We finally got our hands on the new BSA Gold Star 650 and took it for a long spin. Here is our first impression
Story: Charan Karthik
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
A manufacturer launching a new bike is always a special moment, one that the people in the country and the company themselves will remember for a long time. That specific moment will go down in history as an even cooler one when the said brand is BSA Motorcycles.
The excitement I felt as I laid my eyes on the new BSA Gold Star 650, one that is now produced by Mahindra-owned Classic Legends in India, was unmatched. Legacy, classic, and timeless are the words most of us would utter when we lay our eyes on the new BSA. It is a great looking bike and it is guaranteed to crane necks as you filter through the city. The designers have done incredible work, retaining some of the original styling cues from the OG Gold Star of the early 1960s.
Things that catch your eyes immediately are the shiny chrome on the fuel-tank, the fuel-tank cap that has the brand’s establishment year engraved on it, and the chrome struts that hold up the mud-guard at the front, all gleaming under the sun. A small Union Jack was stitched on to the side of the seat, neatly tucked in, and the grey painted engine casing also had the original “BSA” logo on it where three rifles are kept together. A lot of attention to detail indeed.
The Gold Star is powered by a 652-cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder that produces 45 hp at 6,500 rpm and 55 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The engine alone will give a huge bragging right on the weekend group ride as this motor is one of the biggest single-cylinders currently in production in the world. Thumbing the starter will immediately take you on a nostalgic trip to times when big bad single-cylinders ruled the world, much before the arrival of the Japanese and European rivalry. The motor and cooling fan are both noticeably loud and there is a whistling noise that also occurs alongside.
The Gold Star has a wheelbase of 1,425 millimetres and it looks considerably long, possessing a low-slung character. The length makes it a bit intimidating even. But all of that vanishes as you swing a leg over the bike and sit on the fluffy bench seat, one that is set at a height of 782 mm. This gives rise to a lot of confidence from the word go as the handlebar and the foot-pegs are set at a position which is best described as easily accessible. With my five-feet-eight-inch stature, I was perched happily on the seat.
As I slotted the slick-shifting, five-speed gearbox into first gear and got going, I soon realised the BSA Gold Star is a comfortable bike to live with and its look does not correspond to the way it rides. The low seat height also made sure my feet could reach the ground while riding in traffic. In motion, the front end of the bike has a spirited and light feel to it, while also giving a lot of feedback to the rider. Flicking it through the traffic feels natural and the corners are taken with ease, aided by the sticky Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tyres. The motor is mellow until the 2,500-rpm mark but it picks up well after that and hauls past 5,000 rpm where the vibrations start to creep in. The red-line is at around 7,000 rpm. On paper, the five-speed gearbox might look like a letdown but in real riding conditions, I never felt the need for a sixth gear. The gearing is also set in a way where you will be able to run taller gears at lower speeds, which eliminates the need for constant up- and down-shifting.
The BSA has an 18-inch wheel at the front, suspended from a conventional telescopic fork. The damping provided by the fork is ample and it keeps the bike stable at high speeds. The rear has a 17-inch wheel and dual shock-absorbers that lack the composure of the front fork. They had an unsettling feel and threw me and my backpack up and down a lot; more than I expected.
The BSA Gold Star comes with a traditional (and a much loved) cable operated throttle which goes with the classic theme of the bike. Rev-matching while downshifting is delightful. There is a dual-channel ABS and… well, that’s it… that makes up most of the electronic aids. The rest of the equipment like halogen lighting, analogue cluster, and spoked rims with tube-type tyres are all an ode to the Gold Star of the past. The Insignia Red paintwork also screams British. There is a bit of modernity, though, in the form of three charging slots (Type-A, Type-C, and 12V) that BSA have given to help charge devices.
Braking duties are handled by a single 320-mm disc at the front and a 255-mm disc at the rear, both fitted with Brembo callipers that do a fantastic job of slowing the 201-kilogram bike. The heft of the bike is barely felt at low speeds and taking a U-turn is easier than astride its rivals in this regard. The ground clearance of the motorcycle is low, at 150 mm, and in our test ride, it did scrape at one speed bump within the city. This isn’t a deal-breaker but it will make you pilot with caution over big bumps and is just a matter of getting used to.
Our particular test bike had about 500 kilometres on the odometer and the exhaust pipe was already showing signs of corrosion, which was worrisome. However, the quality of the switchgear, the paint on the fuel-tank, the chrome parts, and the instrument cluster are all commendable and have a premium feel to them. I would have loved to have more chrome because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love chrome?
The standard BSA Gold Star 650 is available in five colours and the Legacy Edition is available in the sole Silver Sheen colour. Ex-showroom prices start from Rs 3.00 lakh for the standard variant and top out at Rs 3.35 lakh for the Legacy Edition. The Achilles’ heel in respect of the BSA Gold Star 650, in my opinion, would be the lack of service network and parts supply. BSA have got a great formula and are offering something truly different from what is being offered by the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. For me, the Gold Star 650 is a serious contender if the network factors are overlooked. Lately, I’ve been leaning more towards retro-classics than I would like and the Gold Star is a reason for this.
Leave a Reply