BSA Motorcycles is officially back in Australia, with the Bantam 350 opening the range at $7590 rideaway, the Scrambler 650 priced at $11,799 rideaway and the Gold Star 650 spanning $11,699 to $12,799 rideaway depending on colour. All three models are LAMS approved, and every price includes 12 months registration and a three-year warranty.
I sampled all three bikes across two days at the Australian media launch in NSW, riding from Q Station in Manly through a mix of urban and country roads to Wisemans Ferry, before a second day that took in the dirt roads around St Albans to Laguna. It was a varied route and a fair test of what BSA has brought to market.
The brand’s return is being handled by Leisk Moto Imports (LMI), a Perth-based distributor headed by industry veteran Jeff Leisk. A former professional racer who spent more than 20 years as Managing Director of KTM Australia, Leisk knows how to grow a motorcycle business, and while LMI is a small team, it is a compelling one. What struck me most was how clear-eyed Leisk was about the task ahead.
Bringing a brand to the Australian market is no small undertaking at a time when new names seem to be popping up regularly, and Leisk was frank that while interest in BSA has been strong, many of those customers sit in the over-50 bracket. Reaching younger riders, many of whom have no memory of the badge, is the challenge he singled out.
There is serious backing behind the effort. The modern BSA sits under Classic Legends, which is majority owned by Indian industrial giant Mahindra and also counts the revived Jawa and Yezdi brands in its stable. That brings the kind of financial and manufacturing muscle a heritage revival needs to survive beyond the initial wave of nostalgia.
Look at the line-up and it is clear which brand BSA has in its sights. Royal Enfield has carved out a strong hold on the Australian market with its 350 and 650 ranges, and on paper, BSA’s specifications and pricing stack up well against them. The rideaway figures are made stronger again by the inclusion of 12 months registration, where many brands advertise rideaway pricing based on just three months.
Leisk expects the Gold Star to account for roughly 70 per cent of sales, which makes sense given how directly the Gold Star connects with riders who remember BSA first time around. For my money, though, the 350 looks the strongest on paper, and the most likely to grow into an expanding platform that could take the fight to Royal Enfield’s popular 350 umbrella.
The Bantam 350 revives one of BSA’s most famous nameplates. The original Bantam arrived in 1948 as a small two-stroke and is credited with helping get post-war Britain moving, while many Australians will remember the Bantam Bushman from the 1960s. The new version is a different machine entirely, built around a 334cc liquid-cooled single producing 22kW (29hp) at 7550rpm and 29Nm at 6000rpm, paired with a six-speed gearbox.
For a small bike, it is a substantial motorcycle to look at and to sit on, with a claimed 185kg in running order and an 800mm seat height. That solidity carries through to the ride. The Bantam feels planted and well built, and it is quite a nice handling bike, with a composure that belies its entry-level position.
The engine was punchier than I expected. It pulls willingly and is happy to be worked through the gears, which makes the six-speed box a genuine asset rather than a formality. On paper it comfortably out-muscles the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 while giving away some performance to the Triumph Speed 400, and those are the two bikes it will be measured against in showrooms. Having ridden it, I think the Bantam is possibly the most convincing rival yet to the established players in this segment.
The brakes are a highlight. A 320mm front disc and 240mm rear disc, deliver stopping power that stands out against other models in the class. Details are another strength. BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms, and there are lovely firearm-inspired touches dotted around the bike as a nod to that heritage. Another neat, practical touch is the heel-rest built into the pillion pegs, which is an innovative addition I haven’t seen elsewhere.
As an entry-level, LAMS approved machine, the Bantam is a natural fit for new riders, and at $7590 rideaway across all six colours, including the new Mist Green that pays tribute to the original 1948 Bantam, it is a sharp proposition.
The Gold Star 650 was the first model built under BSA’s new owners, unveiled at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham in 2021. It is a great looking bike and remains the truest to BSA’s heritage, with classic proportions, wire-spoked wheels, twin rear shocks and similiar firearm-inspired detailing found on the Bantam.
Its 652cc liquid-cooled single is a unique powerplant in a segment dominated by parallel twins. The DOHC, four-valve, twin-spark engine uses a dry-sump layout and traces its architecture back to a Rotax design. It produces 33kW (45hp) at 6500rpm and 55Nm at 4000rpm, and there is lots of drive from down low, which suits the relaxed way the Gold Star wants to be ridden.
The five-speed gearbox is perhaps a bit of a compromise. I found myself searching for a sixth gear until I got used to the bike, though once I adjusted to riding the torque, it became less of an issue.
The instrument cluster is unique, with the twin analogue dials featuring needles that rotate from right to left, just like old BSA models. It is a nice touch to the past, though possibly impractical, and it takes some acclimatising before you can read it at a glance.
The Gold Star is quite heavy at a claimed 213kg in running order. The engine offers enough punch to overcome that, however, and the bike retains a confident, if somewhat lazy, handling dynamic. Brembo brakes and Pirelli Phantom SportsComp tyres round out a quality set of components, while the 780mm seat height makes it accessible for a wide range of riders.
The Gold Star is available in eight colours, starting at $11,699 rideaway for Shadow Black and the new Birmingham Blue, and rising to $12,799 for Silver Sheen Legacy and the new Brooklands Black. The latter references the Surrey circuit where, in 1937, Walter Handley earned the Brooklands Gold Star badge that gave the model its name.
The Scrambler 650 builds on the Gold Star platform with scrambler aesthetic touches, including a 19-inch front wheel, a flat single-piece seat, number boards on the side panels, shorter guards and an offset digital display. It is a very nice looking bike, particularly in the Victor Yellow finish.
Beyond the styling, however, the hardware is closely shared with the Gold Star. BSA lists the same 41mm telescopic fork and five-step preload-adjustable twin shocks for both bikes, and the rear ABS cannot be switched off. That makes the Scrambler more of a styling exercise than a legitimate off-road alternative to the Gold Star.
That said, it was very fun to ride on smooth dirt roads, and much of that comes down to the tyres. BSA has fitted Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs, a fantastic premium dual-sport tyre found on many hardcore adventure bikes. It is my personal favourite tyre of all time, offering plenty of grip on both dirt and tarmac, and it gave me real confidence when the route left the bitumen.
Like its Gold Star stablemate, the Scrambler is still quite heavy, and its 820mm seat sits higher than the Gold Star’s. It shares the same 45hp engine and five-speed gearbox, and it should play as a direct rival to the Royal Enfield Bear 650. All three colours, Raven Black, Thunder Grey and Victor Yellow, are priced at $11,799 rideaway.
BSA has more on the way too, confirming the Thunderbolt 350 for the local market, with exact timing yet to be confirmed. Revealed at EICMA in 2025 as the brand’s first adventure bike, it features rally-style bodywork, traction control and three ABS modes, and its more off-road-focused package should expand BSA’s potential market share considerably. BSA is also expecting to reveal two new models at EICMA 2026 in Milan.
At launch, BSA’s Australian dealer network spans 12 dealers across NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
BSA has not returned with a nostalgia act: The Gold Star sells the heritage, the Scrambler adds a dose of attitude and some genuine fun on the dirt, and the Bantam may well prove the most important model of the three. There is work ahead, but with competitive pricing, a solid first range and an experienced distributor behind it, BSA has given itself a real foundation to build on in Australia.
The 2026 BSA Bantam 350 is priced at $7590 rideaway, the Gold Star 650 from $11,699 rideaway and the Scrambler 650 at $11,799 rideaway, with all prices including 12 months registration.
Editorial Director at infomoto.com.au. Loves Rally bikes.
