There’s retro, and then there’s … retro. The new BSA Gold Star was recently unveiled in Europe as the iconic British brand is reborn under Indian ownership. The new bike appears to be the spitting image of a 1950’s Gold Star, save for the radiator that signals a switch to liquid cooling.
Although Indian owned, technical development for the new BSA is occurring in the U.K. Looking old school from the profile, the new liquid cooled 652cc single powering the Gold Star is a thoroughly modern DOHC four-valve engine designed by Rotax and making a claimed 45 horsepower and 40.6 foot/pounds of torque. A five-speed gearbox is featured.
Claiming a wet weight of 470 pounds, BSA uses an 18″ front wheel and 17″ rear and Brembo brakes (the single front disc is 320 mm). The instruments (pictured) are a traditional analog-type. BSA says production will ramp up early next year with retail sales following in the summer. No pricing has been announced.
This BSA looks pretty cool, I like a 19” front wheel with an 18” in the back, the radiator ? not much you can do about it. With euro 5 and everything else I think air cooling is gone. But I’m really looking forward to seeing / test riding this bike. Can’t wait, hurry up BSA.
I like the look overall, like the big thumper engine, too. I don’t like the radiator at all, they should have done the work to make it pass standards as an air-cooled unit. That rad kills it. Also, the wheels are too small, it needs the 19″ front and 18″ rear to look the part, along with a larger diameter headlight.
I personally believe that functionality should / does trump ‘authentic’ looks in this instance. The water-cooled engine is far better regarding reliability and Euro 5 emissions; the tire choice allows more modern geometry, tire selection and most likely far better handling.
We shouldn’t get too infatuated with maintaining the misty-eyed glory of the looks of old, if it compromises the functionality needed in today’s world.
IMO, the radiator is intrusive and kills the looks. The looks do count in a retro bike, otherwise there are lots more powerful bikes to choose from. Also, a liquid cooled engine will have its own reliability issues.
Currently I own 2 thumpers: a Suzook DR-650 modified to be a street only: “SEMI Super-Moto; plus a 35th Anniversary Yamaha SR-400 with 0 miles. It’s on “display” in my former office….EYE CANDY! I did have a SR-500 years ago along with 2 FT-500s. The SR-500 was far superior dynamically to the Honda FTs, but they were easy to start!
The feel of a good street single is a delight on curvy back roads. However, at 470 #s this nu Gold Star does seem rather porky! DFO
With the concerns about the Radiator on a semi classic design, I am reminded of a liquid cooled motorcycle that was modified back to air cooled successfully in the last couple decades. I believe it was a thumper, and not too difficult. Maybe with the existing fins and a lower CR and conservative use – possible ? Pretty sure this is not a brain fart of mine, just can not remember the details. Anybody out there remember the story ? With the modern manufacturing tolerances and metallurgy, maybe the traditional loose fit of an air-cooled isn’t still necessary. ? ? ?
Love the nostalgia nod to the Gold Star.
Looks great but imho too heavy.
A used Svartpilen 701 please.
I am in my 40s and Like the look and function.
I would not want to spend more than 5K for it, new, however.
But I would rather have this than a single cyl. honda cruiser.
Dear BSA,
I am interested to know the price you will be selling this bike at?
I would be even more interested to know if you will be building a 650 Golden Flash?
The manual for my dad’s 1950’s Flash is still in my possession as is the Watsonian Sidecar
Parts Catalogue.
will do good in asain markets
Would it be possible to fit a radiator that’s any uglier, it looks awful. Was it found in a 1970 mini parts bin, it is one piston short 10% less powerful, buy a Royal Enfield 650 lntercepter a far superior machine unless it costs about 4k
Why so much focus on the number of pistons as if more bring additional value? Why not have a laugh at how many clutch plates there are or whether it has 36 spokes instead of 40 spoke rims? Actually, if you count brakes and oil pressure system hardware, this bike likely has at least seven pistons.
I’ve had at least one single cylinder street bike for forty years. Only the KLR650 I had started life as a street bike. But I think I am qualified to say that a single is a different animal. If someone says they would rather have a 650 twin than a single, I’m not going to blame them one bit.
Particularly any bike that weighs north of 450 pounds. If it’s going to weigh like a twin, it might as well be a twin. Don’t think so? Ride a KLR650 and the 650 twin of your choice and get back to me on that. They all weigh about the same.
Most of my street singles have weighed less than 300 pounds. That is the sort of thing that a single should bring to the table. You don’t mind using them as a dingy for your truck because they are easy to get in and out of there.
Hmm, I’ve ridden many 650s; singles, twins, and fours. They all rode down the street just fine, some of the twins vibrated a lot, that was the primary difference. I actually really enjoy the KLR as a road bike, same with the F650 BMW and MuZ singles. The KLR felt the most roomy and capable of really long distance highway trips comfortably. I guess the biggest difference is in the sounds they make, the fours sounding the most glorious when really pushing and the four cylinder bikes always had the broadest rev range. The singles always seem the easiest to ride fast. I think the primary differences came down to the particular bike and not how many pistons it had. Thanks for asking.
My first motorcycle was a used 1968 BSA spitfire, mark IV special. Maroon and white, bought it for $600 from a friends older brother. The year was 1975 I believe. It was beautiful! Needed a stator first thing, I would charge the battery up for a short ride. I finally took it down to have it repaired, with help from my Dad. He would take me to the flat track races at Ascot Park in Gardena, California when I was just a kid. It was mostly BSA’s and Triumph’s, few HD’s, Norton’s,and Royal Enfields, in the Expert class. Early on the BSA’s were singles, later going to the twins. I was too young to think much about the vibration, and didn’t much care at the time, it sure sounded nice! It was starting to get hard to get original parts for, so when I rode a buddy’s 1975 RD350, sold the BSA, and bought a new RD400. I was quite happy with the Yamaha. Sure miss that BSA!
DB
Remembered the kick stator on the BSA 441 Victor. Wasn’t my kind of bike. It kicked back like a jackass. Any single barrel I will pass on, including electric start.
Good looking motorcycle but doubt they’ll sell many in the USA. Most BSA lovers are either dead or nearly dead.
NOT yet J J ! Oh to still have a B44, or a Spitfire, or a Rocket Lightning – Gone forever. When men did not cry on TV, and women did not have tattoos or nose rings. Gone forever.
Mostly dead! (Hey, that resembles me!)
I’m in my 40s and recently sold my last BSA to buy my KTM. Though my primary form of transportation is dangerous, I plan on living a little while longer!
My first bike was a BSA, and I’m not dead! I’m not dead mainly because the POS rarely ran. I don’t miss that thing at all. Viva the modern! …and thank you Honda forever.
Well said Pedro!
Bit harsh jimjim but true. Besides anyone born 1980+ never heard of BSA.
Nothing I like more than cranking up AC/DC, kicking back Modelo Negra #4, and tinkering a bit with my ’71 OIF Lightning. I’ve got a 2008 BMW K1200gt beside it – basically a BMW 328 that got sawed in half lenghtwise, with the soul of coal and as untouchable as a miffed Melania. Not dead yet…
Totally agree with badChad plus I’m convinced that the frame has or is going to house a similar 650cc twin in the not too distant future. Its got a lot going for it but first impressions…its a bit stodgy and wants to look like a big bike. I’ve got a Yam SR500 and aircooled,lightweight is how it should be…for me anyway! Price will be absolutely pivotal here in the U.K. Sorry,not convinced its going to happen here.
Got an 83 XS650 Special in the shed now and yea it vibrates a little. The 71 CB350 setting next to it will leave hands and feet tingling after a few miles. I would like to see the XS line modernized but that BSA Gold Star looks awesome.
What a stunning bike. Make mine a scrambler and tell me where to sign!
YAMAHA-bring back the XS650 : guaranteed to shake the fillings out of your teeth !!
The XS650 was the first street bike I ever rode. I traded for the day my dirt bike and took my buds for a ride. The thing was brand new and I felt the joy of riding on the road. Never noticed the vibration till many years later taking one for a short ride. HOoo boy! Funny how our memories of old bikes don’t carry the vibration or wooden brakes. I’ve never been tempted to acquire any bike from my youth because of that ride.
I’m not a Yamaha fan for the most part, but that is a great idea. Add a balancer shaft or two, plus a few minor updates to modernize and it would make a worthy competitor to the W800. I did like the ‘75 model. Good looking bike.
I owned 3 of them, a 73 TX, a 79 XS and an 81 XS special. Great bikes, but yea they vibrated…a lot lol
A modern XS 650 std with balancers would be awesome. I’d buy one.
I had a 81 Special-good looking bike. I remember soon as hit 80km/hr vibes set in. Fortunately I also owned a BMW R100RT so the XS was for short -Very short-trips.Though when you turned up at rallies, race meetings or any biker event you would see XS’s there loaded with gear.
I had a 1980 Special II, the stripper model I bought used for $700 in 1999. But I heavily modified mine (what to do do, especially the famous “Minton Mods,” is well known to the XS650 community, most of whom are kind of cheap (young) and proceed to ruin many an XS650 by turning it into a hardtail chopper.) It made upwards of 75 rwhp when about 72 is the limit. Mine crunched a rod. It was a beast my friends called Ol’ Grizzly. But it was a riot and would yank your arms out when you grabbed the throttle. Enjoy the memories, but don’t expect Yamaha to bring it back. As far as it’s concerned, it has already done so with the the MT-07 700. That’s a nice bike but I’d rather have the XS650.
I like it, I look forward to actually seeing and hearing one
Maybe even a test drive if they come to Canada
Good attempt will satisfy the modern generation that like to pretend there living 60s wannabe in India and set ready good for Bollywood, just add crash bars and a sari fly screen near the rear wheel guard. that’s never seen or owned an origional BSA, Indian are good when it comes to Indian entertainment, groovy pulled back hair black studded leather jacket and sun glasses. In screaming hot temperatures. Your on camera.
Reading the comments (which is always fun) one is reminded that motorcyclists are as diverse as the machines themselves. Im always amused when people become polarized on specific topics.
I’m sure the money behind the new BSA have done their homework and have a feel for the demographic that will potentially purchase one of these bikes, and have aligned their manufacturing capacity accordingly. Their are many in the market that long for such a bike, and some that don’t understand it at all. Excellent – I would hate to see everyone riding a homogeneous motorcycle created by a committee.
One might say that the committee here decided to do a replica of an old bike and had not a single care about how it preformed. They farm out an engine from the usual source and make everything around it look as lose to the bike they are copying as possible.
But it was only one committee. A styling committee. So it ends up being really heavy, the forks are noodles but the rake is the same as the original. So they source shorter shocks and a smaller rear wheel to aid stability.
None of that matters as long as the product looks right. This from a company that got in trouble for making something that looked way too much like a Jeep.
It’s a design compromise. It’s interesting that this thing has almost the exact same torque and hp as the Enfield 650 twins, but manages it with a single with higher compression and liquid cooling. I am sure it will sound awesome. But for me personally air cooling is a huge part of the simple motorcycling formula you get from a retro design, so I have an RE Interceptor. I’d probably even rather have an RE 535 than this bike, but that’s me. This one looks great and I am sure lots of people will love it.
My 1986 SRX600 single weighed 379lbs stock and made 42hp. Singles need to be super light. This “BSA” is heavy. And the rear 17 looks off. This could be a cool bike. It certainly looks good. But like most retros, it’s unserious and budgety. The Goldstar was a hardcore snarling sport bike in its day. This overweight Indian single, by contrast, seems like a slow lane pose for geriatrics and soy boys.
Geriatrics and soy boys, eh? Pretty personal and bigoted aren’t you. It’s just a motorcycle, no need to be nasty. No excuse for that.
well said.
over time, many of those who post here, have shown their colors. The RD350 is a good bike, and I dont equate the comments from DR350 to the machine. Like so many motorcycles today, when you can find something made for every niche, there will be some who say they dont like it. Quite unlike the days of my youth, when there were 3 basic motorcycles, the big Harleys, the sportier English bikes, and the small bikes from Japan. Being a kid, and having been told, “you kids get off, and go sit on them Honda’s”, I grew up wanting a bike from Japan. Today, one can buy almost every kind of bike, focused for a specific group. Its too easy to see RD350 doesnt like this bike, and his condemnation of those that might want one. Little does he know, if he isnt one or both of those, he will be soon.
What about the Benelli or CZ?
Not feeling the Christmas spirit there, are you? It sounds like your 35-year-old SRX600 is a thing of the past. So what are you riding now? If you own an RD350, is it a daily rider, or even your main ride? Do you not realize that not all people have your exact tastes and interests in motorcycles? There really is no need to be insulting when other people can appreciate something that you cannot.
I understand his or her frustration. A case could be made that the street bike industry has contempt for its customers. Nobody likes being treated with contempt. This bike is an example. Want a bike that loks like an old BSA? Here you go. Never mind that sixty years of materiel and manufacturing technology added about 100 pounds to the bike.
There are street singles that aren’t super heavy. But only the Brits get those. And they come from small manufacturers that don’t have access to zillion dollar equipment. Buying from a small manufacturer comes at a fee also. But CCM has singles that actually weigh less than old street singles do. Wow! Progress! It can actually happen. They have Langen for those who what a street bike with MotoGP levels of specific output, at about 300hp per liter it might be up there with the Ducatis.
Here in the US? Nnnnnnnope!
Then there is the flip side. Find a spec sheet you like? Keep the puke bucket handy because a team of experts whipped that baby with and ugly sticks good and propper.
Look at these comments. People are talking about decades old bikes that have no current replacements unless you are willing to suffer a huge compromise. Are these people not being treated with contempt?
Geez, I don’t feel like I’m being treated with contempt by the motorcycle industry. if fact I feel blessed. There are dozens of choices of great motorcycles of many styles to choose from that are infinitely more reliable, smoother, faster, with better braking, better lighting, and more safety features that won’t spill its internal liquids on the ground, that I can ride for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of miles on without having to work on them beyond common maintenance. I no longer have to pack a suitcase full of tools, jumper cables, vice grips, bailing wire or duct tape when going on a trip, and I can be pretty confident that I will get to my destination and back without any drama from my motorcycle.
Contempt? Hardly. Nothing but thanks and praise for the motorcycle industry from me. If I do find something to gripe about it’s because I’m being selfishly picky. The bikes are great, it’s the buyer who has issues.
You’ll never sell me on the idea.
You can buy an inexpensive laptop that can do more in a week than a mainframe in 1961 could handle during the history of the universe. But the motorcycle industry can’t make a replica of a 1959 motorcycle without adding about a hundred pounds to it.
It’s all my fault for noticing. And I should just be grateful that they are not unreliable and don’t leak fluids. And boy isn’t it great that I have so many examples of this mediocrity to choose from.
Nope! Sorry.
Mick if it was ONLY about weight, you’d be right. But it isn’t only about weight at least to the vast majority of motorcyclists or else they wouldn’t be selling any motorcycles..yet they do.
Is the weight penalty worth the conveniences/reliability we enjoy today. It is to me.
I’d venture to say everyone on here with the exception of you has bought new motorcycles since 1994 and have happily ridden them many miles, even if they weighed more than their predecessors.
As to the weight, I’m not carrying the motorcycle, it’s carrying me. Is lighter better? Sure, in most cases. Is it the be all to end all? Nope.
I feel for ya Mick, so many great motorcycles out there and you can’t enjoy them because you are hung up on this one issue.
Hope you and the rest of the MCD posters have a great, safe holiday season.
freddie’s triple made 110 hp and weighed 240 lbs. 93’s bike makes (up to) 300 hp and weighs 360. which bike is better/more reliable?
Roger D is all in on big 4 strokes at the supercross too…
Where’s the kick-starter? If you’re going for authenticity you have to have a kick-starter. Even the W800 has one!
I have a W800, no kick starter. But who needs it? I don’t. One thing I do like about this new BSA is how it makes my Kawasaki W800 standard look even more like a BSA. Kawasaki did a beautiful job with their rendition of a Brit bike from the 60’s. Probably has something to do with their original W1 that was based on a BSA A5.
I would love a DBD34 but I will settle for this if I can’t find a good one. I want to drive not show it. I had a ZB34 works bike in the late sixties but sold it to buy the wife’s engagement ring. Love the old British singles. I have an SR500 great fun to drive but not as beautiful as this BSA in the looks department.
Can’t wait for the Golden Flash will be very tempted.
I don’t mind the radiator so much. The 17 inch tire looks out of place and it gives the bike a different stance than the original. I hate that gas tank seam, just as ugly here as on the Triumphs.
If they engineered a radiator hidden under the tank with a fan and hidden ducting it would help more than anything. A combination liquid/air cooled design might work. Some of us think this is what a motorcycle ought to look like (less the radiator). If you have not ridden a big single you miss the appeal of low end torque and engine braking. I modified my GB500 with bars to replace the clip ons, re-positioned the pegs and shifter. I finished it off with a custom Super Trapp and Corbin seat, it was a fun all day bike I owned for 25 years.
Yamaha probably sold precious few of the reliable, parts available, inexpensive SR400 (available on Cycletrader for around $5,000), Honda had to cut the price of GB500’s over 20% to get them off the dealer floors. The Gold Star replica won’t sell either. Too bad.
Absolutely love it. How a proper motorcycle should look and a thumper to boot!
It’s nice, but where will you get parts when they go under?
You won’t. Something to consider.
You really think Mahindra would go under?
They know not of which they speak 😉
Mahindra won’t be going under, but this BSA isn’t Mahindra. It’s a toy that Mahindra owns. And if they get tired of playing with this toy they can fold it up without a second thought just as easily as if it were a new startup with negative cash flow.
That said, if they get some traction in their home market, then BSA is here to stay (even if they stop importing to the US.) Even a very small slice of a pie that big can be profitable.
Perfect response.
Take a bow.
When the new BSA Gold Star is available, I’ll buy it, if I don’t already have a motorcycle, or if I do.
i hope that Dick Mann saw this thing’s prototype before he died…
Why is the default explanation for the inclusion of a radiator on what is supposed to be a faithful recreation of an air-cooled classic always the same “Euro 5” autoresponse? There are still plenty of air-cooled, Euro 5-compliant streetbikes. Just as one example, nearly the entire Moto Guzzi lineup remains air-cooled and Euro 5 compliant.
Otherwise, why would someone want this Indian-built, liquid-cooled, 470-lb, 652cc single instead of a similar, well-proven Triumph product, or a Kawasaki W800, or even a Royal Enfield? Or a Guzzi?
I get that the British thing would exclude the Guzzi, but the other three are all very similar Brit-based retros with established dealer networks, parts availability, aftermarket support, and reliability track records. Is this new BSA going to undercut the price of the others, including the bargain-basement Royal Enfields, by a significant amount?
I don’t know. Sure, it’s a pretty enough bike and all, but so are the others. This one is no more a real retro than they are, so why choose it over its far more proven, better-performing competition?
I just don’t get the appeal here.
I see a lot of people here, have a similar opinion as above. This simply is not the bike for you. I am curious, just what bike would you buy new, and or, what do you ride now?
My two most recent bikes were a Z900 and a CB1100 EX, a real air-cooled retro.
My point isn’t that this bike shouldn’t be desirable. It’s quite pretty, to be sure. My point is simply the question, why would anyone choose this particular bike over better supported, higher performing Brit-based retros from established brands like Triumph, Kawasaki, or Royal Enfield? I see nothing about this bike that separates it in a positive way from the Bonnevilles, W800, and Royal Enfields, all of which have far superior dealer networks.
because boomer
I see.
Why would someone buy an Indian, or a Norton, or a Triumph for that matter as none are original. It’s a (labeled) BSA.
Nostalgia is a powerful motivator.
Why?
Because they want a cool-looking, Brit-based retro. I get that. I almost bought one too, a Bonneville T120, before pulling the trigger on the CB1100 EX. No problem, I get why people might want a modern retro: great aesthetics, (presumably) superior reliability and performance.
What I don’t get is why someone would choose this untested, unproven, ill-supported, underpowered, possibly overpriced new model over equally pretty, equally British-retro, well-regarded entities from trusted brands such as Triumph, Kawasaki, and RE.
They have to start somewhere. And if it weren’t for people buying Royal Enfields early on they wouldn’t have reached your definition of a trusted brand. I bet BSA does well in a tiny little market like India.
No need to bash a new company making motorcycles that some people might want just because they don’t meet your standards.
India is a much larger market than USA. Total sales per year in India are about 20 million. Total USA sales are under 1 million. Hero and Bajaj are the 3rd and 4th largest manufacturers in the world.
I know India is a massive market. My tiny comment was meant as a joke.
I tried to reply to your comment from my cell phone earlier but it disappeared. You’ll probably see a similar response in a couple days as usually happens.
well in 1999 Bloor’s Triumph was unproven and there were no dealers around, same goes for Indian, and Royal Enfield. At one point no one knew if they were reliable or if there would be a dealer anywhere near them
Heck in 1964 Honda was unknown and unproven and had no dealers.
It may be different in southern California but there are nearly as many BSA dealers near me right now, as there are Apilia, Royal Enfield, Ducati, KTM, BMW or MV Agusta dealers…basically zero within a day’s drive. We finally did get a Guzzi dealer again after 47 years.
BSA will pick up some dealerships, heck the current dealerships have nothing else to sell right now. The bikes will either prove themselves reliable or not, which you’d think would determine their fate, but other Euro’s and Indian bikes are still around even with questionable reliability. (not around here though)
The BSA will probably sell better in India and Britain than the US anyway.
Can you still buy a new Kawasaki W800? Heck in 2003 I tried to buy a W650 and zero Kawasaki dealers around me stocked them, but would order me one. That’s how I ended up with my 2003 Triumph T-100. My “local” Triumph dealer 100 miles from my house, that eventually dropped the brand a couple of years ago, had them in stock at the time, so I bought one.
Can’t buy a Yamaha SR 500, or a Honda GB 500. Neither Suzuki or Kawasaki offers a 650 Thumper pure street bike, which some people desire.
Give BSA a chance.
The difference now is that buyers have choices they didn’t have when Bloor first resurrected Triumph. Back then, if one wanted a British retro, you either bought a real one and dealt with the endless headaches of vintage Brit-bike ownership, or you took a chance on one of Bloor’s new imitations.
At least they were still air-cooled, though.
Today’s buyer is presented with an entirely different landscape. If someone wants a British retro, they aren’t relegated to buying a vintage project bike or an untested new start-up imitation with zero history or dealer support. Nope, today a buyer can go online and study up on quite a few well established marquees and models that fit the bill, including that same Triumph brand that has now withstood the test of time.
As for the BSA being a single? Okay, so? What about it? It’s not lightweight or agile, as a classic single should be; not at 470 lbs, with an 18″ front wheel. It’s not going to be torquier, more powerful, faster, smoother, or more sonorous than a parallel Twin, which is more classically British anyway.
Give this bike a few years to establish itself, and for its dealership network to solidify, and perhaps I could see buying one. Until then, however, knowing that BSA might easily go under again, as has every attempt at resurrecting Norton, I can’t see plunking down my money on this gamble when there are so many other better, more trustworthy choices already available.
Geez VLJ, they have to start somewhere. If they are good, they will succeed, if they are not, they will join the new Norton’s and Vincents and Excelsiors that tried and died.
Nostalgia aint what is used to be….
You and Motoman are missing my point. I’m not sure how that’s possible, considering how clearly I’ve stated it a few times here already, but, okay, one more time…
I’m not bashing this bike. I’m merely questioning why someone would choose it when there are a number of other Brit-retro options that are equally pretty, better performing, and more trustworthy, both in terms of the bike itself and the brand as a whole.
Well said. Too Much competition, for this to succeed.
You are missing MY point. I’m not sure how that’s possible, considering how clearly I’ve stated it a few times here already, but, okay, one more time
But the others are not BSA’s.
Lots of people (including myself) rode BSA’s years ago and have fond memories of them.
It’s the name. Buy one and you can proudly wear BSA t- shirts and ball caps, just like you see people wearing Indian T-shirts and ball caps.
Trust me, it will be a thing.
Like Ray said above “I would love a DBD34 but I will settle for this if I can’t find a good one”
The BSA DBD34 was a legend in racing circles. These evoke those. Even if they are heavier and slower. Doesn’t matter. It’s how they make you feel which is what motorcycling is all about.
These will be no slower than W800s, no slower than RE 500’s, no slower than MG V7’s, no slower than SR 400s or 500s which are all under 50 hp, but the HP figure (and weight) is irrelevant when you are cruising down the back roads on a blue sky sunny Sunday riding a beautiful new BSA which harkens back to the legendary DBD34
Why does anyone choose one bike over another? Personal preference regardless of dyno charts and mfgs stat sheets.
I would buy this over a RE or W800 or V7 or SR 400 in a heart beat.
Now that was an an answer.
So, brand loyalty. Okay.
With BSA having gone MIA over the past half century, I wonder whether the brand still carries enough name cache to make a serious go of this. Most of their fan base has grown too old to keep a new, small-niche “legacy” nameplate afloat. The success of this effort will have to rely on today’s young hipsters taking up motorcycling in sufficient numbers.
I guess we’ll see. Fortunately, there is always the country of India, which is the market for which this brand will clearly be targeted. In the meantime, in terms of middleweight British retros, I know I’d choose a Street Twin or T100 over this one.
I get your point and agree with it. When the ressurected Triumph ressurected the Bonneville, it was offering something to the market that simply wasn’t available anywhere else. And it was introduced at a time when I think the nostalgia surrounding the British brands was at a prime.
The burning nostalgia for the Brit bikes has waned considerably simply because the current Triumph is well, current… and established. That type of bike is no longer something from a lingering memory. The 790 Bonneville is just a few years away from earning a “classic vehicle” status in most states. Norton failed to get traction. Perhaps it was a pricing issue, but it probably had more to do with the availability of modern Triumphs as an established and trusted alternative.
What does the BSA offer to differentiate itself? It is a single that makes decent power. Some people do like that, but good grief the bike is heavy. They are spec’ing Brembo brakes which I’m guessing is to add some flair to try and justify a relatively high asking price. I can’t see myself getting this bike over a comparable Triumph offering, and I have always been the type of person to take chances on oddball alternative things vs mainstream offerings.
Triumph has no comparable offering, or am I missing a 650 Single thumper in their line up?
Some people like 4 cyls, some triples, some twins and some people like singles.
That’s the attraction here..its a BSA and it’s a 650 single.
It’s kind of unique. Triumph doesn’t have one, either do any of the big four anymore that aren’t dual sport dirt bikes. Harley doesn’t have one, Ducati doesn’t have one I can think of. Moto Guzzi? Nope. KTM has one but it’s not in a style that buyers of this bike would choose.
Would a Triumph twin be a “better” bike? Probably in most peoples eyes, but not in the eyes of a Thumper enthusiast.
So it’s a little heavy, not everything has to be cutting edge. Heck, I bet it doesn’t even have TC, or cruise control, or modes, or a digital gear indicator, or a clock, or an ambient temp gauge, or adaptive cruise control, or self-cancelling turn signals, and I’ll bet it won’t hook up to a blue tooth anything
but I’ll bet the people that buy them enjoy them anyway … or in spite of
Well, like I said in the post: it is a single that makes decent power, and some people like that.
But I don’t think there is a huge demand out there from people pining for a BSA-badged motorcycle. Some for sure, but not many. I think that ship has sailed. That isn’t to say that the new company won’t find a way to make the BSA name desirable again to the post-BSA generations.
Perhaps it will do well in India. I don’t think BSA has any of the home-market brand fanaticism that Royal Enfield has, but I don’t know that for sure. Depending on pricing, they may sell a few here. But I can’t see them being the next Triumph, Royal Enfield, or even Moto Guzzi. And that may be perfectly fine with their ownership for all I know.
I get mickey’s points. They’re valid. If someone wants a Brit-retro single, or a BSA, period, this is the only option among new bikes.
It’s just a bit of a shame that this new BSA strays so far from the point of the original Gold Star, which was to be sporty, light, agile…fun. It wasn’t designed to be a fat, slow, leisurely cruiser. Lord knows, our current market is stuffed to the gills with fat, slow, leisurely cruisers. What the current market doesn’t offer is the exact thing the original BSA offered.
So, yeah, a bit of a shame. Definitely a missed opportunity.
Indeed, who knows how many they need to sell to be considered a success to the manufactuer.
India and Great Britain will be this bikes primary market, but I imagine they will sell a few in the US too, if it makes it here.
Not to me, but to true BSA enthusiasts.
“A few” likely being the correct number.
🙂
Usually the question from Americans regarding the Guzzi’s (or most other air cooled bikes) is “why can’t they make more power?”. The answer is usually Euro 3/4/5.
The radiator isn’t an offensive eyesore so there just isn’t any good reason not to liquid cool, even on a “retro” bike. It’ll allow for more power, better efficiency, better reliability and longer life.
Well done.
Beautiful bike. I just wish it was a twin.
I think that they nailed the styling. It’s timeless styling. Riders of all ages will buy this bike based on little more than looks.
Despite the head scratching comments of someone else here, I think that there is a dearth of classic style big single motorcycles available for the street. KTM’s 690 offering is a high revver with a character that is more like a twin than a grunty single. And not many folks call it “attractive.”
One sign that the time has come for a bike like this is that the Honda GB500 from 1989, a classically styled single (and not a hit in its own time), has become very popular in the used bike market.
The new BSA should be a really fun bike to ride, and it will be easy on the eyes to look at in your garage too. I have several bikes in my garage already, but I wouldn’t mind having this one along side them.
This doesn’t look retro. The whole point of either of BSAs Gold Stars, or even the Rocket Gold Star, was to marry form with function in as small, light and minimal package possible. The pushrod tunnel was there to carry pushrods, not to look pretty. The engine was low slung, as was all the weight. This just looks like a lazy flabby cartoon of a bike that couldn’t have been more different. If you want the closest thing to a Gold Star today, look at a CCM Spitfire. Rather than just buying the name, CCM were the BSA works department, who actually developed the second BSA Gold Star and were bought out as BSA folded by their works department. Compare the two .
Hi Wow not many old Beezer fans here. This leave it alone attitude made british bikes die in the first place I have the old A10s. Modern traffic scares the crap out of me cause of the brakes, lighting etc…if BSA survived the 70s this would be the way out of their slump…remember the BSA Fury? Too early for us old stuck in the past guys…im buying one of these Goldies if i can get one. Or should i wait for a Rocket Gold Star???? I’m sure it will be a twin OHC 650 if it is revived…Doug
>> This doesn’t look retro.
This bike doesn’t look retro??? ROFL. The bike is almost a mirror image of the 1950’s motorcycle it emulates:
https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/f1611b1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048×1364+0+0/resize/1440×959!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F15%2F6b%2Fe213b7b54de8b479ae8ecfb98325%2Fbsa-gold-star-6.jpg
Excellent pic link. I had to look at the pic twice to see the original vs the copy.they did a great job.
Like VLJ said its a shame its not a lightweight, but at approx the same hp as the original and 70 pounds heavier (due no doubt to the liquid cooling system, disc brakes, turn signals, two mirrors instead of one, and no doubt a beefier frame, electric starter, bigger battery etc (it all adds up) its not astronomically far from the original.
They do look similar, until you cast your glance upon each gas tank.
Gah! My eyes! My eyes!
If you expected this new BSA to have a hand formed tank, and to be identical to the original 1950’s bike in every single detail, no matter how expensive it is to re-create, then this bike simply wasn’t meant for you.
You should buy yourself an original from the 1950’s and then you won’t be disappointed with anything about the bike’s originality.
For me, this is a modern re-creation with plenty of the beauty of the original, with none of the compromises imposed by 65-year old technology. Plus it is almost sure to be affordable, not an over-priced plaything for those with a big budget.
Doesn’t need to be a boutique bike with a hand-formed tank. Plenty of modern, affordable, every-day bikes have flangeless tanks. Those giant ugly seams weren’t on the originals. They shouldn’t be on this one either. It’s just cost-cutting laziness.
For some folks nothing is ever good enough. Fortunately this bike exists for the rest of us, and we can be perfectly happy with it.
I’ve had a single Elsinor, twin yammie. triumph, Norton and harley now a 4 cylinder katana, that’s been the best bang for my buck the last twelve years, if this thing can beat the royal Enfield GT on price I’m in.
Keeping it simple and a great little hand me down to my Son.
Vinyl has been experiencing a resurgence for some time now because people enjoy the entire experience, why not a motorcycle that looks like a motorcycle? Royal Enfield makes them and to an extent, so does Triumph. Looks matter. This bike along with the Royal Enfields, some Triumphs and most of all, Harley-Davidson’s offerings, look like what they are.
Motorcycles.
There’s plenty of drag(queen) bikes for folks like Todd and Mick. You know, fake Harleys and fake Triumphs. For faux motorcyclists. Nothing will ever be good enough or lite enough for manlets like the Mick and the Todd. For their kind, it will always be a matter of “if only”…FTN.
Geez Kermit. Butt not watertight anymore?
I’m not into retro. So what? My front line street bike is a water cooled kick start 650 single. Meaning my current front line street bike probably has a lot more in common with this bike than yours does.
Here is yet another bike for you to look at. Good for you. Now if you are going to go around offending people about it. Buy one or put a sock in it.
Dear Mr. or Miss Frog.
Sorry my idea of a motorcycle is not manly enough for you. So I’m not into looks (much) and prefer performance and ability to ride fast around corners, mostly at the track.
Maybe everybody doesn’t have the same priorities as you. Relax, you’ll be happier or at least don’t share your opinion if it only serves to prove what a dick you are.
This is a beautiful bike, and works on so many levels. If you watch the promo/background videos, you can feel the love and enthusiasm of the people who created and are building this bike and company.
For many of us, this is what a motorcycle “should” look like. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop liking or riding our current bike(s), but there is something special about this bike.
Most of the criticisms are valid to an extent, but they won’t matter to the first round of buyers. Over time, they will be addressed if needed. If the price is competitive, and the bike is reliable, I believe it will be a sales success.
As Jay Leno puts it, “Sometimes, you just want to go for a ride.”. My guess is that this bike just may help a lot of people, both current and new riders, discover or re-discover the pure joy of riding motorcycles.
WOW ! It’s gorgeous !
You know, there is something out there for everybody? I don’t get the resistance to “this style” or “that style”. I think ALL bikes have their place and you narrow minded guys all pounce on weight or torque or “what, only one cylinder?” What an idiot. And what the HECK does it matter if they only sell a thousand of them. And somebody said they were “tired of retro.” Seriously? Retro BUILT the industry we all love. And anything that honors the early bikes is fantastic to me. I don’t give a crap how much HP it makes. It’s the SOUND, it’s the purring at 50 mph. It’s the 65 Mustang that you LOVE to drive. If you you don’t understand it, there is NO WAY to explain it to you.
Amen.
yes, right. What really matters about this bike is how low the price will be.
Who cares if “retro built the industry?” Why should that have anything to do with whether or not someone like a retro design?
I think it is great that bikes like this are being built for people that want them. I also feel no remorse for getting tired of the regurgitated designs.
“ Retro BUILT the industry we all love”
Come again? Innovation built the motorcycle industry. Later a brand (HD) had success by continuing with what has become a retro aesthetic but make no mistake, when bikes like the above first arrived, they were cutting edge and companies in the industry competed on the same terms as it does now – power, performance, weight, convenience, innovation.
Hopefully they’ll release a proper cafe`racer to compliment this cruiser. The Gold Star was a super bike, not a bar hopper.
You do realize what the cafe in cafe racer stands for don’t you?
Back in the day they weren’t stopping for a bite to eat at each cafe they raced to.
But you do realize that a “cafe racer” is a (vintage) race bike with street legalities added on. What I consider a “bar hopper” is a slow-paced, glitzy cruiser. Sure, this bike is pretty and authentic enough but it is nowhere near as rip-snortin’ to the eye as a DBD34 Gold Star race bike. It is ironic that BSA singles were competition bikes and their twins were commuters and cruisers.
Cafe racers back in the day weren’t race bikes turned into street bikes. They were standard street bikes with some parts stripped off and perhaps clip ons added.
What a great looking machine.Hope they go as good as they look.
Oh man, another “hot-cake” seller.
Is there not enough of those water-cooled “retros”? Btw. where is the second cylinder? Take it easy on yourself will ya – get R.E. Interceptor. They are both from India so hardly a competition.
I had one of the last models BSA built. The only thing that the new BSA needs is on the back of the seat the BSA LOGO to us who had one this was a statement of our pride to be riding one
Looks silly. What’s the point? Why bother? And who was asking for this? Triumph didn’t merely bring back the Bonneville. It re-imagined it.
I waited a while to type my post letting others chime in and see how the masses all see this. It is what it is, its heavy, its slow, it has to have some modern stuff on it, like a radiator to meet emission standards. I read all the negative comments, and eye roll, thinking they are all Homer Simpson comments. There will be a market for a bike like this. not a big huge buying masses, but some people, older younger, who dont have to have the fastest newest superbike, knowing this just might be all they need. I’m surprised no one said how round the tires are, or how shiney the brake discs are, or how old fashioned it looked, those things itself would make them “not buy this”. I can see, some of my older friends might want one of these. And the younger hipsters, who dont want a crotch rocket. Its all about how low the price will be.
This has all been done before. And then it was all done again. It’s a design that is starting to look a little tired to my eyes.
I could live with the radiator, but I am not sure about having the speedo & tacho being up side down. For example, at 4,000 rpm or 60 mph, the gauge needles will be pointing to “6 oclock”, the reverse of what modern motor cycles have.
My Dad had a beautifully restored vintage BSA Rocket 3 years ago. I begged him to let me ride it and one day he relented; me on the BSA and him on his Bonneville. I’ll never forget priming the carbs, kicking it over, and staring in horror as a spark ignited the gas that dripped on the transmission. After leaping off of the bike and watching it burn to the ground, I thought my Dad was going to murder me. He did not.
I ought to buy one of these for him.
It looks great except for the radiator. I could live with that.
It’s a bit heavy for a 650 single. A 1959 Goldstar had a dry weight of 380lbs. It also held 6 gallons of gasoline (about 48 lbs.)
This weighs a full 50lbs more. More torque and power though.
The real test will be price. It needs to be competitive with the price of the Royal Enfield 650s. Really, it needs to be less.
fighting words. The DBD34 Gold Star had the same power even though the engine was 13% smaller. More torque gets you nothing if the engine isn’t any more powerful. ABSAF was getting their race engines to over 50rwhp. I weighed my ’71 at 290 pounds and my ’72 was around 310 with lights and other road gear. I remember BSAs being race bikes and this one is a cruiser. I’m getting my grandfather’s ’57 AJS 18CS running again but I don’t expect it to be as potent as the BSAs.
The one retro element gone from the market forever. Retro weight.
Todd
I’m not trying to insult the bike, particularly the original. I love the old bikes, and this tribute looks cool as well.
Of course the originals were great. I never had one, but I had 60’s and 70’s Triumphs and Nortons that can’t be replicated faithfully in my mind. The sub-400 lb air cooled experience doesn’t translate to modern weights with water cooled engines.
A few years ago I had a New Bonneville 1200. Great bike, excellent build quality, definitely not the same soul as my 66 650.
And before someone misinterprets the feelings for classic bikes, it’s not about speed, handling or even reliability. It’s about soul and a relationship with the machine.
My buddy is always railing on tank seams. Frankly, I never paid that much attention to them before he started talking about them all the time. In most cases they don’t bother me but, for whatever reason, they look especially prominent on this bike. The Royal Enfield 650’s have noticeable seams as well, but for some reason my eyes aren’t drawn to them like they are on this bike. I love the old BSA’s, but I like the modern retro Enfield’s better than this one. I do like the look of the motor on this one though. That is especially well done.
Interesting. I’ve looked at the pictures of this bike in all 5 colors 20 or 30 times on different sites and youtube and never noticed the tank seams.
Then again tank seams never bothered me.
I get it, they never bothered me either until my friend started pointing them out. Even now they don’t bother me on most bikes, but they’re really prominent on this one.
I noticed and hated the huge seams right away. These days I’ve grown used to them, just as I’ve grown used to really awful hip-hop music blaring from cars, and presidential elections in the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth that present us with Joe Biden vs Donald Trump as our only two viable options.
Lowered expectations are not a good thing.
Compared to the seamless tank on my CB1100 EX or most Harleys, and most original Brit bikes, including the original Gold Stars, the giant seam framing the tank in the most visually lazy way imaginable on this new one totally smacks of Cheap Budget Bike. It’s the very antithesis of classic British elegance.
Just look at one of the originals…
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBSA_Rocket_Gold_Star&psig=AOvVaw1Cqo0J1bNBRsYCJcxBi8xc&ust=1640018077128000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIiAtMql8PQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN
It’s no contest.
There is no other purer road bike thumper with reasonable displacement, and 470 pounds WET is OK too. The only thing I would do is raise the rear suspension 1 inch and maybe find an inoffensive windscreen for it. This is a wonderfull counterpoint to Triumph . Hooray for India.
Gotta admit, it’s good lookin’. This will appeal to the older guys that remember the Brit bikes before the Japanese invasion. And that would be me..
I can live with the radiator. A bit heavy, but who cares in a bike like this. Looks very nice.
Way too heavy
its a cruiser ..not a sport bike ..lol
Finally….a proper looking motorcycle
I’m not really into the stylistically retro/modern bikes with modest performance preferring some retro cues, perhaps, with more hi performance intentions. But… that is one fine looking motorcycle that I could actually see owning as a second bike. Hard to tell in pictures but the build quality looks good too. Indian manufacturing seems to be the new Japanese bikes for the 21st century.
I think where they missed the mark is the weight. Did they make the frame from bar stock or something?
If Rotax developed the engine the head should probably flow fairly well. You could hot rod the thing and expect to get around 60hp. But it would still be awfully heavy.
It’s sad that they can’t copy an old bike and come in at the same weight or less. It seems like such a no brainer.
Don’t know why but when I first looked at it I didn’t notice it was a single. Really seems they could have made it lighter but unless it’s too expensive I still think they’ll sell well. Probably could take some weight off with some new wheels and an exhaust system and other bits but there goes the budget.
That depends what the budget is. If it’s for the Indian market that bike will be very inexpensive in India, like the Enfield are.
Where that can be a problem is that if a bike is made to a price point for India its made to go no faster than 35mph. Once here a heavy bike with little suspension travel and cheap suspension components is going to ride very poorly at speed. I suppose
the cruiser crowd is kind of used to that. But BSA were road burners back in the day. Guys who buy on nostalgia are not going to be happy with something that rides like a budget cruiser.
Or not. What I know about fashion bikes can be put into a mosquitoe’s ear where it would rattle like a BB in a box car. As a piece of equipment this bike is not very impressive. A lot of guys don’t seem to care. They like how it looks, pass the beer nuts.
Euro5 emissions. Even the last holdout, Moto Guzzi, revealed a liquid cooled engine.
The times, they are a-changin’
I get it, but Guzzi H2O motor, although bigger makes well over twice the power. And Guzzi makes an E5 air cooled 850 for their v7 that doesn’t even have an oil cooler.
The Guzzi 850 on the V7 uses a different top end than the V85TT adventure bike. It is only 2/3 the power of the adv bike as well, designed to lazily lope around and is easy for them to tune decently even for Euro 5. It will probably see another 3 years, 4 max, before they can’t make it pass another tier.
The E5 Adv bike, runs a lot hotter to get the extra 20 RWHP and it doesn’t run well. It stutters and surges randomly depending on conditions making it unpredictable in ridability. The E4 version runs a lot better. The E5 is barely passing as acceptable to the consumer. It’s a great bike but E5 tuning has made the bike difficult to live with for many owners, expecially since there is no aftermarket solution for ECU tuning and they’ve redesigned the exhaust system to keep people from putting a Y-pipe where the cat is.
I am one of many anxiously awaiting for the new V100 Mandello to hit the streets in about a year form now according to MG at EICMA. The new engine is designed as a multi displacent platform to accomodat from 850 to 1300cc. In the next 3 or 4 years, I would look for the aircooled V7 line to disappear in favor of LC.
This looks like fun for old guys, like me.
My guess would be emissions and Euro 5 compliance. The large radiator is unfortunate as, otherwise, it looks like it just dropped in from the mid 50s.
I know its 2021, but a bike as seriously retro as this should be air cooled, there is no reason to have that big ugly radiator.
Not sure if they could get away with aircooling it in the Euro5+ era.
Regardless, this is a bike I on paper have wanted to see: A modern large single. With good, as in better than KLR class, top end performance; but still suitably slowturning (and I assume with a bit of flywheel), relaxed and torquey. The KTM LC4 is plenty powerful, and the 690 Duke a great bike, but too highstrung and manic for most riding. This looks to be tuned for the sort of more thumpy low end that made old DRs so appealing in urban use, while still having a more modern, and freeway friendly, mid-top.
I hope it has decent rear travel. And that it turns out to be reliable for real world, only-bike even use. Not just another wannabe showpiece, to show off at the Rock Store a few weekends before parking it for good.
They could make an E5 air cooled one. But the problem is if you’re going to develop an engine, you gotta make it future proof so it can pass E6, E7 and so one so you can make you’re money back many times over.
Look at how long the basic Suzuki K5 engine has been in existence. The GSXR-S1000GT+ is using that same basic engine but with all the necessary electronics. They enough faith in it to release a completely new sport tourer and if it sells well, they believe it can stick around long enough to also meet an upcoming E6 at the least.
Another is the 1043cc in the Ninja 1000 being around a while and still prepared to get a few more years out of it. Possibly could meet E6 as well as all the sensors and gimmickery are all there.
Future forward design to make money is how it’s done. Not building an engine that may only get by for a couple years max and then go to the scrap bin.
I’m normally a cynic when it comes to styling, but that thing is classically, timelessly gorgeous. I want one. I hope they find a way to support them through established dealership networks.