Rockford Motors was the American importer for the wonderful Bridgestone motorcycles that occasionally dotted US roads. In ’71, Bridgestone stopped selling bikes, leaving Rockford with a gap in their product portfolio. They decided to take over manufacturing rights for the tiniest Bridgestones, specifically the 100cc “Taka” and two 60cc bikes – the “Tora” and the Rockford Chibi which you see in front of you.
The Chibi was a minibike that came with fold-down handlebars (just like the competition) and somewhat lacking quality (unlike the competition). This is a “Deluxe” model, so named because it came with lights, even though it was not street legal. Chibi is Japanese slang for ‘short person’ or ‘small child’. The rotary valve engine produced 5.8 horsepower, which were fed through a 3-speed transmission. For more information, check out this pdf of a vintage Chibi ad from Route 6×6.
This specific Rockford Chibi features original paint and tires but has the benefit of a rebuilt engine to go along with new handlebars and a recovered seat. In addition, the bike has new front and rear brake shoes and all of the cables are new, too. The kickstand is aftermarket, and it doesn’t look like the rear shocks are original, either.
Find this Rockford Chibi for sale in Athens, Ohio with bidding up to $364 and the reserve not yet met