2022 BSA Gold Star First Look

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BSA has revealed the classically styled 2022 Gold Star, designed in the UK and built in India, and featuring a 650cc liquid-cooled DOHC single. (BSA Motorcycles/)

The influx of Indian money has saved classic British motorcycling names more than once in the past, and now BSA is the latest brand to return to the market under Indian ownership. As such it joins Royal Enfield, a company that has been Indian-owned for decades, and Norton, which was revived from bankruptcy in 2020 by India’s TVS Group. Like those companies, the newest incarnation of BSA is leaning hard on its past glories, with the first model from the reborn brand bringing back the Gold Star name.

The new model is a dead ringer for the post-1953 Gold Star, down to the spoked wheels, teardrop tank, and rounded headlight—though the radiator betrays its modern-day status. (BSA Motorcycles/)

BSA is now owned by Classic Legends, the same Indian company that also oversees the Jawa brand. Classic Legends itself is 60-percent owned by car and motorcycle manufacturer Mahindra—a firm that started its journey into vehicle production by license-building Jeep CJ3s in the 1950s and now owns brands including Pininfarina, Peugeot Motorcycles, and SsangYong Motor.

Like Royal Enfield and Norton, BSA also uses British expertise, with R&D facilities in the UK, and plans to set up a manufacturing base near Birmingham in the UK Midlands. It’s a kind of homecoming for the firm, since BSA started life as a gun-maker, Birmingham Small Arms, before branching out into bicycles in the late 19th century and then motorcycles in 1910. Originally, Classic Legends and Mahindra planned to have the UK manufacturing and development facilities up and running by now, but delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic mean the initial bikes are set to be made at the firm’s Indian facilities.

The company’s longer-term plans include electric models that will be developed and made in the UK, where Classic Legends has been given a government grant of 4.6 million pounds, to be matched by its own investment in the electric project.

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The four-valve DOHC 650cc engine is Rotax-designed and claims to output 45 bhp and 40.6 pound-feet, though the transmission is just a five-speed. (BSA Motorcycles/)

For its first model under new ownership however, BSA stays with a design firmly rooted in the the past rather than looking toward the future, and there’s no denying it’s a convincing evocation of the post-1953 versions of the original Gold Star (when swingarm rear suspension was introduced).

The engine is particularly successful in conjuring the look of the original, despite having a completely different internal design. Where the original 350 and 500cc Gold Stars had pushrod, OHV, two-valve, air-cooled singles, the new Gold Star has a Rotax-designed, DOHC four-valve motor, with water-cooling and a capacity of 652cc. The result is a peak of 45 hp, which compares well to the 46.8 hp that Royal Enfield extracts from the 648cc twin in the Interceptor—and with just one large cylinder, the BSA hits its peak at lower revs, 6,000 rpm compared to Enfield’s 7,150 rpm. The BSA also has more outright torque, peaking at 40.6 pound-feet and 4,000 rpm, compared to 38.6 pound-feet at 5,150 rpm for the Royal Enfield engine. That torque might well come in handy too, as the BSA makes do with a five-speed transmission where the Enfield has six ratios in the box.

Since the BSA is water-cooled, there’s a radiator that somewhat mars the retro styling, but it’s not too prominent and doesn’t make for a big weight penalty compared to its closest rival. Ready to ride, the Gold Star weighs 470 pounds, compared to 478 pounds for the Royal Enfield Interceptor.

The Gold Star is likely targeting Enfield’s 650cc twins, with suspension, wheels, brakes, and other specs being a close match between the two. (BSA Motorcycles/)

The 41mm fork is a close match to those used on the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, as is the BSA’s twin-shock rear end, and both bikes use the same size front wheel—18 inches in diameter, with 100/90-18 rubber. At the back, the BSA has a smaller 17-inch wheel and a wider tire, a 150/70-17 compared to the 130/70-18 used on the Interceptor. In terms of brakes there’s little to choose between the bikes: Both have a single 320mm front disc and two-piston caliper—although the Gold Star’s is a Brembo while the Interceptor’s comes from Brembo’s ByBre budget brand.

Although ABS is standard, electronics are kept to a minimum, with dual analog gauges mounted ahead of the bars and a small LCD window showing other info. (BSA Motorcycles/)

ABS is standard, but don’t go hunting for smartphone-connected instruments or advanced rider aids here. The Gold Star is about as traditional as a modern bike can get in that respect; the instruments are two simple dials, albeit mounted upside-down compared to the norm, so the needles swing downward as revs and speed rise. A small LCD display shows additional info, but no more than is absolutely necessary.

Single disc brake, twin rear shocks, and a wide flat bench seat are also par for the mid-capacity retro segment. (BSA Motorcycles/)

According to BSA’s website, the bike will be available in red, silver, black, and green color options, and while price is sure to be a deciding factor for many in choosing between the BSA and the Royal Enfield alternatives, no specifics have been announced just yet. The firm currently only says it will be competitive, with a final figure due to be announced in early 2022, shortly before production gets into full swing.

2022 BSA Gold Star Specifications

MSRP:	N/A
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled single; 4 valves
Displacement:	652cc
Bore x Stroke:	N/A
Compression Ratio:	11.5:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	5-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:	45 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Claimed Torque:	41 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Clutch:	Slipper/assist
Frame:	Tubular steel double cradle
Front Suspension:	41mm telescopic fork
Rear Suspension:	Dual shocks, adjustable preload
Front Brake:	Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, 320mm disc w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	Brembo 1-piston floating caliper, 255mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Wire-spoked alloy; 18 x 2.5 in. / 17 x 4.25 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp; 100/90R-18 / 150/70R-17
Rake/Trail:	26.5°/ N/A
Wheelbase:	56.1 in.
Seat Height:	30.7 in.
Fuel Capacity:	3.2 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight:	470 lb.
Availability:	2022

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