Mahindra BSA's

oldmikew · Dec 7, 2021

worntorn said:
There you go, I forgot all about the Velo Thruxton.
We rode on the M1 a few times in 2007, two up on the Vincent. Each time it was a big relief to get off the motorway, The speeds were just a bit higher than the freeways here, but the traffic was much heavier in the UK.
Not a good feeling at all!

Glen

Riding or driving on UK roads is not forthe fainthearted. BTW should you repeat your uK trip in the future do consider staying at yha . The great thing about hostels is they invariably have safe parking and are cheap. Allmost certainly you willnotbe oldest .

Fast Eddie · Dec 7, 2021

oldmikew said:
Presumably in the case of oldbikes it will come down to MOT inspection. Actually historic vehicles are currently exempt from london congestion charges so itmay well be of importance forthe impecunious riderwhohas just passed a test

??
How does an MOT inspection confirm BHP ??

baz · Dec 7, 2021

oldmikew said:
Riding or driving on UK roads is not forthe fainthearted. BTW should you repeat your uK trip in the future do consider staying at yha . The great thing about hostels is they invariably have safe parking and are cheap. Allmost certainly you willnotbe oldest .

Yep I can attest to the roads not being the easiest
Try riding from Bexley in Kent to Waltham abbey Essex in the rush hour
The commando handles it with ease
The rider not so much!!!!!
The M25 doe's my head in

Fast Eddie · Dec 7, 2021

baz said:
Yep I can attest to the roads not being the easiest
Try riding from Bexley in Kent to Waltham abbey Essex in the rush hour
The commando handles it with ease
The rider not so much!!!!!
The M25 doe's my head in

It’s all relative Baz.
I spent a year working in India and on my trips back home I’d land at LHR and head out onto the M25.
And every time I did so I was AMAZED at how calm and orderly and relaxed the M25 was… compared to Chennai !!

baz · Dec 7, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
It’s all relative Baz.
I spent a year working in India and on my trips back home I’d land at LHR and head out onto the M25.
And every time I did so I was AMAZED at how calm and orderly and relaxed the M25 was… compared to Chennai !!

I wouldn't be able to handle it I don't think
My daughter travelled around India a few years ago
She reckons I wouldn't cope with it!

!
Looks like madness to me when I've seen it on tv

oldmikew · Dec 7, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
??
How does an MOT inspection confirm BHP ??

Well officialdom hopefully will look toits own resources , it is not the Engineer's minds eye that will be involved but legalise. If say someone wishes to tax and use say an eS2 or some such machine tobe compliant with A2regs then
an expert opinion rather than a test bhp result will be sought.

EstuaryBoy · Dec 7, 2021

I would guess anything registered as an: 'Historic Vehicle' will be exempt, alongside current MOT or Vehicle Excise Duty requirements, though how long those state of affairs will last is in the lap of the gods, perhaps?

Fast Eddie · Dec 7, 2021

baz said:
I wouldn't be able to handle it I don't think
My daughter travelled around India a few years ago
She reckons I wouldn't cope with it! !
Looks like madness to me when I've seen it on tv

It is madness Baz. TV doesn’t do it justice!
In the cities it’s mad, but kinda funny cos everything is so jammed up, traffic is slow, so it’s chaos but not really dangerous.
On the open roads, it’s seriously f*cking scary !

storm42 · Dec 7, 2021

I have seen one of those BSA engines in bits, it was in a box under a bench at an exhaust manufacturers. We were talking about the bike and I said that I liked the idea of it, the guy I was talking to just said it will be too heavy and was going to leave it at that, when I asked how he could know that, he dragged the box out from under the bench and said try picking that up.

It was very heavy, the crank was a beast. I lost interest at that point and although we had a poke about the engine and he pointed out what he considered to be other faults, I don't remember much more about it, I assume he was asked about making an exhaust for it but I cannot see him coming up with what is on the finished bike, I also cannot remember why it was in bits. Old age eh.

And as for British motorways, they are our playgrounds.

grandpaul · Dec 7, 2021

THERE is the catcon. People have been speculating everywhere.

Pretty much everyone understood it would be double-walled pipe, some even thought triple (for noise reduction as well).

grandpaul · Dec 7, 2021

As far as how modern "classics" look, there are MANY considerations that were not factors back in the 50s-70s.

Besides all the government restrictions on sound/noise, carbon emissions, etc, (even understanding "planned obsolescence"), the manufacturers were all playing the "beat the other guys" game, and so we got water cooling, multi valves per cylinder, balancer systems, trick suspension systems, and of course all the fooferall involved in electronics and fuel injection systems.

ALL of that means ADDED WEIGHT.

You simply cannot build a capable modern motorcycle at a price that will sell enough units to be profitable, without the beasties weighing more than the golden oldies.

EstuaryBoy · Dec 7, 2021

grandpaul said:
THERE is the catcon. People have been speculating everywhere.

Pretty much everyone understood it would be double-walled pipe, some even thought triple (for noise reduction as well).

As it appears to cosmetic only, it does beggar the question even more: Why??

baz · Dec 7, 2021

EstuaryBoy said:
As it appears to cosmetic only, it does beggar the question even more: Why??

Because it makes the bike look sleek and fast !
For extra heat protection for snowflakes!
Could be many reasons but I doubt many will be fitted for very long once people buy these bikes

baz · Dec 7, 2021

I wonder what they handle like? Maybe we will see the return of the thaibsa ?

EstuaryBoy · Dec 7, 2021

Remember UJM? Think we're entering the age of the UIM !

worntorn · Dec 7, 2021

grandpaul said:
As far as how modern "classics" look, there are MANY considerations that were not factors back in the 50s-70s.

Besides all the government restrictions on sound/noise, carbon emissions, etc, (even understanding "planned obsolescence"), the manufacturers were all playing the "beat the other guys" game, and so we got water cooling, multi valves per cylinder, balancer systems, trick suspension systems, and of course all the fooferall involved in electronics and fuel injection systems.

ALL of that means ADDED WEIGHT.

You simply cannot build a capable modern motorcycle at a price that will sell enough units to be profitable, without the beasties weighing more than the golden oldies.

When I put the Thruxton R on the hanging scale it is about 7 lbs lighter than the Commando.
The Thruxton has a larger motor, six gears, and about 2x Commando power. It also has a cat, ABS, fuel injection with ride modes and water cooling.

Glen

Tornado · Dec 7, 2021

Dommie Nator said:
They are brushed stainless steel
covers.
edit: possibly alluminium, I should have looked harder, sorry.
View attachment 83294

Looks like they are using the current Triumph retro bike tricks to hide the X-pipe bends for the cat under the stainless covers. Without the cover, there will be a fugly looking elbow bend toward centerline into cat, then another elbow back outboard from the cat.

grandpaul · Dec 7, 2021

The catcon is mounted transversely which meand it's a real weird setup, as the pipe appears to be all on one side!

Tornado · Dec 7, 2021

grandpaul said:
The catcon is mounted transversely which meand it's a real weird setup, as the pipe appears to be all on one side!

Similar mount as on the Triumphs....but they of course have the two header pipes and two tail pipes. A lot of folks swap out the Triumph cat for free flow box to help improve power/sound.

EstuaryBoy · Dec 7, 2021

Tornado said:
Similar mount as on the Triumphs....but they of course have the two header pipes and two tail pipes. A lot of folks swap out the Triumph cat for free flow box to help improve power/sound.

Looks like we may be getting 'anti tampering' laws, currently being investigated by our lords and masters:

'.....our policy intention is to prevent modifications that have a negative impact on road safety, vehicle security and the environment.'

Mahindra BSA's

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