Here is good news for classic motorcycle lovers, as the BSA Motorcycles, is coming back after a pause of decades. Mahindra & Mahindra-owned Classic Legends is going to revive this iconic motorcycle brand from Britain. Classic Legends plans to begin assembling BSA motorcycles in the United Kingdom by the middle of next year.
BSA Motorcycles has created new social media handles, where they have announced their return and even published their new logo. Classic Legends has already received a grant of £4.6 million (or INR 45.2 crore) from the UK government, which is roughly half the amount necessary to establish an R&D centre in Banbury, near Coventry. This will also result in 255 additional employment openings. This facility will be used only to create electric motorcycles, the first of which is slated to go into production later next year.
Birmingham Small Arms, or BSA, was created in 1861 as an arms manufacturing plant in Small Heath, Birmingham. Small Heath’s environment has been well-represented in the popular BBC Network drama ‘Peaky Blinders.’ The company commenced manufacturing bikes in 1910 and lasted until the mid-1960s. When Japanese manufacturers joined the market, everything began to fall apart, and BSA was forced to close its whole business in 1972.
Apart from the British government’s enticement, Mahindra’s decision to resurrect BSA Motorcycles in the UK is motivated by a desire to preserve the brand’s history. Anupam Thareja, the co-founder of Mahindra’s Classic Legends division, is in charge of the project. It’ll be fascinating to see what powertrains and platforms Classic Legends employ in the new BSA motorcycles. Currently, the brand uses two single-cylinder engines on Jawa motorcycles: a 293cc and a 334cc one. The same team is also preparing to resurrect the Yezdi brand.
