Reborn BSA Gold Star
Norton and Royal Enfield aren't the only famous British bike brands to be under Indian ownership. Another legendary name - BSA - is part of the Mahindra empire and being revived with a new machine to bear the Gold Star name.
Clearly putting its sights on Royal Enfield, the new Gold Star is a 652 cc single-cylinder, making 45 hp at 6,000 rpm to fit into the A2 licence category, with 55 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, driving through a suitably old school five-speed transmission.
Despite the prominent cooling fins on an engine that's designed to physically resemble the air-cooled, pushrod Gold Stars of old, the new engine is actually water-cooled, and twin overhead cams lurk in the cylinder head, operating four valves. That engine is mounted in a traditional steel chassis, with conventional 41 mm telescopic forks and twin rear shocks, adjustable only for preload. That combination makes for a bike that weighs 213 kg ready-to-ride, with a full 12-litre tank of fuel. The modest tune of the Euro 5-compliant engine means it's rated for 70.6 mpg, enough to squeeze around 186 miles of range from a full tank.
The spec includes single brake discs front and rear, each gripped by Brembo calipers, and 18" front and 17" rear wheels - wire, of course - shod in Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp rubber.
Straightforward dual clocks provide the info you'd expect without the sort of smartphone-connected excesses of many modern bikes, although there is a small LCD multi-function display alongside the speedo and rev counter.
Initially, production is expected to take place in India, but Classic Legends, the company that owns BSA (and itself 60% owned by Mahindra), also intends to build a manufacturing base near Birmingham to maintain the BSA name's links to the city. Classic Legends' other brands include Jawa.
The Gold Star might reflect BSA's past, but going into the future, BSA intends to develop an electric bike in the UK, where it has been awarded a grant by the Government towards the creation of such a machine.
In the shorter term, the Gold Star is due to hit the market in Spring 2022, and while prices have yet to be revealed, they're expected to be competitive when compared to similarly sized rivals like Royal Enfield's 650 cc Interceptor.
