BSA Bantam 350 Review: A Simple Pleasure That Makes You Smile

• BSA revives one of the most famous names in motorcycling with the new Bantam 350 – a stylish modern classic priced from just $6,990.
• The little single needs plenty of revs to give its best, but it delivers easy-going charm, impressive motorway ability and a riding experience that encourages you to slow down and enjoy the journey.
• Harsh suspension is the Bantam’s biggest weakness, but handsome styling, simple practicality and old-school character make it a bike you’ll love seeing parked in your garage.

The famous Bantam name returns with a modern twist. With classic British styling, a friendly riding position and a bargain price tag, BSA’s new 350 is a motorcycle that will put a smile on your face every time you open the garage door – even if its firm suspension reminds you of the compromises made to hit the price.

The Bantam is one of the most iconic names in British motorcycling, and now BSA has revived it for a new generation. Affordable, stylish and full of old-school charm, the new Bantam 350 proves that sometimes less really can be more.

For riders of a certain age, the name Bantam carries plenty of weight.

The original BSA Bantam arrived in 1948 and went on to become one of Britain’s most successful motorcycles, with more than half a million examples rolling out of the Birmingham factory before production ended in 1971. It was simple, affordable transport that helped get a nation moving after the Second World War.

Fast forward to today and BSA itself has undergone a remarkable revival. Once the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer before its decline in the 1970s, the famous British brand has been brought back to life under the ownership of India’s Mahindra Group. The modern BSA range now includes the Gold Star 650, Scrambler 650 and this, the new Bantam 350.

And while the new Bantam shares little mechanically with its two-stroke ancestor, the philosophy remains the same. It’s a simple, affordable and accessible motorcycle aimed at riders who want style and enjoyment rather than outright performance.

With a price of just $6,990 + ORC, it also represents an awful lot of motorcycle for the money.

First impressions: It looks the part

The first thing that strikes you about the Bantam is just how good it looks.

The bike I tested came finished in a stealthy black scheme, with almost everything blacked out. Black wheels, black engine, black forks, black mudguards and black brake calipers are all contrasted beautifully by the large red BSA logo on the fuel tank.

It’s a great-looking machine and one that attracted attention everywhere it went. Stopping to take photos, a young woman wandered over and commented on how cool the bike looked. She had no idea what a BSA was, but that almost made the point. You don’t need decades of motorcycling history to appreciate the Bantam’s styling.

Look closer and there are plenty of heritage touches. The chrome fuel cap carries the “Established 1903” logo, there are BSA badges around the engine cases, and even the top yoke carries the famous branding.

The overall impression is of a bike that has had some genuine thought put into its design.

Modern enough where it matters

Although the Bantam looks like a classic, it doesn’t completely ignore modern technology.

The switchgear is neat and functional, while the round LCD dash combines traditional styling with useful information. You get a large digital speedometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, clock and a rev counter that runs around the top of the display.

The controls are simple. In fact, perhaps too simple, as the multiple buttons on the switchgear don’t do a great deal beyond setting the clock and changing trip information.

Still, at this price point, that’s hardly a complaint.

There are LED lights, tidy stubby indicators and some surprisingly nice finishing touches. Looking underneath the bike reveals subtle details, such as additional guards that protect the radiator and engine from debris flicked up by the front wheel, suggesting more attention has gone into the design than you might expect from a sub-$7,000 motorcycle.

Keep it singing

If you’re expecting a lazy, long-stroke single that you can short-shift everywhere and surf a wave of low-down torque, the Bantam might surprise you.

It actually likes to be worked.

Around town it’s perfectly happy, but when you head out onto the open road, you need to keep the engine spinning. The sweet spot is around 6,000rpm to 8,000rpm, and if you let the revs drop too far below that, acceleration becomes fairly leisurely.

Get it in the right part of the rev range, however, and it’s an enjoyable little engine with plenty of character. The gearbox is slick, although the shift action has a reasonably long throw, meaning you need to be positive with your gear changes.

The clutch is cable-operated and not the lightest action in the world, but the gearbox is good enough that you rarely need to use it once you’re moving.

On the open road, the Bantam will happily sit at 110km/h, and I even saw around 130km/h indicated with enough room and road. That means motorway riding is no issue at all as long as you’re happy for the 350cc single to sing.

The commuter’s friend

One area where the Bantam really shines is in slow-speed riding. The steering lock is seriously impressive.

If you want a bike to practise U-turns, slow riding skills, or simply to filter through traffic, this is about as easy as it gets. With a little clutch slip, a touch of rear brake and all that steering lock, you can turn the Bantam around in almost half the width of a normal road.

The riding position also works well. It’s upright and relaxed with no weight on your wrists, plenty of room to move around on the saddle and a comfortable relationship between the seat, bars and footpegs.

The mirrors suffer from a little vibration at speed, but there is very little buzz through the handlebars themselves.

The one area that needs attention

Unfortunately, the suspension is where the Bantam’s budget roots become obvious. On smooth roads it’s perfectly acceptable, but New Zealand roads are rarely smooth.

Out around the Waikato, where years of subsidence have created plenty of sharp-edged bumps and uneven surfaces, the Bantam’s suspension can feel overly firm.

Hit a square-edged bump while leaned over and the bike can become unsettled. At times, it genuinely feels as though the wheels are skipping across the road rather than allowing the suspension to absorb the impact.

It’s not dangerous, but it does mean you need to be more mindful of what the road surface is like when pushing on.

The good news is that the rear shocks are preload adjustable, and there may be some improvement to be found through setup changes, as adding a bit of preload in the rear could possibly get the action of the forks working better. I was also wondering whether the standard tyres contribute to the harsh feeling, with an overly firm sidewall possibly preventing any flex that would help soften the impacts.

And ultimately, this is a $6,990 motorcycle. Spending some money having the suspension reworked would not be the end of the world and could transform the bike. Or, you simply come to terms with the slightly harsh ride when the roads get rough. It certainly isn’t dramatic enough, I feel, that you’d walk away from what is a stylish and seriously affordable modern classic motorcycle.

A bike that makes you smile

The Bantam 350 is a motorcycle that is very easy to like.

No, it’s not perfect. The suspension is too harsh, the engine needs to be worked harder than you might expect, and you’ll certainly find better alternatives out there. Chances are, though, they’ll be more expensive if you’re looking for greater refinement.

But I found that every time I walked into the BRM shed and spotted the Bantam 350, it made me smile. It’s the sort of bike you ride to a café on a sunny Sunday, and it looks right parked outside as you sip your coffee. And people will most likely come up and get into a conversation with you about it – it’s just that sort of motorcycle.

Then you walk into your garage the next morning, see it sitting there and smile all over again. That is something that cannot be measured by a specification sheet. And it’s a pretty neat trick for a bike that’s this affordable.

For learner riders, the combination of a low 185kg wet weight, accessible 800mm saddle and that excellent turning circle are sure to appeal, especially for the price. Yet, as a bike for more experienced riders moving back down from big, high-powered machines or maybe as a second bike in the shed for slower riders, the BSA Bantam is a great choice.

Publisher/Editor

Paul

Paul is the owner, publisher and editor of Bike Rider Magazine, a role he has had for over two decades. He has been BRM’s primary test rider throughout that time, riding and reviewing everything from learner machines to high-performance superbikes. After cutting his teeth with Superbike Magazine in the UK, Paul moved to New Zealand in the early 2000s and has since dedicated his career to delivering honest, rider-focused motorcycle journalism.