Iconic Britbike Brand BSA, Now Owned By India’s Mahindra, Puts New Gold Star 650 Into Production

Disclosure: Author is an ex-BSA A50 owner and current Royal Enfield INT650 owner

Britbike brands once thought lost to industrial age decline continue to make a comeback, with Birmingham Small Arms, aka BSA, being the latest resurrection through investment or outright ownership based in India.

With Mahindra-owned Classic Legends revival of BSA, that makes three prominent britbike brand resurrections by way of the subcontinent, with TVS reviving Norton, and agricorp Eicher Group bringing Royal Enfield into the modern age (and international markets). Mahindra also operates specialty bike maker Jawa and other small-displacement motorbike brands.

Technically, Royal Enfield was India-owned and operated for decades after it folded in the U.K. in the 1970s, but it’s included on this list for important contextual reasons, the primary one being displacement. After some delays, the new BSA has brought it’s first new bike to market, and it wears the most prominent of BSA badges: Gold Star.

BSA’s Gold Star was the gold standard in motorcycling for decades, first coming to market in 1938 and riding BSA’s popularity – BSA was the biggest motorcycle brand in the world for a stretch – for 25 years. It started as a 350cc single and quickly grew to 500cc. The air-cooled motor could make horsepower in the mid-30s range back in the day, and it was eventually joined by a long line of BSA 500 and 650cc twins as the clock began to wind down. This author owned a BSA A50 500cc twin for several years.

The new Gold Star is still a one-lunger single, but it’s starting out in the 650cc class (652cc, to be exact) and while it certainly looks the part of a classic bike, it’s got a lot of tech under the skin that should help it keep pace with other retro-modern machines in its class, such as Royal Enfield’s popular INT650 and 650 GT twins.

MORE FROM FORBESSimple Pleasures For Trying Times: 2020 Royal Enfield INT650 Motorcycle ReviewBy Bill Roberson

The new 650 Gold Star will come standard with electric starting (and no backup kickstarter), liquid cooling, digital fuel injection, ABS anti-lock Brembo disc brakes, a five-speed gearbox and a 4-valve head for the deep-breathing single cylinder. Small LCD panels in the appropriate “counter clockwise” analog-style instruments – including a small clock in the headlight shell – relay fuel level and some other data bits.

Despite the liquid cooling, which requires a radiator ahead of the engine, the motor retains cooling fins to help complete the retro look. A flat seat with strap, shiny 3-gallon tank with the famous BSA Gold Star badge, wire wheels and full fenders hit the right retro styling notes. The front fork offers no adjustments while riders can bump up preload on the twin rear shocks for carrying passengers and tackle. Power output from the modern motor is in the mid-40 horsepower range, which should be plenty to carry the 437 pound Gold Star and a rider to triple digits (known historically as “the Ton”), if just barely.

The first Gold Stars will cost 6,500 pounds when they arrive first in the U.K., even though the company is now based out of India, where the bikes will eventually do battle with the well-established Royal Enfield machines, which are borderline religious icons with riders there. North America will get them at some point no doubt, likely around the $7,000 price point. Kawasaki’s throwback W-800 rings in at $9,000 or so and Royal Enfield’s 650 twins, which have suddenly caught the fancy of American riders, start at about $6,000 to start. Another iconic British marque revived in India – Norton – will likely land in American and international markets soon, although the new Nortons will be larger displacement, more modern, more luxurious and more expensive than the BSA and Royal Enfield offerings. We hope to get a BSA Gold Star in for review when they become available in the U.S.

Who’s next? Smaller-marque British brands AJS and Ariel remain in hibernation, waiting in the wings for angel investors to descend from their financial skyscrapers to return them to former glory. Stay tuned.