Mahindra BSA's

grandpaul · Dec 10, 2021

Dogsbody said:
I don’t need anything bigger than a 500. Priority nowadays is lightweight and manoeuvrability, under 200 kg, a sensible seat height say 800mm. I have a 400/4 that would be ok but it’s now over 40 years old.

A 400/4 over 40 years old is not a problem if it is well sorted. They are great "little" bikes, capable of the ton (just) in stock form.

worntorn · Dec 10, 2021

This new BSA is rumoured to have quite a bit of potential output.
The last BSA factory rider discusses that in a YouTube video.
He mentions a test version in India that produces 90bhp.
Probably BS, but I love a good rumour like that!

Glen

baz · Dec 10, 2021

worntorn said:
This new BSA is rumoured to have quite a bit of potential output.
The last BSA factory rider discusses that in a YouTube video.
He mentions a test version in India that produces 90bhp.
Probably BS, but I love a good rumour like that!

Glen

Just watched that
I'll link it on here

baz · Dec 10, 2021

oldmikew · Dec 10, 2021

Dogsbody said:
I don’t need anything bigger than a 500. Priority nowadays is lightweight and manoeuvrability, under 200 kg, a sensible seat height say 800mm. I have a 400/4 that would be ok but it’s now over 40 years old.

400/4 is surely bullet proof . Enfield singles would probably suit you otherwise

worntorn · Dec 10, 2021

He's really pleased with it and that is good.
The thing I can't agree with him on is his excitement over the tiny British flag sewn into the seat cover.
He thinks that means great care and design must have gone into the engine internals since the makers made the effort to insert this tiny flag into the cover stitching. I wouldn't go that far. The mainshafts could be made of cheese and be misaligned, the flag has no effect on that.

My take on it is, it's a tiny bit of cloth of near zero value that Mahindra knew would excite some patriotic UK buyers, even though it's an Indian bike.

It(the tiny Union Jack) seems to have worked extremely well here.

Glen

baz · Dec 10, 2021

worntorn said:
He's really pleased with it and that is good.
The thing I can't agree with him on is his excitement over the tiny British flag sewn into the seat cover.
He thinks that means great care and design must have gone into the engine internals since the makers made the effort to insert this tiny flag into the cover stitching. I wouldn't go that far. The mainshafts could be made of cheese and be misaligned, the flag has no effect on that.

My take on it is, it's a tiny bit of cloth of near zero value that Mahindra knew would excite some patriotic UK buyers, even though it's an Indian bike.

It(the tiny Union Jack) seems to have worked extremely well here.

Glen

The Union flag works well for hinkley triumphs so why not !
Let's wait and see what these bikes are like
I'd be interested to know the price and what reliable upgrades in power are going to be offered

74ok · Dec 10, 2021

I saw a vid saying price is aimed at RE 650 but another saying up at Triumph 750 twin.

Available England first 2/22

EstuaryBoy · Dec 10, 2021

The left hand side of a bike is the same anywhere and everywhere, no? Unless you sit on it backwards? And not a mono shock pretending to be a twin shock..... ??
We've hidden the downpipe and cat behind a length of drainpipe, tried to make a water cooled bike look like it's air cooled, stitched a Union Jack onto an Indian bike, but hey... at least it's: 'an honest bike' !!
Will admit it's nice to see 'period' looking front forks (drums, anyone?) and a headlight that looks 'normal' for the era......

baz · Dec 10, 2021

EstuaryBoy said:
The left hand side of a bike is the same anywhere and everywhere, no? Unless you sit on it backwards? And not a mono shock pretending to be a twin shock..... ??
We've hidden the downpipe and cat behind a length of drainpipe, tried to make a water cooled bike look like it's air cooled, stitched a Union Jack onto an Indian bike, but hey... at least it's: 'an honest bike' !!
Will admit it's nice to see 'period' looking front forks (drums, anyone?) and a headlight that looks 'normal' for the era......

Yep it wasn't the best review and the last thing it is is an honest bike but people buy and like that sort of thing
Look at the amount of Harley replica Japanese bikes are out there and the classic styled hinkley Bonneville's
Fake monoblocs sir ? Yes we can do that
Some people just want that style of bike but without having to put the effort in to live with a classic bike
Each to their own I guess
But that union flag does keep cropping up!!!

EstuaryBoy · Dec 10, 2021

baz said:
Yep it wasn't the best review and the last thing it is is an honest bike but people buy and like that sort of thing
Look at the amount of Harley replica Japanese bikes are out there and the classic styled hinkley Bonneville's
Fake monoblocs sir ? Yes we can do that
Some people just want that style of bike but without having to put the effort in to live with a classic bike
Each to their own I guess
But that union flag does keep cropping up!!!

I do wonder if there's a subliminal message as it's on the seat?

Dogsbody · Dec 10, 2021

oldmikew said:
400/4 is surely bullet proof . Enfield singles would probably suit you otherwise

I can attest to the 400/4 engines ability having race one twice in the MGP but everything is still old. Had an Enfield but that never stirred the emotions. A KTM RC 390 might be a better bet. For comfort and the ability to store riding gear my Burgman 400 fills that slot and a Honda Super Cub for round town duty with a CT125 for light off road use covered. Another one is really a whim or just an itch to scratch, just musing.

74ok · Dec 11, 2021

oldmikew · Dec 11, 2021

Dogsbody said:
I can attest to the 400/4 engines ability having race one twice in the MGP but everything is still old. Had an Enfield but that never stirred the emotions. A KTM RC 390 might be a better bet. For comfort and the ability to store riding gear my Burgman 400 fills that slot and a Honda Super Cub for round town duty with a CT125 for light off road use covered. Another one is really a whim or just an itch to scratch, just musing.

The Enfield doesnt stir the emotions and is out performed by my ES2 and velo ,butithas an electric start good brakes indicators etc all essential for UK traffic. and is not as heavy as the BSA. But Idonot take it on Motorways You need power to get out of the way of the idiot who might kill you. Power at 29bhp it lacks.

N0rt0nelectr@ · Dec 11, 2021

Dogsbody said:
I don’t need anything bigger than a 500. Priority nowadays is lightweight and manoeuvrability, under 200 kg, a sensible seat height say 800mm. I have a 400/4 that would be ok but it’s now over 40 years old.

So why is your 400/4 being over 40 years old a problem? My 74 Norton is 47 years old and runs just fine. Unless there is a government restriction in the UK?

worntorn · Dec 11, 2021

oldmikew said:
The Enfield doesnt stir the emotions and is out performed by my ES2 and velo ,butithas an electric start good brakes indicators etc all essential for UK traffic. and is not as heavy as the BSA. But Idonot take it on Motorways You need power to get out of the way of the idiot who might kill you. Power at 29bhp it lacks.

Im surprised that the 29 bhp Enfield is outperformed by an ES2.
Is it a modified ES2?
I thought the ES2 ratings were something like 21 bhp iron head and 25 bhp alloy head?
I had an alloy head ES2 as my first motorcycle at age 12 (me) , age 11 for the bike. Funny, with all the new little Hondas around I thought of the Norton to be an old bike.
This was in 1966, the bike a 1955. That would be like a 2010 model today, that's near new!
I also thought it was very powerful and fast, but I know if I rode one today it might seem a little slow.

Glen

oldmikew · Dec 11, 2021

worntorn said:
Im surprised that the 29 bhp Enfield is outperformed by an ES2.
Is it a modified ES2?
I thought the ES2 ratings were something like 21 bhp iron head and 25 bhp alloy head?
I had an alloy head ES2 as my first motorcycle at age 12 (me) , age 11 for the bike. Funny, with all the new little Hondas around I thought of the Norton to be an old bike.
This was in 1966, the bike a 1955. That would be like a 2010 model today, that's near new!
I also thought it was very powerful and fast, but I know if I rode one today it might seem a little slow.

Glen

It has , but nothing too dramtic.. model 50 camwheels headgroundstraight onto barrel ,inletport openedup and flowed and oversize monobloc...model 50 pipe. gold star valve springs It will do over 90mph indicated and still accelerating I have never hadit absolutely flatout... wouldthink maybe 94 or5 . It seems much quicker inthe gears than the Enfield ie will do 60in 2nd .

Oddly itused tobe my leave anywhere bike for going to gigs but nowadays is probably worth more than my Commando so spends most of its time locked in the garage. And ironically my leave anywhere is now the ZZR... who would nick a tatty 30 yearold sprts bike ?

N0rt0nelectr@ · Dec 15, 2021

worntorn said:
Im surprised that the 29 bhp Enfield is outperformed by an ES2.
Is it a modified ES2?
I thought the ES2 ratings were something like 21 bhp iron head and 25 bhp alloy head?
I had an alloy head ES2 as my first motorcycle at age 12 (me) , age 11 for the bike. Funny, with all the new little Hondas around I thought of the Norton to be an old bike.
This was in 1966, the bike a 1955. That would be like a 2010 model today, that's near new!
I also thought it was very powerful and fast, but I know if I rode one today it might seem a little slow.

Glen

You have to remember that many of the older British singles were far lighter and if you look at the power to weight that says a lot. The sad thing is that as year went on, they gained weight, like most of us!

baz · Dec 15, 2021

N0rt0nelectr@ said:
You have to remember that many of the older British singles were far lighter and if you look at the power to weight that says a lot. The sad thing is that as year went on, they gained weight, like most of us!

Yes that's probably true in most cases but not the dbd34 BSA gold star who's dry weight was 380lb
The BSA b50 gold star was 310lb dry
So it got 70lb lighter going to unit construction

kommando · Dec 15, 2021

baz said:
So it got 70lb lighter going to unit construction

But also lost a few HP due to a badly breathing head, wonder how it would have gone with the DBD34 HP and the B50 weight.

Stan Millard used to cut and weld B50 heads and got most of the loss back and his flatracker flew.

Mahindra BSA's

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