The BSA Bantam 350 has a secret weapon……..

It is almost time for me to do the impossible and give back my BSA Bantam 350 press bike. With a day to go, “Yellow Peril” has travelled 400 thrilling miles. I’ve met up and ridden out with retro, modern and classic bike owners. I’ve travelled on country lane bimbles, and belted 40+ miles down the motorway and back for enjoyable ride-outs with other Bantams owners. I’ve met with a friend to compare to his RE Hunter close-up, and I’ve even looked under the panels to check servicing and quality considerations.
Today I cleaned it, for me that’s another test as you go over the whole bike with eyes and fingers. And finally, I’ve sieved through a bunch of YouTube videos, some laborious and full of platitudes, some pretty good and honest. It’s hard to find a harsh word anywhere, and all the owners I’ve met are delighted.

How do I sum things up personally?

Well, I can’t fault it, I can see ways to improve it but not fault it. Yes, the mirrors have a little buzzing over 50, the engine is a monotonous drone at 7,000 revs / 70 mph and a faint vibration can be felt through in the footrests. Lights are OKish, instruments are OK too, it’s easy to see the indicator flashing but far too many tiny LCD legends that only a teenage web developer with 20/20 vision would think is a suitable font. (All manufacturers please take note, and web developers too). There are also missing things, like a USB socket and …….. well…… absolutely nothing that that can’t be and will be addressed by OEM and aftermarket accessories. At it’s price point, it’s perfectly acceptable to expect to embellish it, and let’s be honest, most of us relish that little task of personalisation.
As I have passed the run-in period, I can tell you it pulls all the way up to the rev limiter at 8000 revs and growls like an angry hornet. It farts wonderfully on overrun and anyone who says that’s bad mapping, I don’t want it fixed. There are no flat spots, the engine never overheats in my er…. spirited riding, but the radiator fan does tell me off. The gearbox is so slick I worry it’s got to let me down; it can’t be that good on a bike of this value, can it? The wide bars, the relaxed steering rake, the seating position, and the comfy bench seat, all fit me nicely. Aesthetically, it is also very pleasing, - I’m kidding it is bloomin’ gorgeous! Especially in the eye-popping yellow. It’s not a small bike and having the same size tires as the Gold Star is one of those secrets, it results in a smooth, refined ride. The suspension is good too and so are the tyres, but everyone seems to have their own opinions on this, maybe I’m just used to 1960 classic bikes and find this space aged by comparison.

I was getting 67 mpg, probably my own fault, like I said, I was pushing the bike all the time, always on the legal limits. Over Dartmoor the limit is 40 mph and tempered further by sheep, ponies, and cattle. In these conditions it tests how nicely the engine is tuned and the torque surprises me on what I consider a tiny engine, especially with 6 gears. The little gear indicator is useful when bimbling along as in 4th or 5th because it is easy to drop the revs ridiculously low and be surprised when it wont pick up, and I’m talking ridiculously low, 6th is good from mid 30s and 5th on most hills, but drop to 30 and you do need 4th. 

There is a notorious steep dual carriageway section known as Telegraph Hill on the A38, 1.6km with a gradient ranging from 5-10%, the perfect test for the Bantam, the Gold Star of course breezes up at 70mph without a sweat. The Bantam sustains 65 mph in 6th, very impressive.

So back to my title claim “the Bantam 350 has a secret weapon”. And indeed, it does, it explains how it has so quickly captured the heart of riders. – Its hidden in Anupam Thareja has tag line “True Brit, Indian Grit”. The Bantam is not a timid version 1 motorcycle, it’s a reawakening of an ethos, a peoples bike, priced to be accessible, attractive to all ages, rugged in construction and fun, - lots of fun. It is also not a version 1 motorcycle because its tried and tested in its native country in the lineage of the Jawa and tough little Yedi bikes, couple that to a willingness to enlist UK engineering design expertise and performance that punches above its weight, - it was always going to be a winner, and that’s the secret……..
Please BSA Motorcycles UK can I have one for Xmas?
#LumpyCarbs personal views.