BSA unveils a new double act

Its Gold Star 650 was an instant hit, and now BSA is expanding its range with a new 350 single-cylinder platform and a second bike in the 650 line-up. Alan Dowds went to the official launch at London’s Bike Shed.

The modern BSA project has had its share of ups and downs, as you might expect from a ground-up relaunch. The Indian-owned firm wowed the bike world with the Gold Star 650 when it was unveiled at the Birmingham NEC show back in 2021, but the bike itself took some time to go on sale. The recipe was simple enough: a single-cylinder 650 retro-styled roadster, with plenty of BSA design cues, a basic chassis and an engine based on the old Rotax unit used in the BMW F650 from the 1990s, suitably updated. The new ‘Goldie’ performed well, with strong sales, despite some initial teething troubles; however, four years on from its initial reveal, the firm needed to add something else. The release of a 650 Scrambler model heavily based on the Gold Star was something, but the Mahindra-owned brand really needed another platform to help expand the remit for dealerships.

I was invited to attend the official launch of the new platform, featuring the single-cylinder 350 Bantam. The name is a deliberate harking back to one of the original BSA firm’s most legendary bikes, the post-war 125 Bantam. Based on a German DKW design taken as war reparations, the 1948 Bantam was a piece of pure utility engineering, designed to get Britain moving again at the lowest cost. Later, the 150 and 175 versions followed, and the Bantam sold an unprecedented half a million units before BSA collapsed in 1971.

The modern Bantam is a very different beast, though it has some similarities in concept. It’s a low-cost machine, with an initial launch price of £3499, undercutting the competition by some way, despite a higher specification. The engine is a modern, water-cooled, DOHC, four-valve 334cc unit, shared by other bikes in the Mahindra stable, including the Indian-market Jawa 42 and the Yezdi range of Scrambler, Adventure, and Roadster models. The motor itself makes 28hp, lifting it above the Royal Enfield and Honda 350 singles in the same class. The styling of the new Bantam looks great, with what seems like good quality for the price. While the chassis specification is fairly vanilla, it features ByBre disc brakes and a reasonable 185kg wet weight. At its price, it is hard not to see it as anything other than a tempting prospect for dealers.

The launch event was impressive, organised by the UK importer Lukas Distribution. Journalists, YouTube content creators, online influencers and BSA Bantam Club members from around the world were put up in a chi-chi boutique hotel before being looked after at the launch event at the Bike Shed in Shoreditch. The test route, on Bantam 350s and Scrambler 650s, wound through east London and down across Tower Bridge, before travelling into Surrey to the famous Ryka’s biker spot at Box Hill for lunch, and back into town for a final presentation. There was also one notable celebrity in attendance: Stanley Johnson, father of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He is a massive fan of BSA motorcycles and gave a speech about his experience riding a Shooting Star across Europe in the 1950s, with the aim of reaching China.

I spoke with Luke Gregory, owner of Lukas Distribution, at the event about the progress of the BSA operation in the UK. He was in good spirits during the event, clearly proud of how his team had delivered the launch, as he told me how sales were going for the brand. “Sales are very strong. I have been doing this job for 23 years now and cannot remember a bike that has had this much traction from the start. The new bikes are now on the water and will start going out to dealers in the next two weeks or so.”

Gregory says that current BSA dealers are more than happy with the new Bantam 350 and Scrambler models, after having just the one model in the range for a while. “They love it. I have to say that the BSA Gold Star was launched with some teething issues, but everything is now rectified, and we are firing on all cylinders. Many dealers have already held demo days, and Eddy’s Moto in Tadcaster has reported that their dealer demo day was the busiest their shop has ever been! We, as the distributor, are supporting the network and taking an exhibition trailer around to all our dealers, providing demos and staff training, and we are also promoting heavily online to the end user.”

And even just after the event, Gregory was already pleased with the feedback on the Bantam. “I think everyone who rode it liked it. I certainly did. The engine and brakes are real highlights. The press reviews are incredible. The YouTube videos are receiving more clicks than any other video they have ever created. I have had several YouTubers say that they have never had so many hits on any of their content. Really great news and it shows how much clout BSA has as a brand.”

The new models are also attracting more interested potential dealers, according to Gregory. “Dealers are thankful for a brand-new model at this time of year, as they are going into the quieter season and having this bike means their showrooms will still be busy and sales will be strong. We want the Bantam 350 to reach huge volumes. With its increased power against the competitors, brand value and price point, it should outsell all of the competition.

“We want more dealers, though – we still have several open areas. We have a network of 40 at the moment but want to take this to 50 very quickly.”
For more information on BSA see: www.bsamotorcycles.co.uk.

RIDING IMPRESSIONS

Bantam 350
Riding the Bantam 350 reveals a lively, impressive little machine, with a strong engine and powerful brakes. Around town, it’s got plenty of low-down drive and easily keeps ahead of traffic. It’s up to motorway and A-road work too, topping an indicated 80mph without too much effort. The brakes are strong thanks to a 320mm front disc, and while the suspension is basic roadster kit, it works well. For the intended market, the performance is more than decent. Equipment levels are adequate, with a neat LCD dash and LED lights, but not much more. As an alternative to the likes of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 or Honda GB350S, the new BSA Bantam is definitely worth a look – especially at the low launch price of £3499.

Scrambler 650
The Scrambler 650 is mostly a cosmetic overhaul of the Gold Star, with sharper, more modern styling, a 19in front wheel and Pirelli Scorpion semi-dirt tyres in place of classic Phantoms. On the move, the water-cooled DOHC 4v 652cc engine makes its 45bhp in a grunty enough fashion, though it’s a little down on performance compared with the Royal Enfield 650 twins.

The brakes are decent, and handling is fine once you adapt to the 19in front wheel, but the suspension is less impressive. The front forks and rear shocks are a bit harsh and unsophisticated, bottoming out on speed humps, let alone off-road use. Stick to steady street cruising, though, and the Scrambler works well. Priced at £5999, it’s solid value for a brand new 650 bike, and does look good – it attracts attention whenever you park it!