Classic Legends Brings BSA Gold Star 650 To India To Rival Royal Enfield Twins

Classic Legends Pvt. has brought back BSA Motorcycles to India with a motorcycle that’s squarely aimed at the middleweight champion Royal Enfield.

The move is aimed at a revival of sorts for the two-wheeler subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, which has so far seen limited success with its two other brands—Jawa and Yezdi—in India.

The BSA Gold Star 650 was launched in Mumbai today at Rs 2.99 lakh. At that price, it undercuts the Royal Enfield Interceptor—a similarly specced motorcycle—by Rs 3,000, due to its single-cylinder construction compared to the straight twin seen on the Madras Original.

Powering the BSA Gold Star 650 is a reworked version of the 652 cc single-cylinder engine Rotax engine that did duty in bikes such as the now-discontinued BMW F650 Funduro— interestingly, the Bavarian ADV had a limited run in India over two decades ago when it was imported by what was then Hero Honda.

For BSA, a single-cylinder is an interesting choice, especially when direct rivals from the Royal Enfield stable are powered by a twin-cylinder mill for added smoothness. Still, the BSA scores over the Twins due to the fact that its engine is liquid cooled.

Upon launch, the BSA Gold Wing 650 will become the second largest single-cylinder engine on sale in India after the much pricier Ducati Hypermotard Mono.

The engine makes 45 BHP of power at the crank and sends 55 NM of torque to the rear wheel. That’s 2.5 BHP less and 2.7 NM more than the Interceptor. The torque on the BSA mill peaks much lower in the rev range at 4,000 rpm compared to 5,150 rpm on the RE. Transmission duties are handled by a five-speed gearbox as against RE’s six.

At 213 kg, the BSA Gold Star 650 is 5 kg lighter than the Interceptor. It is available in two variants, but the differences is limited to the colourways.

The BSA Gold Star is decidedly retro—the teardrop tank, flat seat and circular headlamp making up much of the old-school silhouette. The engine casings hark back to the OG 650 from the 1960s, as do the body panels and electrickery. The lights are LED at both ends, but the twin-pod instrument cluster is analog to a fault.

Cradling the engine is a double-downtube chassis that’s suspended on telescopic forks up front and twin rear shock absorbers at the rear. The braking duties are handled by the ABS-equipped discs at the 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels shod in Pirelli rubber.

Established in 1861 as the Birmingham Small Arms Co., the brand originally focused on the production of firearms. By 1903, BSA had expanded into the motorcycle industry, launching its first model in 1910.

Over the following decades, BSA grew to become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer by the 1950s, renowned for its quality, reliability, and affordability.

In India, BSA motorcycles were imported during the pre-Independence era and often gifted to affluent individuals, particularly within the Parsi community. These motorcycles have since become prized collectibles, with many preserved and restored by vintage collectors across the country.