English bikemaker BSA is set to return with new internal combustion and electric motorcycles as the brand’s new backer plans to “resurrect the British motorbike industry”.
Mahinda Group chairman Anand Mahindra, who is said to be worth £1.3bn ($A2.5bn), is the primary investor in BSA’s revival.
According to The Guardian, the company has also secured a £4.6m ($A8.3m) grant from the UK government to develop electric motorcycle technology, with the new venture expected to create at least 255 jobs.
Indian company Mahindra Group is one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, among its many interests, with resources in electrification technology as well as more recently, motorcycles.
Mahindra Group is responsible for reviving Czech motorcycle brand Jawa, which reportedly achieved 50,000 sales in its first full year in 2018.
BSA plans to build a research facility in Banbury, England, to develop electric motorcycle technology, and will then go on to develop internal combustion (ICE) and electrified motorcycles before 2022.
While Mahindra suggested its electric car and bike resources positions it well for an emissions-free future, it would not be “dismantling our [ICE] engines” until the market reached a “tipping point”.
The new BSA company has yet to confirm details on future product, however, it has suggested that it will begin assembling ICE-powered motorcycles with parts from various suppliers, with bikes priced from between £5000-£10,000 ($A9000-$A18,000).
BSA was once considered the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer before it ceased production in the 1970s.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
