Just read in MCN that Fowlers in Bristol & McCrums in Portadown will take delivery of the new BSA Retro Models this year. It'll be interesting to see the sales figures, I'll certainly test ride one, 00maybe consider one as another bike. Anyone ridden one or have one?
I Like the look of the scrambler that they had at the bike show, I’ll definitely test ride one if I can.
BSA are simply too late to the party, I don't think they will succeed. Triumph have the market pretty much sewn up, for anyone that's ridden them you can see why, and for people that want them more budget, the Speed Twin is still a far better all round package than the BSA and better built with better residuals. For those that don't... Royal Enfield have been in the market place for 5+ years in a big way offering a pretty solid product, you don't hear of big issues, they have a good dealer network, and I don't think there is enough of the pie left for BSA.
As usual it's each to their own, I agree both the Triumph and the Royal Enfield are indeed great bikes, but I do think there will be a lot of people who like the BSA brand just as much. I'm certainly interested in a test ride.
I think if you are buying a 'street scrambler' type bike you'd be mad not to make the brand decision based on proven reliability, back up in the form of spares, customer service etc. Because as I found out at the NEC, aesthetically they are all identical clones of each other.
isn't the BSA a single cylinder? IMO this is a big mistake, a parallel twin is the much better option for this format of bike.
Which maybe deliberate to prevent people comparing them with the Rial Enfields and Triumphs. And in any case the original Gold Star was a single so they are using their own Company identity.
I had a Triumph Street Twin as a week long courtesy bike about 3 years ago. It was huge fun to ride on the back roads. Way more than the sum of its parts.
My Mrs has just passed her test and I fancy getting something I can chuck a pair of kevlar jeans on with a go out with her on. Something like the Kawasaki Z900RS looks good and in that new retro mould
I've got the Thruxton 1200R and it's absolutely fantastic, and there are so many out there with no miles on! The thing with the Thruxton, is when you want to push on a little bit, it doesn't throw the towl in. I used to ride a Thruxton 900, it was limited by the 5 speed gearbox, and the brakes just used to melt when you started pushing on, and the suspension massively under specced. I love the Thruxton 1200r, it's a real do it all, and if you think it's a bit over styled, then the Speed Twin is fantastic also.
It’s pretty much the same power and torque as a Honda dominator engine so it should be fun round the back lanes.
It’s a no from me, saw the stand at the NEC but didn’t waste my time looking at yet another revitalised British brand.
