Could the BSA marque be getting a revival?
With the long-dead motorcycle brand Yezdi making a reappearance on Instagram this week, Visordown ponders if BSA could too be making a comeback
YEDZI motorcycles are probably a name you are not familiar with unless you are well briefed on former Indian motorcycle brands that is. But this week the brand that had been dormant for nearly 25 years has suddenly appeared on social media, causing speculation they could be making a comeback.
But where does the iconic name BSA come into all this? Well, Yezdi is owned by Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd (CLPL), and CLPL are owned by motorcycle giant Mahindra. CLPL are in the game of reviving once dead classic motorcycle brands and bringing them, and revitalised product lines back to the market. They have already just done that with the Jawa brand, who now build, produce and sell bikes in Asian markets built under the CLPL umbrella.
Yezdi ceased producing bikes in 1996 but had previously produced utilitarian machines to help mobilise India’s growing population with cheap to buy, easy to maintain and characterful bikes. They even added some spice to the line-up, with enduro-style machines joining the range.
With Jawa and now potentially Yezdi in the pipeline for a re-boot, it seems sensible that CLPL is honing the art of bringing a brand back to life and putting it to market before going onto to try and do the same thing with the much loved (at home and abroad) BSA marque.
There the first message on Instagram read:
View this post on InstagramYezdi is coming back . . #yezdiofficials @yezdiofficials . . . . . . . . . . . #yezdi #yezdimotorcycles #yezdilovers #yezdifans #jawafortytwo #yezdiofficial #vintage #bike #bikelove #riders #race #classic #legend #jawamotorcycles #jawalove #jawa42 #jawaclassic #yezdiroadking #yezdisofindia #yezdijawa #yezdi250 #yezdiclassic #yezdiclassic250 #motorcycle #livetodrive #jawalovers #bulletlovers #rx100 #yezdi credits: @yezdiofficial . .
A post shared by Yezdi Motorcycles (@yezdiofficials) on Aug 17, 2019 at 8:17pm PDT
Hello World, we’re here! Let’s celebrate the spirit Yezdi with memorabilia created with love for the people who’ve always kept the legend alive. Official Yezdi merchandise now available at selected Classic Legends and Jawa Motorcycles stores.
This type of approach is close to what business folk would term a soft launch. Instead of bombarding the public with mega-bucks ad campaigns and slick videos you drip feed out the message, make a bit of cash off the merchandise in the process and let the T-shirt wearing masses help spread the word for you. Very shrewd indeed!
We wouldn’t bet against a similar message appearing on Instagram in the not too distant future with a vary recognisable three-letter winged logo adorning it!
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
