust is cool.
Reliabilitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
They were built to highly precise tolerances, but the chrome bore meant no over-boring was possible.
Practicalitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Too peaky and punishing for most riding duties, and good luck finding parts.
Desirabilitywww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Kind of funky-cool, and certainly rare, but not too high on my want list.
Overallwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Bridgestones were designed to be clearly superior to their Japanese rivals. They arguably were, but never sold well—proving that that people won't always pay more for a better quality machine.