Anupam Thareja and Ashish Singh Joshi of Classic Legends discuss the future.
Classic Legends, which is owned by Mahindra, said in April 2022 that the formal debut of the 2022 BSA Gold Star will be postponed. For how long? They said at the time that it will be ready in May 2022. That month came and passed, and now we’re at July 2022. So, what is the status of the BSA’s revival?
Following numerous difficulties, many of which were COVID-related, the two leaders of Classic Legends claim they are back on pace for a release date soon. CL co-founder Anupam Thareja and CL CEO/BSA director Ashish Singh Joshi came down for an exclusive interview with the Classic Motorcycle Channel to discuss some pre-release details—and it’s definitely worth your time if you’re at all interested in the 2022 BSA Gold Star.
Concerning the delays, they said that COVID had a role, but that BSA was also working hard to locate the suitable distribution partner for the United Kingdom. They feel they’ve discovered it with Lucas Distribution and are excited to collaborate with them. The dealer network will begin with five to nine locations, increase to 20 in the months after the launch, and finally settle around 40 or 50 in total throughout the United Kingdom.
What about global distribution? BSA is now in discussions to distribute motorcycles across Europe, beginning with France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Following that, the objective is to extend to North America (including the United States, Canada, and Mexico), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. Much farther down the road, there’s discussion of extending to South America as well—but that’s a long way off, and there’s a lot to accomplish first.
Notably, when Anupam Thareja was asked how much the BSA Gold Star would cost, his response was fiery. (If I had to guess, it’s probably because he and Joshi are both bikers in addition to businesspeople.) He stated he can’t offer a precise figure until they formally introduce it, but he knows the psychological impact of remaining around £10,000 (about $11,847). In addition, he said that he “would not allow some bean counter tell me that I have to earn money on this bike.” Above all, he wants people to ride it, he adds.
Of course, saying something like that is one thing, doing it is quite another—but it’s a hopeful approach. BSA is obviously a company, but maybe this suggests that there can be some type of balance.
Where will BSA’s motorcycles be manufactured? Prior to COVID, the firm said that it intended to manufacture its motorcycles in the United Kingdom. However, due to the epidemic, the Gold Stars that are set to be released were manufactured in India. Nonetheless, BSA is now in discussions to construct a manufacturing plant somewhere in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. It’s unclear if Gold Star manufacturing could relocate there, or whether any future similar plant would be for other BSA models. The future electric BSA, on the other hand, will be constructed in the United Kingdom.
Finally, BSA claims to have several motorcycles in the works, including a twin. Neither guy wanted to go into specifics quite yet. Instead, they seems to want to ensure that people are aware that the corporation has a model map in the works, even if it isn’t ready to display all of its cards just yet.
