Bridgestone is an enormous multinational company, one of the largest tire companies in the world…and a fairly small bicycle company, with its own factory in Japan. In the late 1980s and early'90s, its U.S. bicycle division was run by
Grant Petersen
, a brilliant, talented and idiosyncratic designer.
Where are Bridgestone bikes made?
Currently, Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd. produces bicycles at
three plants in Japan and also the Changzhou Plant in China
. Through this increase in capacity, its production and supply system will be further optimized.
Who built Bridgestone motorcycles?
A display assembled by the
Bridgestone Motorcycle Club
featured original and restored motorcycles as well as memorabilia of the relatively unknown brand. The company, named for its founder, Soichiro Ishibashi — the family name means stone bridge in Japanese — has made tires since the 1930s.
Why did Bridgestone quit making motorcycles?
The motorcycles were technologically advanced and powered by two-stroke engines. The high technical specification resulted in the machines being more expensive compared to other manufacturers models. Production was stopped in 1970
to protect the supply of tyres to other manufacturers
.
Does Bridgestone still bike?
BRIDGESTONE MAKES BICYCLES FOR PEOPLE
Bridgestone is a bicycle company
. We have built bicycles under this name, representing the Japanese bicycle industry, since 1949. Our philosophy is to make bicycles for people.
Does Bridgestone make bicycle tires?
Tokyo (April 17, 2017) – Bridgestone Corporation today announced that, together with Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd.,
the company has developed a next-generation bicycle tire
as an effort to realize practical application of the “Air Free Concept
* 1
,” a technology for creating tires that do not need to be inflated with air.
Who made Panasonic bikes?
Konosuke Matsushita
grew up with a family who owned a bicycle shop and always had a love and passion toward bicycles. He later on founded the Panasonic bicycle line. Panasonic bicycles were very well built, and produced in steel, aluminum and titanium.
When did Grant Peterson work for Bridgestone?
Petersen was working in the bike department at REI in Berkeley, California, in the
early 1980s
when he got a job at Bridgestone in San Leandro.
Is cycling popular in Korea?
Korea's most popular cycling route is the 640 kilometer ride between Seoul and Busan following the Nakdonggang, and Hanggang Rivers
. The entire ride is on dedicated cycle paths or quiet country roads. The route is well signposted and there is little chance of getting lost.
Did Sears sell Bridgestone motorcycles?
Bridgestone was synonymous with “performance” in motorcycle circles — though that really wasn't the company's original aim. When Honda began enjoying success in the U.S. with 50-cc scooters, Bridgestone jumped on the bandwagon with a similar model
originally sold through Sears and Montgomery Wards stores
.
What happened to Bridgestone?
They were sold in America until 1975 by Rockford Motors (the old BS importers) as the Rockford “Chibi”, “Taka” and “Tora”.
With the closure of the Taiwan production line in the mid-seventies, the family line of Bridgestone motorcycles finally came to an end
.
Where were Bridgestone motorcycles sold?
Bridgestone motorcycle exports to the United States began in 1963, through their U.S. distributor, Rockford Motors in Rockford, Illinois. They were initially sold through
Sears Roebuck
for a time.
What happened to Hodaka motorcycles?
In the late 1970s, a combination of events led to the demise of Hodaka.
Falling US dollar exchange rates against the Japanese yen, a shift in demand from dirt bikes to larger road bikes, and general economic weakness fatally wounded the company
.
What is the difference between Firestone and Bridgestone?
While Bridgestone has changed some of the work rules of the older Firestone plants and introduced efficiency gains, the Firestone production sites still tend to be less modern than Bridgestone plants.
Bridgestone serves as the high-end brand, Firestones are mid-market and Daytons are low end
.
What are the 5 business units of Bridgestone Americas?
Business units of Bridgestone Americas include Bridgestone Retail Operations, the world's largest network of company-owned retail tire and automotive service centers; Bandag, a leader in commercial tire retreading worldwide; Firestone Building Products, an industry leader in commercial roofing and building solutions; …
When did Panasonic stop making bikes?
In
1989
, founder Konosuke Matsushita passed away at the age of 94. Following this, Panasonic in North America stopped distribution of cycling products. A few years later, operation in Europe was ceased too.
When did Panasonic make bicycles?
Panasonic was Norman's initial entry into the bicycle industry – starting with Panasonic on
April 19th, 1979
as a Sales Rep covering Metro New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Does Panasonic own Panaracer?
Panaracer is a product of Panasonic
. The Panaracer logo has clearly derived from the Panasonic logo.
Who is pineapple Bob?
“
Robert grew up in Hawaii and his hair shoots out like a pineapple so she called him Pineapple Bob just to differentiate him from the other Bobs
,” Petersen said in an interview with Chris Kostman more than 20 years ago.
