BSA revives the Bantam name
By Ben Purvis
The BSA brand has been part of Indian giant Mahindra's portfolio since 2016 and after a low-key revival in 2022 with the launch of the Gold Star 650 its reviving the Bantam name on a new 334 cc single for 2026.
The Bantam 350 is a direct rival to the likes of Royal Enfield's HNTR/Hunter 350 and Honda's fast-selling GB350S, but in its UK launch market it undercuts both in terms of price while offering a useful advantage in terms of power.
That's because despite its retro styling, it doesn't adopt the SOHC, air-cooled layout that Honda and Royal Enfield have chosen for their competitors. Instead, the BSA borrows a 334 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC single from another of Mahindra's 'Classic Legends' brands, Jawa. The motor also has an oversquare bore/stroke ratio where both the GB350S and Enfield's 350 cc range use long-stroke, under-square designs that prioritise torque over power.
The result is that the BSA Bantam 350 puts out 29 hp at 7,750 rpm, around 10 hp more than either of its main rivals, while offering 40 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. So you have to rev it harder than its rivals, but there's more performance to be found if you do so.
To suit the higher revs, there's a six-speed transmission where both Honda and Royal Enfield make do with five ratios, and even though there's the extra weight of a liquid cooling system and radiator, it's only a fraction heavier than its rivals, with the BSA coming in at 185 kg where the Hunter 350 weighs 181 kg and the GB350S is 178 kg.
The chassis is as simple as you'd expect from a low-cost, retro-inspired bike - a simple steel frame, dual shocks and right-way-up forks. There's minimal adjustability, with just five steps of rear preload on offer and no way to alter the damping at either end. Meanwhile the forks sit at a surprisingly relaxed 29 degrees of rake, suggesting that stability is prioritised over nimbleness.
BSA might have launched the bike in the UK, but the company is spreading its reach around the world, with sales networks as far afield as Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the USA as well as major European markets like Spain, Germany, Italy and France. India, too, is planned to be a major market for the brand.
