BSA Gold Star 650 Launched In India, Prices Start From ₹2.99 Lakh

Famed British motorcycling icon, BSA, makes its official India debut with the Gold Star 650 roadster. The single-cylinder British muscle motorcycle is priced from ₹ 2.99 lakh onwards (ex-showroom India). Bookings have commenced and deliveries for the same will take place today onwards as well.

Staying true to its British roots, the new Gold Star 650 is a near modern replica of the famous Gold Stars of the 1950s and 1960s. BSA has managed to get the silhouette, proportions and distinguishing elements just perfect, quite like the touring versions of the yesteryear Gold Star. It has quintessential British roadster elements like a circular headlamp, twin pod instrument clusters, 12-litre teardrop-shaped fuel tank, flat bench seat, and mudguard stays that are so characteristic of the Gold Star series. The roadster will be available in five regular colours and one special ‘Silver Sheen’ option. Here are the official prices of each colour edition:

 Modernity takes a hit when it comes to the features department. The clusters are purely analogue with the digital insets displaying just the odometer, two tripmeters and a fuel gauge. The central pod mounted on the headlamp, another Gold Star element of the past, is filled with tell tale lights. LEDs are not to be found here. Trusty halogen bulbs continue to do the trick. Thankfully, Classic Legends has employed the USB charging ports from the new Jawas and Yezdis on the Gold Star 650 as well.

Underneath the stylish and ‘classic’ garb, the Gold Star 650 is packing a relatively modern liquid-cooled mill. The 652 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, built by Austrian engine manufacturer Rotax, has been tuned specifically by BSA to provide that punchy yet smooth British torquey single riding experience. The output of 44.38 bhp and 55 Nm remains the same. And so does the 201 kg kerb weight (sans fuel).

This powerplant is housed inside a double cradle frame that is suspended on a telescopic fork and twin rear shocks. The 18-/17-inch spoke wheels are wrapped in Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tyres, which in our previous experience aren’t the best suited for our Indian conditions. Surprisingly, Classic Legends is importing the Brembo braking hardware for the Gold Star 650 with a 320 mm/250 mm floating disc brake setup found on the bike. Dual-channel ABS remains standard.

In the 650 cc retro roadster space, the only competition for the BSA Gold Star 650 remains the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. The two of them might have similar British roots but both take very different paths to achieving the same goal. Pricing wise, the starting price of the Gold Star is definitely lower than the Interceptor. However, the top spec Silver Sheen Gold Star 650 costs ₹3,990 more than the Mark-2 chrome Interceptor 650. Which one makes better sense? Well, we will surely have a go on both and bring you an in depth report on the same. Stay tuned.