BSA Bantam 350 Official Breaks Cover At Bike Shed Moto Show In London

Following the successful reintroduction of the Gold Star 650, followed by the B65 Scrambler — BSA Motorcycles has expanded its international portfolio by taking the wraps off its third new offering, the Bantam 350, at the ongoing Bike Shed Moto Show in London. While the bike has just debuted, its forthcoming launch will mark a pivotal for BSA as it will represent a crucial step in diversifying its product portfolio, making it not only more accessible, but also enhance its overall market penetration. 

But before you get all worked up and start making all the wrong assumptions, the newly unveiled BSA Bantam 350 is not entirely a new bike. It’s  basically a rebadged version of the Jawa 42 FJ, with distinct aesthetics like the Union Jack flag on the fuel tank and the “Three Gun Salute” badge on the crankcase. The Bantam 350 badge holds a special significance in BSA’s lineage as it was retailed during the World War era. Back then it was a lightweight, rugged roadster and was used by the military.

But the latest iteration of the BSA Bantam 350 has quite the posh and premium appeal. The body design is exactly like that of the Jawa 42 FJ, right from the fuel tank down to its minimalist tail section. BSA debuted the Bantam 350 in a rich, deep black shadow, which is complimented by a silver-exhaust finish, and is running on alloy wheels which are the same as 18-/17-inch wheels as seen on the Jawa 42 FJ. 

Powering the BSA Bantam 350 will be the same 334 cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine and it is expected to produce the same 28.7 bhp and 29.6 Nm, as it does in the Jawa bike. The engine will come paired to a 6-speed gearbox, and we really liked the nature of this mill, both when we pushed it at the Buddh International Circuit, and later in Arunachal Pradesh. Check out the video for the latter below:

BSA Motorcycles has just revealed the Bantam 350, and its official launch is awaited. Will BSA launch the same in India on August 15, just like it did last year with the BSA Gold Star 650? It remains to be seen.