The new BSA Gold Star 650 in Deluxe trim
It’s a great time of year to be a moto-journalist. The world’s motorcycle manufacturers are steadily rolling out their new-for-2024 machines, and news reports arrive nearly every day, detailing some exotic or unexpected slice of two-wheeled desirability. The ongoing craze for retro-styled streetbikes continues to grow, with new offerings from Triumph, Royal Enfield, BMW and other bike-makers serving those of us who dig a little past mixed in with uor modern.
One of the most anticipated 2024 streetbikes is BSA’s re-born Gold Star single. CRM has been covering the emergence of the new BSA firm since 2021, as Indian transportation giant Mahindra announced taking ownership of the historic British brand under their Classic Legends banner. The massively successful company has already built an impressive research and development center in the Birtish Midlands and the 21st Century Gold Star has received favorable reviews from testers in the UK market.
Until as recently as last month, there were no announced plans to bring the hallowed brand here to the US where BSA once imported some 25,000 motorcycle each year during the 1950s and ‘60s. Imagine our surprise when we received a call this week from Florida’s Howard Swinnerton, one of the partners charged with establishing BSA in America. The former Italian motorcycle importer- he once sold Bimotas and Aprilias, among other exotic brands – displayed a prototype of the 650cc, water-cooled Goldie at the recent AIME motorcycle industry expo in Las Vegas. The sole Beeza generated some serious buzz from the attendees, many fo whom are dealers hoping to stock the bikes in North American showrooms. “We have a pair of bikes in the country right now with one currently undergoing EPA testing to make sure it’s safe to operate on American roads, while the other is being set-up for display to let people know BSA is back,” said Swinnerton who will unveil the bike to crowds at Daytona Bike Week in Florida next month.
The Gold Star will be available in two models- a $7,299 Deluxe edition that’s covered in chrome detailing and the signature silver, red and black livery shared by the beloved DB34, 500cc Gold Star of the Ton-Up era, while a standard model will also be on offer for a very reasonable $6,299 . Both utilize a four-valve, Rotax-built single-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection and a water-cooling system that’s unobtrusive to say the least. The coolant radiator is barely visible as it’s engineered to fit nicely between the front chassis downtubes. The team behind the new BSA is confident the good-looking, reliably-built bikes will find a willing customer base in the US where they expect to have a dealer network in place by late summer. Considering the success of brands like Triumph, Royal Enfield, Kawasaki and BMW in mining their past for modern inspiration, the Gold Star should soon become a regular sight on American roads. Naturally, CRM is lining up a test ride with we hope to bring you in our April/May issue.