BSA Gold Star Review: Worthwhile Successor

Single cylinder pumps out 45hp @ 6500rpm / 55Nm @ 4000rpm.
Clocks that rotate the opposite way takes some getting used to.
Brembo brakes and Pirelli Phantom rubber add to the package.

BSA is another brand whose name has been pulled from the past and revived in the modern era. Paul checks out the latest version of the Gold Star to see if it lives up to the iconic name.

Words: Paul Pics: Two Creative Photography

If you’re not one of the growing group of ageing motorcyclists, chances are you might not be aware of BSA or their Gold Star model from the 1950s. BSA, or Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd, was a British motorcycle manufacturer which, as the name suggests, began life making ammunition and firearms. From there, they moved to cycles before unveiling their first motorcycle in 1910, with the iconic Gold Star released shortly after the end of WWII. At the time, the Gold Star was the model that every motorcyclist drooled over and every young child dreamt of, with the legendary 100mph top-speed of the 500cc 1956 model making it the bike every speed demon wanted to own.

Nods To History

Rather than simply buying the name and then producing a series of machines with no relation to the brand’s past, Classic Legends Pvt Ltd, the subsidiary of the Mahindra Group that owns the BSA brand, made a significant effort to keep similarities between the old and the new version.

The motor is a four-stroke single-cylinder which sits vertically in the chassis, much like the original, although thankfully, you don’t need a kickstart to fire the 652cc piston into life. Instead, firing the big single into life simply requires a button push, with a nice burble emitting from the long, low-slung matt-black exhaust. The water-cooled, Euro-5, fuel-injected motor produces 45hp @ 6500rpm and 55Nm @ 4000rpm making it nice and flexible for town work, while heading out onto the open road will see the new Gold Star match the performance of the old 500 with a top-speed in excess of 100mph (160km/h).

The styling has also been kept similar to the original, just with a bit more comfort than the skinny old bike with a more substantial saddle and the benefit of modern suspension components, while the twin analogue dials rotate backwards as was they way of the original machine. It’s a bit odd to be honest, but once you get used to where the needle sits for the important 50km/h and 100km/h speeds, it’s easy enough to get used to. Even the position of the horn, which is mounted on the left of the engine in a very prominent place, is a nod to the design of the classic bike.

Leaving Auckland with the usual motorway stint and I was surprised with the smoothness of what is essentially a reasonably large single. There weren’t any vibration issues, although the position of the wing mirrors, which are attached to the brake and clutch lever assemblies, didn’t give me much of a view behind. Yet, the burble of the BSA combined with the feeling that you’re riding something special (even though it’s not an original) meant that it was easy to overlook any niggles, and it wasn’t long before I was peeling off the motorway and looking for some twisties.

Negotiating roundabouts and intersections highlighted a slightly urgent fuelling at slow speeds, with the movement from zero throttle to 10% offering what felt like more in response. It’s not jerky, just more like a trait that you need to get used to if you’re riding around slowly. Yet the rest of the package makes tight work a breeze, with easy steering, soft-ish suspension and a sit-up riding position all adding up to make this a rather cool-looking commuter. The seat height of 780mm makes getting both feet on the floor a breeze, adding to the confidence, while the 213-kilo wet weight seems to get lost somewhere in translation as it never felt like a heavy bike, even when shifting it on and off the side stand.

Sporty Intentions

Purring through the countryside and it’s easy to get lost in the romance of this latest modern classic. The power through the mid-range makes driving out of corners and overtaking slow cars a simple case of rolling on the throttle, especially as there are only five cogs in the gearbox, meaning a change down would likely see the needle on the rev counter flash around the dial the opposite way. Instead, riding the torque and letting the big single lazily thump along is the style of this sort of machine.

Starting to push on a bit sees the simple 41mm forks and twin rear shocks start to protest, with a bit more preload needing to be dialled into the rear (which you can do by hand) to try and put a bit more weight on the front wheel which helped the handling. And even though there’s only a single twin-piston caliper gripping a 320mm disc at the front, the fact the caliper has Brembo written on the side of it and that the fluid is fed through a braided line means the stopping performance is more than adequate for this style of bike. If you’re trying to trail massive amounts of brake into turns at the last minute, then you’re on the wrong bike. Instead, this is the epitome of a machine which is designed for you to enjoy the ride and to also look cool while you’re doing it.

Holding onto the revs in a straight line sees the rev counter heading toward the 7,000rpm rev limit, although there’s not really much point hanging on this far as the power tails off after the 4,000rpm peak output level. Instead, flick up another cog on the light gearbox to delve back into the lumpy torque and drive the Gold Star forward with an urge you only really get from a big single. Planning ahead sees the Gold Star able to pick up a bit of pace, and the handling is surprisingly good for a modern classic, with the low stature of the Gold Star not resulting in limited ground clearance. In fact, I don’t think I dragged anything metal on the ground while out enjoying a bit of spirited fun on the Goldy. But, it’s not a bike to go chasing mates on modern machines. Instead, enjoy the fact that you’re riding at a decent pace and concentrate on your riding style by being smooth, and you’ll still have plenty of fun.

With a few days out cruising on the Gold Star in between freezing showers and torrential rain, even longer trips in the saddle didn’t produce any sort butt or leg stretching from either myself or Kerry, who I insisted had to give it a go even though she protested that it wasn’t her style of bike. Yet, sitting having a cuppa outside a café next to the glorious Lake Karapiro, she had to admit to being a little bit smitten with the BSA, although it sounded a little too much like a sowing machine to her, apparently. Not sure what sowing machine she’s been using, but I reckon it might need a tune-up…!

With Pirelli’s excellent Scorpion Phanton Sportscomp tyres not only looking great on the silver, spoked wheels but also providing plenty of grip, it’s the fact that the Indian BSA team have added certain premium parts to the modern classic that makes this bike, especially as the pricing starts at $10,990 + ORC. The clocks add a touch of class, and the styling is classic enough to make the unknowing public question whether it’s a new or old one. And the performance is enough to keep a large proportion of riders happy.

As a new modern classic, they’ve hit the new Gold Star out of the park, although whether any purists would agree is yet to be seen. Speaking with the importer, he reckoned that many owners of the original machines have brought a new one so they can leave the old one in the shed/museum/living room while still being able to get out and ride a machine with that iconic name. No, it’s not the road racer that made the original bike so (in)famous, but it is a decent nod back to the past while being a thoroughly pleasant motorcycle to take out on a sunny day and simply enjoy the ride. And there’s nothing wrong with that.