Kawasaki last week unveiled three lightweight models with new 2022 motifs to the Japanese domestic market: the KLX230S (KLX230GNFNN), the KLE250 Versys-X Tourer Traveler Edition (2BK-LE250D/KLE250BNFAN), and the Ninja ZX-25R SE (2BK-ZX250E/ZX250GNFNN) with new motifs.
All three models are tentatively scheduled to be available to the Japanese market on February 1. Among the three models, the KLX230 is supplied to the domestic market (the official price in China is 37,900 yuan), and the 300 cc version of the same platform as the KLE250 Versys-X Tourer has long been listed in China (the official domestic pricing is 52,900 yuan / Tourer version), while the Ninja ZX-25R has appeared in some parallel importers.
In early December last year, after a round of financial maneuvering, Britain's veteran motorcycle manufacturer BSA announced its resurrection, with its signature action showcasing their new-age production car, the Gold Star, at the local NEC Birmingham Motor Show.
Originally short for Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd, BSA was founded in 1861 when the main business was the production of firearms. BSA's Motorcycle Division was founded in 1903, and the first motorcycle was introduced in 1910.
The years 1920-1945 of the last century were the time when BSA's footprint spanned many places, especially during World War II, when BSA produced more than 120,000 M20 motorcycles (powered by air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engines with a displacement of 496 cc), laying the foundation for its golden age. In 1950, BSA acquired triumph engineering co. Ltd.), and in 1953, BSA Motorcycles Ltd. was created by separating the motorcycle business from within the group. In the 1950s, BSA was the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer (including Triumph at the time), and one in four motorcycles sold worldwide bore the BSA logo.
Hit by Japanese manufacturers, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, BSA's mismanagement and failure to develop new products led to a sharp decline in sales in its main market (North America). By 1973, BSA had officially discontinued production, ending motorcycle production that had lasted for more than six decades since its inception.
BSA's new Gold Star "Venus" is equipped with a water-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder, DOHC four-valve engine with a displacement of 652 cc, a five-speed gearbox and a maximum power output of 45 hp (BHP).
The body features a steel tubular frame, a 41 mm upright fork with a fork core diameter, ABS front and rear disc brakes, and a 18-inch steel wire wheel frame at the front and rear. Round headlights and double-cylinder gauges were the key elements of BSA's products during its golden years.