KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Thunderbolt is BSA's first entry-level adventure motorcycle.
- This is yet another old name that has been revived by BSA.
- There is a small chance it could enter the Indian market.
The BSA Thunderbolt was a surprise entrant from the Classic Legends-owned British bikemaker, as it was also among the many unveils at the ongoing EICMA Motor Show. The Thunderbolt is among the many old names BSA used to sell previously, and has been revived for a new-age ADV.
Before diving into the details of the Thunderbolt, make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community to keep up with the news and latest updates from the automotive community.
Also read: Norton Is Back With A Brand New Lineup At EICMA 2025!
BSA Thunderbolt Revealed; Details
The BSA Thunderbolt is actually a result of the shared synergies between Jawa, Yezdi, and BSA. It is based heavily on the Yezdi Adventure, similar to how the BSA Bantam and Jawa 42 FJ have so much in common. However, visually it seems to be inspired by another famous Indian ADV. We'll leave it to you to guess which one.
It borrows the same 334cc, liquid-cooled engine from the Yezdi, and while output figures have not been listed, we can expect it to be in the same state of tune; i.e 29bhp at 7750rpm and 29.62Nm of torque at 6000rpm, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. There are three ride modes; road, rain, and off-road, and it also gets a slipper clutch, and an adjustable windscreen.
The bikemaker has not listed out the hardware bits or other specifications, but it says that the monoshock comes with pre-load adjustability, and we can expect to share other suspension and braking bits with the Adventure. BSA has also specified the Thunderbolt comes with a 15.5-litre fuel tank, which is 3 litres more than that of the newly-launched TVS Apache RTX 300.
Verdict
BSA has not explicitly commented on the Thunderbolt being launched in India. However, with the new GST regime benefitting motorcycles less than 350cc, the Thunderbolt could potentially help BSA penetrate deeper in the market and find an even larger buyer base.
