BSA and Norton are joining Royal Enfield in India

[AllanB]

Great news for those like me who love British bikes.

 

"Classic British motorbike maker BSA announced last month the brand was being revitalised under its Indian billionaire owner, continuing a growing trend."

 

"Another famous British bike brand - Norton - was taken over by an Indian firm earlier this year with equally ambitious growth plans."

 

This follows Royal Enfield UK Global Technology Centre at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds, Leicestershire allready designing and testing their new models

 

So with a new Anglo/Indian trade deal beginning today, we should see good bike times ahead.... in the midst of all this covid <deleted>.

 

It would be nice to see updated versions of the 500 and 650 models. 

 

[Bangyai]

BSA....Bombay Samosa Arms ..... not really British though.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

They will be ok if technical staff from UK employed.

More manufacturing will go to India in future, break China monopoly be good.

 

[AllanB]

1 hour ago, Bangyai said:

BSA....Bombay Samosa Arms ..... not really British though.

I wasn't suggesting they were British firms, but British designed machines perhaps, they will no doubt do what RE have done and commission a UK company to do the design and testing. 

 

The days are gone where you can hand build bikes in the UK for a world market, instead use the best in each country. I think the UK and India can do some good things together and I like the Indian's attitude to these bikes, they see past the "technology is everything" mentality.

 

Anyway it would be nice to see the return of these marques, and a bit of nostalgia for the old farts.

[Bramley]

Will these new beezers come with the obligatory oil leaks? Free biscuit tin provided for under the sump?

[moe666]

On 1/1/2021 at 3:50 PM, Bangyai said:

BSA....Bombay Samosa Arms ..... not really British though.

Yes good old english bikes with the oil leaks and electrical problems galore. Those were the days ride the bike 10 miles in the shop for 10 days

[Rhys]

BSA 441 Victor...

 

[kickstart]

46 minutes ago, Rhys said:

BSA 441 Victor...

 

Best in this format ,Jeff Smith won the World Championship on one of these in 1964-65.

It was basically a BSA B44 ,with it sharing parts from the C15 ,a 250 cc singal .

[Maybole]

The silver tanked wideline Featherbed Norton was a beautiful machine. It went round corners as if on rails. If only we could have an OHC single with updated electrics, fuel injection and hydraulic brakes with a disc at the front and an oil tight engine. An updated International maybe !

Indian engineers have worked wonders with the RE, all it needs now is an overhead cam.

[Rhys]

20 hours ago, kickstart said:

Best in this format ,Jeff Smith won the World Championship on one of these in 1964-65.

It was basically a BSA B44 ,with it sharing parts from the C15 ,a 250 cc singal .

 

Thanks... righteous.

 

[Mai mee]

No, just No!

 

Leave the honorable ancestors to rest in peace you filthy grave-robber.

[toofarnorth]

On 1/1/2021 at 5:01 PM, AllanB said:

I wasn't suggesting they were British firms, but British designed machines perhaps, they will no doubt do what RE have done and commission a UK company to do the design and testing. 

 

The days are gone where you can hand build bikes in the UK for a world market, instead use the best in each country. I think the UK and India can do some good things together and I like the Indian's attitude to these bikes, they see past the "technology is everything" mentality.

 

Anyway it would be nice to see the return of these marques, and a bit of nostalgia for the old farts.

From an ol' fart my 1962 Norton.

[Mai mee]

Lost all my old pictures in a house fire ????... I had a '72 Combat Commando, bike would do just under 125mph, which was about 15-20 mph faster than the suspension was good for 555. Still makes me grin from ear to ear, I have no idea how we survived.

[canthai55]

2 hours ago, Mai mee said:

 I had a '72 Combat Commando

Me too - just a little bit slower than my 500cc Kawasaki

[transam]

I worked at A.M.C. (Amalgamated Motorcycles) Norton, AJS, Matchless, at their factory in Woolwich, South London as a kid, I think 1965. It was like being in prison....????

[Mai mee]

7 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Me too - just a little bit slower than my 500cc Kawasaki

Those H1 triples killed a lot guys too, but Gawd what amazing mind bending machines. Once again the engines could outrun the suspensions, and the frames were a bit flexy. Those were heady days.

 

I recently completed a nut and bolt, ground up restoration of an '81 RD350LC, 'cause I love my blue smoke...

[Mai mee]

It might as well be an English bike...

[SpaceKadet]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:54 PM, Rhys said:

BSA 441 Victor...

 

Please, don't even mention that! I was one unhappy owner....

[Mai mee]

started off like this:

 

 

[canthai55]

Nice Job !

[canthai55]

30 minutes ago, Mai mee said:

Those H1 triples killed a lot guys too, but Gawd what amazing mind bending machines. Once again the engines could outrun the suspensions, and the frames were a bit flexy. Those were heady days.

Moved on to the H2 when they came out. First a street bike and then drag raced them.

Slick and wheelie bar, hand made expansion chambers, flatslides ...

Lots of fun

[Damrongsak]

16 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Me too - just a little bit slower than my 500cc Kawasaki

Circa 1973/74, I worked at a Suzuki dealership.  A friend of the other mechanic had a yellow Norton Commando, 850 I think.  He had an older one he raced, bored out (850?) and all.  The guy went back to college and sold the Commando.  He and my fellow mechanic went for a last joy ride around town.  Got pulled over for speeding, but didn't get a ticket.  The cop was impressed that they were doing 90 miles per hour and pulling away from him.  555. 

 

I saw the guy race the older one once after he sold it and the new owner let him race it.  Complete maniac.  The field included a 1000cc "Grizzly" upgrade to a Honda 750.  He couldn't keep up with it on the straightaway, but he could make it up in the tight sections.  He was a tall, lanky guy and was all over that bike.  After all, he didn't have to fix it if it broke. 

[Gandtee]

On 1/2/2021 at 4:41 PM, moe666 said:

Yes good old english bikes with the oil leaks and electrical problems galore. Those were the days ride the bike 10 miles in the shop for 10 days

Never. A couple of spanners and you were up and running again.????

[Gandtee]

On 1/2/2021 at 4:41 PM, moe666 said:

Yes good old english bikes with the oil leaks and electrical problems galore. Those were the days ride the bike 10 miles in the shop for 10 days

Never. A couple of spanners and you were up and running again.????

[Gandtee]

While driving in Rayong yesterday I saw a motorcycle rider wearing company overalls with the BSA logo printed on the back. Are BSA manufacturing in Thailand ? Or what I saw was a Thai company using their logo? 

[papa al]

1 hour ago, Gandtee said:

wearing company

What company.?

√  their FB.?

[Orinoco]

On 1/2/2021 at 10:06 AM, Bramley said:

Will these new beezers come with the obligatory oil leaks? Free biscuit tin provided for under the sump?

And the classic vibration to rattle your filling out.

 

But joking apart, good to see the name will carry on.

hope they do some retro stuff.

Good luck to them.

Had Bantams and a C15 back in the day of field bikes at 12-14 years old.

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Orinoco

[Kiwithl]

On 1/2/2021 at 10:23 PM, Maybole said:

The silver tanked wideline Featherbed Norton was a beautiful machine. It went round corners as if on rails. If only we could have an OHC single with updated electrics, fuel injection and hydraulic brakes with a disc at the front and an oil tight engine. An updated International maybe !

Indian engineers have worked wonders with the RE, all it needs now is an overhead cam.

Royal Enfield Himalayan meets your criteria.

 

But I guess you want an IOM type racer rather than a plodder to go up mountains?

[Kiwithl]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:54 PM, Rhys said:

BSA 441 Victor...

 

Yes, a great little bike.

[ballpoint]

Royal Enfield's Thailand factory is up and running...

 

Royal Enfield Opens Its Newest Factory Facility In Thailand (rideapart.com)