PRESERVATION BICYCLE # 18: 1982 Bridgestone "Torque Tilt" Wagon
Preservation Bikes Are Back!!!
***Quick preface before we jump in to preservation bike #18…
The Preservation Bike program and all of BBP’s recycled bike programs are more important and relevant than they’ve ever been. The COVID in some ways has been incredible for our environment (fewer carbon emissions, more people riding their bikes and walking instead of driving, less noise pollution, wildlife returning to some areas they haven’t been in years, less pollution from less manufacturing…), but has been terrible in a lot of other (less reusable bags, cups, and silverware, more plastic packaging and containers for everything, a ton of disposable masks in the garbage…). BBP has pushed against “throw away culture” since our humble beginnings, and with the manufacturing shortage on all things bike related, we are back to our roots of finding ways to reuse everything we can. What I’m trying to relay is that COVID is forcing us to change and evaluate our impact on the environment in some very interesting ways, and at some point, when we return to “normal,” we’ll have to decide what behaviors we want to preserve and what we want to abandon.
The preservation of usable, functional, community connecting bikes, has no need to wait for “normal,” and so here you have preservation bike number 18!
The 1982 Bridgestone Torque Tilt!
I’m almost positive this one-of-a-kind Bridgestone trike was built in Japan in 1982, although the baby blue color is not offered in the 1982 catalog (see above), so it could range from 1980-1983. What makes it so unique is that it tilts the same way your two wheeled bicycle does when you turn or when your riding on unleveled roadways. While it’s completely over engineered and more than a little bit ridiculous, it works! Trikes and bikes with training wheels on side-sloped-surfaces are terrible. Turning on a typical trike is more than awkward, the inability to lean into your turns can actually cause the bike to tip over. “Bridgestone’s new ‘Torque Tilt’ takes the tip out of Three-wheeling.”
This would be a great cargo bike for a kid or smaller adult, or a potential solution for people under 5 feet who can’t ride a typical 2 wheel bike. And it would be an incredible project for anyone who appreciates the fine art of “tinkering!”
PRESERVATION BICYCLE NUMBER #15
MAKE: Bridgestone
MODEL: Torque Tilt Wagon
YEAR/AGE: Probably 1982. Maybe 1980-1983
SIZE: For folks under 5 feet, unless you an find a really long seat post.
ADOPTION FEE: $50 (the original 1965 price of the single speed model!). AND WE’LL THROW IN A $30 GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR USED PARTS
RECOMMENDED REPAIRS:
BASIC: Tires, Tubes, a saddle, and probably new cables. With used parts, I bet you could make it ridable for $30 + the $50 adoption fee - $30 the gift certificate = $50 for a one-of-a-kind Bridgestone bicycle.
BETTER: Same as above but maybe invest in some new heavy duty tires for some cargo hauling. Add $40 to the basic price above.
BEST (because why not): Ok, time to bling this baby out. Gold grips? Ape Hanger Handle bars? Maybe rig a banana seat onto it? If you invested an extra $200 into this bike, the sky is the limit on what this bike could be!
BICYCLE HISTORY:
No stickers or anything to indicate where this bicycle was originally purchased. So your guess is as good as mine.