Classic Legends has expanded its BSA portfolio globally by unveiling the new Bantam 350, a name that evokes a bygone era, allowing them to resurrect an old classic with a new form. This bike will be the latest to join BSA’s overseas portfolio and shares a lot of its foundation with the new Jawa 42 FJ.
BSA Bantam 350 – Jawa 42 FJ’s sibling?
BSA’s comeback journey began with the Gold Star 650, which will soon be accompanied by the Scrambler 650. Below the 650 platform will be the current most affordable offering from BSA – The Bantam 350, which originally started its journey as a lightweight 2-stroke motorcycle back in 1948-1971 with engines ranging from 123-173 cc and was a sales success.
While the name might not jog anyone’s memory in India, so nostalgia can be kept aside, the bike itself is quite familiar. The new Bantam is powered by the same 334 cc, Alpha 2 engine that powers the likes of Jawa 350 and the 42 FJ. Of course, there has to be a difference, the biggest being the twin exhaust pipes on the Jawas compared to the single pipe on the BSA. The chassis, too, is reportedly very closely related to the 42 FJ.
This is very noticeable by the way the single-piece seat has a gentle sweep alongside the design of the headlight and handlebar. The twin rear shock absorbers and wheels are also seemingly taken straight from the FJ.
Currently, BSA has footprints in 12 markets across the globe – India, Turkey, New Zealand, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Philippines, Japan, Australia and the USA. While the Bantam 350 will be made in India, it will not be sold in our market primarily due to the wide range of products in the same category offered by Classic Legends via the Jawa/Yezdi brands. Also, BSA is mostly known as a bicycle brand here rather than a motorcycle brand, so the recall is much less compared to Yezdi and Jawa.
