Gold Star 650 has been launched in the UK – Orders can be placed online from 18th July 2022
With the Gold Star 650, Classic Legends recently announced the revival of the BSA marque. Young and old motorcycle enthusiasts across Europe are very excited about this. It is a subsidiary brand of automotive giant Mahindra through Classic Legends who also revived Jawa and Yezdi brands here in India. BSA Gold Star 650 launch was supposed to happen in May 2022. But got delayed due to unknown reasons.
Birmingham Small Arms Company is one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers in Britain. The Gold Star 650 in particular was one of its best offerings. It was also one of the fastest motorcycles back in the 60s. With such a rich heritage and fan following, BSA is now aiming for the piece of the market where classic neo-retro motorcycles from Royal Enfield are dominant. When compared to 650 Twins by Royal Enfield, we can see interesting results.
BSA Gold Star 650 Prices Vs Royal Enfield 650
BSA Gold Star 650 has now been launched in the UK. Bookings will commence from 18th July. Orders can be placed online at their authorized distributor’s website – Lukas Distribution. The company hasn’t made it official that BSA Gold Star 650 will make it to our shores.
BSA Gold Star 650 will mainly compete with Royal Enfield 650 twins in Britain, Europe and the USA. As for pricing, Highland Green shade costs GBP 6,500 (approx Rs. 6.17 lakh), GBP 6,800 (approx Rs. 6.46 lakh) for Insignia Red, Midnight Black and Dawn Silver and GBP 7,000 (approx Rs. 6.65 lakh) for Legacy Silver Sheen Shade (all prices ex-sh). BSA will make all these shades available right from the get-go. Royal Enfield 650 twins are on sale in the UK. These are priced from GBP 6,039 and go all the way to GBP 6,739.
BSA has designed the motorcycle to appeal to Gold Star loyalists and also classic neo-retro motorcycle enthusiasts. The motorcycle gets simple and timeless body panels and a decent dose of chrome. Gold Star 650 will get a classic twin-pod instrument cluster, offset fuel filler cap on fuel tank, classic pinstriping with contrasting colours and the same engine look like the old Gold Stars for authenticity.
BSA Gold Star 650 – Specifications
BSA Gold Star 650 will inherit the soul and charm of its predecessors and bring modern engineering and technology into the mix. The engine is developed in collaboration with Austrian firm Rotax and Technical University of Graz in Austria. It will be a single-cylinder unit that displaces 652 cc. This engine is capable of making 45 bhp of max power @6500 RPM and 55 Nm of max torque at a very low 4000 RPM.
The motorcycle comes mated to a rather old-school 5-speed gearbox. Apart from the old-school transmission, BSA also equipped the Gold Star 650 with modern equipment. Prominent among them are dual overhead camshafts for a vibe-free experience, a 4-valve head, liquid cooling, and twin spark technology for precise ignition of air-fuel mixture.
The front gets 41 mm telescopic suspension and the rear gets twin shock absorbers with preload adjustment. Braking duties are handled by disc brakes both at the front and rear. The front gets 320 mm disc and the rear gets 255 mm disc. The stopping power to stop this 213 kg classic is handled by Brembo brake calipers and ABS system.
Gold Star 650 comes with wire-spoke rims both at the front and back. The front gets an 18” wheel wrapped with a 100/90 Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp. The rear gets a 17” wheel wrapped with 150/70 Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp. The motorcycle gets a 12-litre fuel tank and is expected to eek out 70.6 MPG (around 30-35 kmpl). Completing the cruiser bike feel is the 1425 mm wheelbase and the low 780 mm seat height.
