The first motorcycle to get the BSA nameplate is the Gold Star 650. This motorcycle made its debut appearance in December 2021 at an exclusive launch event in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Then in July 2022, the UK launch of the BSA 650cc took place. It retailed in the price range of about GBP 6,500. This translates to about INR 6.6 lakh as per today’s conversion rate. Now as it stands, the motorcycle will go on sale in other countries globally.
As of now, BSA 650cc test mules have now been spied in the production-ready guise on Indian roads. But, the company has not confirmed an India launch officially just as of yet. However, given the choice of the modern classic segment, there are chances that Classic Legends might bring it here. BSA also has plans to launch Gold Star 650 in the United States as well. In fact, the company can also introduce the motorcycle in South American markets. In most of these markets, BSA will directly compete against Royal Enfield.
But as we understand, BSA is working on building a new assembly facility in the UK. This would split manufacturing operations between the two countries. Gold Star 650 has been designed by a British firm named Redline Studios. Meanwhile, its chassis has been built by British engineering specialist Ricardo. The engine, however, is from the Austrian engineering firm Rotax and worked upon by the Technical University of Graz.
Talking of the engine, Gold Star 650 gets a 652cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor. This unit makes 45 HP and 55Nm of peak torque. This unit gets a 5-speed gearbox via a slipper and assist clutch. As for performance, the company claims a top speed of 166 kmph. The company has also hinted that this engine makes use of a different state of map to make it more powerful and torque in future. Talking about its hardware setup, BSA Gold Star 650 uses a dual-cradle tubular chassis. This setup sits on raked-out telescopic forks at the front with twin preload-adjustable shock absorbers on the rear. Braking duties come from disc brakes at both ends with callipers from Brembo supported by a dual-channel ABS.
Also Read: BSA Gold Star starts road testing in India, Interceptor 650 rival