BSA Bantam 350 (2026) – Technical Review

Not many years ago a sub-400cc single-cylinder retro bike would barely have troubled the sales charts in the UK but it’s a class that’s really hit its stride in the last couple of years as models like Triumph’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X, Honda’s GB350S and Royal Enfield’s Bullet, Meteor, HNTR and Classic 350s have struck a chord with riders who are looking for a more relaxed pace of life at an affordable price. Now another resonant name is joining the fray as the reborn BSA brand revives the Bantam badge on its contender in the category.

Pros & Cons

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Price & PCP Deals

Using an RRP of £3,499, BSA is making a statement with the Bantam. It’s more than £1000 cheaper than Royal Enfield Bullet 350, a bike with a similarly resonant name among British riders of a certain age, and even undercuts the budget-oriented HNTR 350 by £400. Honda’s GB350S – a bike that’s flying out of showrooms this year after finally reaching the European market at the end of 2024 – is £500 more expensive than the BSA.

That’s not to say it’s the cheapest machine in its class. The Chinese-made Benelli Imperiale 400 slides in at £3,299 after a £1000 price cut, but like the other machines mentioned it’s less powerful than the BSA, and it doesn’t seem to have gained the same sales momentum as Honda and Royal Enfield’s offerings.

Triumph’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X are undoubtedly faster and more accomplished bikes, and topped the sales in this class last year, but they’re much pricier as well, both coming in at well over £5k.

BSA is offering five colour options initially: grey, red, yellow, blue or black, but it’s not yet clear whether any will carry a price premium over the base £3,499.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Engine & Performance

Four-stroke engine? Double overhead cams? Liquid-cooling? Fuel injection? Six-speed gearbox? Yep, all the above apply here. This isn’t your granddad’s BSA Bantam – even if the idea of a two-stroke like the original might still hold some appeal.

And while it’s no beast, it’s far more powerful than the bikes that came before it. The Bantams sold from 1948 to 1971, all two-strokes from 125cc to 175cc, never managed more than 12.6hp – the earliest had as little as 4.5hp – while the new model puts out a claimed 29hp at 7,750rpm, along with an oddly-specific claim of 29.62Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. Playing the same two-decimal-points game, we can convert that to 21.85 lb-ft in more traditional measures.

The motor itself is taken from Mahindra’s existing stable. The company’s ‘Classic Legends’ subsidiary, which owns BSA, also runs the Jawa and Yezdi brands, offered in other countries, and both use the same motor in their ranges. It’s actually a 334cc single, with an 81mm bore and 65mm stroke paired to an 11:1 compression ratio, making it a very different proposition to its direct rivals, with a much revvier, short-stroke nature that helps it get a higher maximum power. The Royal Enfield 350 single, for example, is under-square – with a stroke larger than its bore – at 75mm x 85.5mm, while Honda’s GB350S goes even further with a 70mm bore and 90.5mm stroke. They’re both air-cooled, SOHC engines, too, compared to the water-cooled, DOHC design in the Bantam that adds to its higher-revving, higher-powered nature.

A six-speed box also marks out the BSA, as both the Honda and Royal Enfield rivals get by with five ratios thanks to their lugging, long-stroke engines.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

You don’t go into the market for a £3,499 bike expecting all the bells and whistles when it comes to the chassis and the Bantam understandably keeps things simple on that front.

The frame is exactly the sort of steel tube design you’d expect on such a retro-style machine, fitted with gaiter-clad, right-way-up forks at the front and dual shocks at the rear. Adjustment is limited to five-step preload at the back to cope – other than that, you’re stuck with the factory setup. You’ll find a similar arrangement on direct rivals like the RE HNTR 350 and Honda GB350S, too.

The forks are set at a very relaxed 29-degrees of rake, contributing to a long 1440mm wheelbase that matches the GB350S but is substantially lengthier than the 1370mm of the HNTR 350.

Braking is by disc at each end, a 320mm rotor at the front and a 240mm one at the back, each with a floating caliper and ABS.

At 185kg, the Bantam doesn’t pay much of a penalty for lugging around an extra camshaft, another gear ratio and a radiator and a cooling system full of water. For comparison, its air-cooled, five-speed, SOHC rivals come in at 178kg for the Honda GB350S and 181kg for the Royal Enfield HNTR 350.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Comfort & Economy

Much of the success of this type of bike in recent years has come down to the fact that older riders, finding their oversized adventure bikes or too-powerful sports bikes are increasingly unusable on our potholed and heavily speed-limited roads, while facing the same cost-of-living problems as everyone else, are shifting across to more manageable and affordable bikes. And the wide-barred, upright riding position of a standard retro roadster is also part of the appeal.

With an 800mm seat height that exactly matches the fast-selling Honda GB350S and comes in just 10mm higher than the HNTR 350, the Bantam looks like it should meet expectations on that front, although as with its rivals the relative paucity of performance and lack of wind protection means it’s a bike for day-to-day riding and unhurried weekend trips rather than cross-continental blasts.

Economy is an unknown at the moment, but we wouldn’t expect a 334cc single to guzzle petrol and the 13-litre tank should provide a decent range between stops as a result.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Equipment

As a bike that’s targeting the retro roadster market and coming in at under £3.5k it’s unsurprising to discover the Bantam 350 isn’t packed with all the latest bells and whistles when it comes to technology and equipment.

Full details of the bike’s technology have yet to be announced, but the single, circular instrument pack looks to be the same sort of digital display that’s used on the closely-related Yezdi Roadster and Scrambler models, also made by Classic Legends and sold in other countries, with an identical set of bar controls with a four-way selector on the left bar to navigate it.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Rivals

Understandably, the main rivals are the bikes we’ve already mentioned here – the top-sellers in the sub-400cc retro class in the form of the Honda GB350S, Royal Enfield’s various 350 models and, to a lesser extent due to the price and performance differences, Triumph’s Street 400 (although different PCP deals and varying interest rates mean that the Triumph can be had for barely more than the Honda in terms of monthly payments). All offer a similar approach, and on paper the BSA looks to be a worthy rival.

Triumph Speed 400 | Price: £5,345

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft

Weight

170kg

Honda GB350S | Price: £3,999

Read more

Power/Torque

20.8bhp / 21.4lb-ft

Weight

175kg

Royal Enfield HNTR 350 | Price: £3,899

Read more

Power/Torque

19.9bhp / 19.9lb-ft

Weight

181kg

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Verdict

On paper, at least, there’s a lot to like about the reborn Bantam thanks to its combination of tempting pricing and strong (comparatively) performance when lined up against its closest rivals. We’ll have to wait to see whether the relatively short-stroke, DOHC engine that provides that performance loses out in terms of low-end and mid-range when compared to the under-square, air-cooled competitors, though.

What can’t be denied is that with the introduction of a second model, BSA is taking the right steps to regaining its status as a recognised brand on the UK motorcycle market.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.

Getting a motorcycle insurance quote with Bennetts is easy.

We compare prices from our panel of top-tier insurers, to find riders our best price for the cover they need. With common modifications covered as standard, our policies are rated Excellent on Trustpilot and 5 stars by Defaqto. We are an award-winning UK broker, with a UK-based contact centre and 24/7 claims support. 

 

Buy direct or renew at bennetts.co.uk, or via our contact centre, to gain access to a free BikeSocial Membership - unlocking discounts on kit, tyres, training, and exclusive customer-only VIP experiences.