Japanese Exotica (with a Spanish twist)!

[Mikku]

Well exotica may be a bit over-doing it but at last weekend's Happy Bike Meeting in Tokyo I saw these 2 bikes, neither of which I'd seen before. First up, a Bridgestone BTR20:-









& secondly an Akimoto AKM-4:-







Nobody else seemed that interested in them but I wanted to take them home!   More photos of the other bikes on display can be found here:- http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,182371.0.html

[pickle]

Cool, that first one looks well laidback though 

[Mikku]

& that's without the layback on it!

[Tel-boy75]

Love that quirky rear dropout on the Bridgestone, just looks like the forks are too long on the front end!

[Gnarlyscoots]

It has that stance because it's a trials frame set. I'm surprised it even has a seat and post.

I would love to see how those dropouts work though.

Cool find bro 

[fugazi]

Gutted, I clicked on the thread thinking it said Japanese Erotica.

[BMX1973]

Thanks for loading those photo's up. Nice to see different bikes. 

Never seen dropouts like that on the Bridgestone. Is it the same Bridgestone as the tyre company? Any idea on age? 

 

[stidds]

It has that stance because it's a trials frame set. I'm surprised it even has a seat and post.

I would love to see how those dropouts work though.

Cool find bro 

100% true, that Bridgestone is a trials bike, the dropouts are like that to protect the hub, sprocket from rock damage.

The Akimoto is a very close cousin of a Royce Union Mach 3.

[Mikku]

Thanks for the comments guys!

Never seen dropouts like that on the Bridgestone. Is it the same Bridgestone as the tyre company? Any idea on age?

Yeah, it's the same company so far as I'm aware. There's a few different models over on the Museum but also here:- http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,133435.0.html

There's also one of the BTRs on the Museum, which is stated to be from 1985:-

http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/bridgestone/77625

On the Akimoto front, I think it may actually be Spanish rather than Japanese!!! I was looking online and found some info in Spanish!! It therefore turns out that it was made by a Spanish company called G.A.C. (you can see their decal on the seat tube in the final pic) though why one ended up in Tokyo (the BMX) God only knows - something to do with the Japanese name possibly?? Maybe I'll try to speak to the owner if I ever see the bike again! What's the betting his name is Akimoto-san!! Anyway, there is some G.A.C. company info and an example of one of these here:-  http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/gac/  Interestingly, the guy who owned the one on the Museum seems to be a Brit - username "hellboymongoose" - I wonder if he was a member on here? No relation to our own Londonhellboy, eh Terry?

Right, that's enough detective work for one post! Time to lie down.

[kungfunky]

Not quite what I was hoping to after reading the title   but still, cool interesting and certainly different frames there 

[OrgasmDonor]

sweet,  trials bikes and comps were pretty popular BITD, you don't see any now

[chubby]

Clint's out there at the min, surprised he wasn't all iver them 2 

[BMX1973]

 

Thanks for the comments guys!

Never seen dropouts like that on the Bridgestone. Is it the same Bridgestone as the tyre company? Any idea on age?

Yeah, it's the same company so far as I'm aware. There's a few different models over on the Museum but also here:- http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,133435.0.html

There's also one of the BTRs on the Museum, which is stated to be from 1985:-

http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/bridgestone/77625

On the Akimoto front, I think it may actually be Spanish rather than Japanese!!! I was looking online and found some info in Spanish!! It therefore turns out that it was made by a Spanish company called G.A.C. (you can see their decal on the seat tube in the final pic) though why one ended up in Tokyo (the BMX) God only knows - something to do with the Japanese name possibly?? Maybe I'll try to speak to the owner if I ever see the bike again! What's the betting his name is Akimoto-san!! Anyway, there is some G.A.C. company info and an example of one of these here:-  http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/gac/  Interestingly, the guy who owned the one on the Museum seems to be a Brit - username "hellboymongoose" - I wonder if he was a member on here? No relation to our own Londonhellboy, eh Terry?

Right, that's enough detective work for one post! Time to lie down.