BSA Motorcycles To Make A Comeback Real Soon

Back in October 2016, Mahindra Group’s subsidiary Classic Legends (CLPL) acquired iconic British motorcycle brand BSA Company Limited for around Rs 28 crore. While Classic Legends has so far been busy with the revival of Jawa, the company has finally received investment from the UK government to breathe a new lease of life into the BSA brand.

In fact, Classic Legends plans to set up a research and development facility in Oxfordshire, UK, for GBP 9.5 million, out of which a GBP 4.6 million fund will be granted by the UK government. CLPL also plans to establish a production plant in Coventry where bikes will be assembled initially. It will have an annual production capacity of 10,000 units.

Speaking to a media house, Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group, said the company will manufacture more core parts of the motorcycles in the future, provided the trading environment is stable after Brexit. If the trade conditions aren’t viable, the parts will reportedly be manufactured at Mahindra plants outside the UK, presumably at its Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh, India, where Jawa bikes are also being made.

The global debut of its all-new petrol-powered motorcycle will be as early as mid-2021. It could be a premium motorcycle with an engine capacity of around 750cc and a nostalgic roadster design. CLPL plans to export 80 percent of the bikes to countries such as the USA, Australia and Japan. It remains to be seen whether the bike will enter our shores, considering the boutique nature of the brand. The first of its petrol-powered motorcycles will compete against the likes of the Kawasaki W800 and the Triumph Bonneville T100.

Apart from a petrol-powered motorcycle, BSA also plans to introduce an all-electric bike, likely by the end of 2021. At the moment, the battery pack will be sourced from overseas but it is open to the idea of sourcing it from the UK itself if there’s a competent supplier.

The upcoming petrol-powered BSA bike will also give TVS-owned Norton competition in the premium retro motorcycle segment. The Hosur-based bikemaker has quite a lot planned for Norton and you can read all about it here. In a related development, Mahindra-owned Peugeot is also set to enter the 300cc segment with not one but two motorcycles. Check out all the details about them including the launch timelines here.

Source

Representative images used