BSA Bantam 350 (2026) – Review

Technical Review: Ben Purvis - July 2025
Riding Review: Luke Brackenbury - Sept 2025
Second opinion: Michael Mann - Oct 2025

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

2025 BSA Bantam 350 vs Honda GB350S

Two of the hottest models from the popular 300-400cc category go head-to-head in our review video, but which would you choose?

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Price & PCP Deals

Using an RRP of £3,499 + OTR meaning you won’t be able to ride it away unless your cheque is made out for around £3650, 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 it 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 £350 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, and they are available at its 33 UK dealers now.

With a £650 deposit, we understand a representative PCP deal would equal £66.62/month over three years which is very similar to the Honda GB350S.

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.

On the road, the Bantam is buzzy and that six-speed ‘box makes for close ratios, and you have to really rev it if you want to make progress, there’s not a lot of choice. In comparison, the Honda GB350S makes the same amount of torque but does that at half the amount of revs, 3000rpm compared to 6000rpm.

The engine and gearbox are smooth enough but lack character more than punch. And when the fan kicks in trying to cool the motor in town riding, you don’t feel very old school. There’s a juxtaposition between the style of the bike as a whole package and the engine’s peppiness. That said, the target market might not be concerned, be they experienced riders looking for something more manageable or those who’ve passed their A2 licence and are on the way up through the ranks… or anyone in between.

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.

Riding wise, this is a bike for slow speed pottering around and commuting short distances in style - not chin-on-the-tank, one hand on the fork performance riding (of course we tried that and managed 0-60mph in 11 seconds…).

We rode the bike through a variety of road conditions on test and were pleasantly surprised by the handling; there isn’t enough engine performance and therefore speed to get it tied in knots - even on some of the bumpier back roads. The braking power from the budget ByBre calipers is more than adequate and the ABS doesn’t kick in too early, although we are sure that adding levers with adjustable span wouldn’t have broken the bank!

Surprisingly the footpegs (or frame and exhaust) didn’t scrape easily, but the MRF tyres could have been an influence factor as they lacked feel, especially on damp patches. Another surprise was the composure of the bike wasn’t drastically altered when carrying a pillion, but this was only tested at town speeds.

5’7” Luke demonstrates the riding position, and check the flaky paint around the fuel tank

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 will provide flat-footed confidence for most riders. And that bench seat is comfy, too (love the Union Flag label on the pillion strap).

The lack of wind protection isn’t a major drama as the bike is happiest at 65-70mph and isn’t designed to be a long-distance tourer. An aftermarket screen to mess with the styling is only worth exploring if you plan to ride all year round and want to avoid wind chill.

Economy is claimed at 70.6mpg measured to the Worldwide Harmonised Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC) and we managed 51.75mpg across a variety of riding scenarios, from bimbling round back roads to flat out motorway antics giving us a theoretical 13-litre tank range of 148 miles. We’d expect around 60mpg to be more of an average figure.

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.

The single, circular instrument pack with its digital display is simple enough, but looks a bit weird as its slightly offset. It reads ‘Hi’ on the display when you turn the bike on, which is cute. There’s a digital speedo, odometer, two trip meter and a gear indicator. All very nice, but very budget. The rev counter at the very top is very difficult to read the actual number of revs, but the buzz from the seat and bars will tell you that it’s high…

There’s a four-way selector on the left bar that only the ‘M’ and ‘S’ buttons seem to do anything, cycling through the ODO and trips using ‘M’, and then resetting them using ‘S’. The arrow buttons don’t appear to do anything. It’s a shame they don’t control the headlight angle as our test bike seemed to get everyone flashing us when night riding and on full beam only those on the International Space Station were affected by it.

If you’re used to bikes from the 1980s and older, the separate steering lock on the side of the headstock won’t annoy you. I’d have preferred a one-lock-does-it-all, like on the Honda GB350S (that also manages a cute key-turned helmet lock). The Honda also has a centre-stand which is handy for maintenance and missing on the BSA.

Remove the seat and there’s enough storage under it for a small pack of chewing gum and showing us that there aren’t many layers of paint on the tank (also apparent around the fuel filler, with bits flaking off).

We don’t know anything about official accessories, only being told by a BSA spokesperson they ‘will be available soon’.

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 Speed 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

Sitting alongside the 650 Scrambler and Goldstar, BSA is reloading its status as a recognised brand on the UK motorcycle market. With the Bantam 350, it shoots (see what we did there?) into a very competitive section of the market with a nicely styled machine with enough performance, competent handling, and a very tempting price tag - you can pull the trigger on a PCP deal for a £650 upfront payment and then £66.62/month over three years.

On paper, the almost ⅓ power advantage over the Honda and Royal Enfield should put the BSA at a distinct advantage, but the relatively short-stroke, DOHC engine that provides its top-end performance produces a very different sound, vibration and feel when compared to the under-square, air-cooled competitors. This might not appeal to more seasoned riders looking for something that brings the best of old and new together with low-revving torque. The depth finish on the paint on the tank around the base and fuel filler on our test bike was also cause for concern when it comes to its finish over time.

If I was shopping in this category and price bracket, my order of preference would be Honda GB350S, Royal Enfield HNTR 350 and then the BSA. But if I had a larger budget I’d buy the Triumph Speed 400 in a heartbeat!

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Second opinion – Michael Mann, Managing Editor, BikeSocial

Nostalgia: yes. Brand appeal: yes. Value: apparently. The little Bantam 350 isn’t so little and has certainly hit the ground running judging by its online popularity ahead of anyone actually riding it. On paper there’s a lot to like with its combination of tempting price and Honda-beating peak performance figure. And while we can’t deny that the introduction of its second model, BSA is certainly taking the right steps to regaining its status as a recognised brand in the UK motorcycle market, there are nuances about its finish and riding experience that perhaps demonstrate why the bike is priced below its rivals.

It's important to click your brain into the type of scenario and riding style required, and so at 60mph in top gear on a dual carriageway, 6,000rpm from this single cylinder lightweight feels just a little too peaky. Performance-wise, the BSA has a spring in its step and whips through the gears of its short-ratio ‘box quicker than you can say HNTR350 (but being forced having to use all the missing vowels). It’s a very easy bike to get on with courtesy of a budget-beating chassis and suspension set-up that defy the price tag. The Fens contains many a bump and despite my clench and grimace on the approach some particularly rough parts, I (6ft tall, 14.5 stones) wasn’t bounced around quite as much as expected, even smirking to acknowledge how well the Bantam 350 coped.

This BSA is a super machine yet for a bike that competes in this laid-back and retro-styled class, I felt a little on edge from the relative buzziness compared to the Honda which I rode back-to-back. The riding position from seat-to-footpeg isn’t as perfect as the GB350S’s and even the seat is a little harder as well as narrower at the front. All these tiny differences would be tricky to notice unless the Honda were available at the same time. And they are tiny differences but when asked to compare, then they stand out. It’ll still fly out of showrooms and hold its seemingly excellent value. Worthy of note, the service intervals are double that of the Honda.

2026 BSA Bantam 350 - Technical Specification

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