Mahindra acquires BSA

[kiwipom]

I guys, well if they were to make a reliable Gold star club mans style bike  electric start, I would have one, don't know about disk brakes it would spoil the look. Guess we will have to wait and see if some of us are still here, cheers

[jachenbach]

To me, it doesn't really matter what Mahindra does. I don't confuse the new Indian with the old, or the Norton, MV, Triumph, etc. You could put a Laverda sticker on a Honda, but it would still be a Honda. 40+ years later, BSA is just a name (legend?). If someone uses it on a new bike, the bike will have to succeed or fail on it's own merits.

[Greybeard]

I found an image of a prototype Mahindra BSA!

[kiwipom]

Hi guys I like it, keep them coming, cheers

[Butch (cb)]

Soft tail with a Kawasaki engine?

[Greybeard]

Soft tail with a Kawasaki engine?

Apparently 

I think a drum front brake would look better.

[jachenbach]

Good looking bike overall, but why do they (as the new Bonnevilles) have to have a flange on the gas tank? Really detracts from the look, IMO.

[RichardL]

Good looking bike overall, but why do they (as the new Bonnevilles) have to have a flange on the gas tank? Really detracts from the look, IMO.

We know there are other, more expensive, ways to make the tank, but welding the standing seam seems to be the popular cheap approach. Take a look at this:

https://youtu.be/OIezqZehm6E

[kiwipom]

hi guys, I would prefer a four leading drum brake on the front rather than a disk, must be as good as a disk and not spoil the look, cheers

[Rocket Racer]

hi guys, I would prefer a four leading drum brake on the front rather than a disk, must be as good as a disk and not spoil the look, cheers

Drums, great for a fifties machine, but not anything new that's not real budget. I wouldn't touch a modern with drums or twin shocks.
Nothing decent has had drums fitted since the mid seventies
Give me a decent floating disk front end with upside down forks.

[Tomcat]

Thanks for the  Artist's Impression Greybeard, looks like a W800 that's been bobbed.  The aquisition of our favorite brand is clearly a very touchy subject, and here's my 20c worth. (I ride classic and modern) Someone has paid their hard earned for a badge which was once the most popular brand of motorcycles in the world but now extinct. How important is the street credibility of a brand? HD makes more $$$ from their merchandising than from motorcycle sales. Arlen and Cory Ness established Victory motorcycles and produced a quality product at a good price, but parent company Polaris have now shut it down because they own the Indian brand. That's 60? years without a new Indian. If I was in the market for a new cruiser would I buy a Victory? No. Would I buy an Indian? Yes. Perhaps a Victory could now become a collectable???
If we look at Hinkley Triumphs (I have owned '04 Bonnie and '09 Sprint) there was a HUGE amount of speculation and critisism of their products in the early days. Mr Bloor (God) got the company up and running with mass market products, not re hashed classics. This is how to get a return on your investment, sell to the current market. Then the classics started arriving, and the cruisers for the  American market. The new Bonnies were over engineered and have stood the test of time and along with W800's have put a lot of fun in the motorcycle market.
And now back on topic, it will be great to see a new BSA again. Will I buy one? Probably....
Cheers Tomcat

[Butch (cb)]

I think regulations now require all new bikes to be ABS equipped. I'd imagine that is another complication that is more easily applied (cheaper) to disc brakes than drums.

[Rocket Racer]

I think regulations now require all new bikes to be ABS equipped. I'd imagine that is another complication that is more easily applied (cheaper) to disc brakes than drums.

most of our fifties beesa's also have antilock braking as standard 

But I must admit if I'm lane splitting in the rush hour I want good brakes!

[Tomcat]

I think regulations now require all new bikes to be ABS equipped. I'd imagine that is another complication that is more easily applied (cheaper) to disc brakes than drums.

most of our fifties beesa's also have antilock braking as standard 

But I must admit if I'm lane splitting in the rush hour I want good brakes!

Brakes are over rated RR, they slow you down!

[Rocket Racer]

The exact details of the upcoming BSA motorcycles are yet to be revealed, however, one thing has confirmed that they will be middleweight machines, powered by 500-750cc engines. Mahindra also said that there is a gap in the large capacity singles market, which indicates that the new motors could be single-cylinder mills. Moreover, a dedicated confirmation of the brand that it also owns the rights to the Gold Star name also suggests a possibility for the return of the iconic British café racer.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/business/autos/221116/mahindra-starts-designing-new-500-750cc-bsa-motorcycles.html
Latest reports confirm that the Mahindra-made BSA motorcycles, of engine size between 500-750cc, will be launched in the markets by 2019