Bridgestone bike

Hi, I've picked up this Bridgestone touring bike at auction and am hoping people can tell me more about it.

It's in stainless unpainted steel with black (unusual) type paint at the welds.

The seller put a note on saying it was a limited edition - could it be a sort of collectors item?

The interesting thing is that it has a rear drum brake although the bike does not seem to me to be vintage as such. I guess 70's and made in Japan.

I suspect it used to have racing style handlebars but they have been changed.

The model name sticker on crossbar is gone. It is fully working and quite an interesting looking bike (which seems to be Bridgestones forte!)

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this bike so am open to suggestions/advice!

Pic of full bike is at end of gallery!
Cheers, Bruce

I don't know much about Bridgestones from that period, but I do know of a stainless Bridgestone bike called the Kabuki Submariner. Yours seems to fit the description pretty well:

http://sheldonbrown.com/japan.html#kabuki

The Kabuki line used some unusual construction techniques, specifically, a system of sticking the frame tubes into a special mold and forming cast aluminum "lugs" in place around the ends of the tubes. The most notable of this line was the "Submariner" which used un-painted stainless steel tubing, and was marketed in seacoast areas for its rust-resistance. Because the cast aluminum lugs were not flexible like steel lugs, these bikes didn't use a conventional seat-post binder. Instead, they used a seat post with an expander wedge like that of a handlebar stem ... you had to remove the saddle from the seatpost to adjust the height, then re-install the saddle!

Click to expand...

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I2 ... f5BFB47T7A

I think it would make an interesting urban runabout. Personally I would lose the racks and gears to get the weight down a bit, but keep the mudguards. Perhaps keep the front dynamo light, but put an LED on the rear. A fixed gear or drum-braked Sturmey on the back ...

bike

Hi Jim, looks like a step in the right direction - thanks.

I tend to agree with you about the carriers if I decide to keep it! It rides fine but seems ponderous compared to my other bikes. Of corse with the rain we're having a 'submariner' seems just the thing!!

one-eyed_jim":1msj2jri said:

I don't know much about Bridgestones from that period, but I do know of a stainless Bridgestone bike called the Kabuki Submariner. Yours seems to fit the description pretty well:

http://sheldonbrown.com/japan.html#kabuki

The Kabuki line used some unusual construction techniques, specifically, a system of sticking the frame tubes into a special mold and forming cast aluminum "lugs" in place around the ends of the tubes. The most notable of this line was the "Submariner" which used un-painted stainless steel tubing, and was marketed in seacoast areas for its rust-resistance. Because the cast aluminum lugs were not flexible like steel lugs, these bikes didn't use a conventional seat-post binder. Instead, they used a seat post with an expander wedge like that of a handlebar stem ... you had to remove the saddle from the seatpost to adjust the height, then re-install the saddle!

Click to expand...

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I2 ... f5BFB47T7A

I think it would make an interesting urban runabout. Personally I would lose the racks and gears to get the weight down a bit, but keep the mudguards. Perhaps keep the front dynamo light, but put an LED on the rear. A fixed gear or drum-braked Sturmey on the back ...

Click to expand...

That´s indeed a Bridgestone Submariner, there´s also a mixte variant. Interesting bikes, bit heavy but great for (converting into) an allweather/winter bike.

Thanks, given the rainy weather, it's just what we need!

ata":26uk5v3i said:

That´s indeed a Bridgestone Submariner, there´s also a mixte variant. Interesting bikes, bit heavy but great for (converting into) an allweather/winter bike.

Click to expand...