BSA comeback to be spearheaded by Royal Enfield-rivalling 650cc model?

The much anticipated relaunch of the historic BSA nameplate is beginning to gather momentum amid talk it is preparing to headline its comeback with a 650cc roadster to rival the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

Last year it was confirmed the mothballed BSA brand would be revived by Indian manufacturing powerhouse Mahindra via its Classic Legends arm with a plan to buildmodels in the UK as part of a £4.3m government grant to encourage it to set up shop here.

In that announcement it was stated BSA would put its  focus into  electric-powered models, which is likely to have been another integral factor in securing the financial government boost.

However, news out of India - via Gaadi Waadi - suggests the first fruits of BSA’s big comeback will in fact be an Indian-built 650cc conventionally powered roadster, albeit one that will launch exclusively for the UK market before being introduced in the country it is made.

The report states BSA have been developing a 650cc twin-cylinder platform for some time and is now in the final stages of development, with the build up to the launch set to come ‘pre Diwali’, a festival period that often results in a surge in sales of anything on two wheels . 

With this in mind, it would put the ‘BSA 650’ on course to make its world premiere at the 2021 EICMA show in November.

It is no coincidence BSA is coming to the market at the upper end of the scale, with Royal Enfield - another British-origin, Indian-financed brand - the clear target with its popular and well received 650 twins, the Interceptor and Continental GT.

Though perhaps not what was pitched when the BSA announcement was first made, it doesn’t mean it is already abandoning electric powered models or the UK before it has begun. Only this week it was announced the company was setting up an R&D centre in Coventry, though there is no word yet on where or when a manufacturing facility will emerge.

BSA’s comeback is being handled by Classic Legends - which is 60 per cent owned by Mahindra - and will be its second rebirth project in recent years, following on from the Czech-born Jawa brand. It is tipped that Jawa will also be made available in the UK to capitalise on the distribution routes being forged by BSA.

However, BSA isn’t the only new brand set to be revived either, with another Czech heritage brand named Yezdi also on the cards.