BSA Gold Star launched

Tev62

Tev62

Road warrior
Thread starter
Another bike to tempt some of us for leisurely country rides. Interestingly the Indian BSA brand owners have taken a decision to water-cool their bike in contrast to Royal Enfield, no doubt driven by emissions and the ability to get more horsepower out of the engine for a given cc. They hide the radiator quite well in a similar fashion to Triumph. Pretty brave to go for a 650cc single mind. 45BHP and a lovely torque curve no doubt.

 
That's awesome....I'd give that a hard look since i know Indian is a quality product from various rides I've taken. Could be an awesome alternative to triumph.
 
It's not the Indian Motorcycle company that makes the v-twins. It's made in India by Mahindra, designed in the UK like the Royal Enfield twins. Mahindra is a huge company, making cars and trucks, so no lack of backing. As such, it may just be a product they can boast showcase, rather than a real money maker.

I think if Mahindra were smart, it would start with a small number of their own dealer stores in select urban areas, so prices could be set by them, without the freight/setup/additional dealer markup. Follow Tesla's marketing strategy, with all advertising online.
 
A very pretty motorbike! It is getting crowded in the light-weight low-capacity retro-bike scene from the east: a few Royal Enfields, the Honda H'ness, Jawa Perak, Benelli Imperiale. Then there are the Kawasaki's W800 and Z650RS.

I assume they initially go for the UK & European market. Who knows the USA and Canada may follow. But BSA then needs at least some dealers. That is not so easy, even for a big player like Mahindra (see e.g. Piaggio/Aprilia/Guzzi for how NOT to do it). I am impressed with RE and their rapidly growing dealer network here in Canada.
 
Launching the new BSA in several colors is questionable, especially the "premium" silver color. What do they do next year? They've played their ace.

Anyway, I was curious about their specs, and modified a spreadsheet that I had, with information gleaned from the now-defunct Motorcycle Consumer News, who did their own testing and evaluations. Very enlightening.
 
pekingduck_imp said:
Launching the new BSA in several colors is questionable, especially the "premium" silver color. What do they do next year? They've played their ace.

Anyway, I was curious about their specs, and modified a spreadsheet that I had, with information gleaned from the now-defunct Motorcycle Consumer News, who did their own testing and evaluations. Very enlightening.
Click to expand...
Next model year brings to the BSA consumer bug fix enhancements.
 
Thread starter
BSA say they can get a good bit more power out of the engine so possible an "SP" or "RR" version in the future :D
 
I doubt BSA's specs are real-world rear-wheel dyno, they may be starting at a deficit, (maybe 10%?). Hard to believe they would be in the same ballpark powerwise as BMW's Rotax-based 650, much less the KTM 690 Duke.

The weight is the killer though. It weighs as much as a W650 twin.
 
A water cooled one lunger 650. I’m going to sit that one out regardless of whatever high (or low) tech they use to smooth it out. Just not my cup of tea. However, looks wise for my tastes it’s right on the money.
 
Frulk_imp said:
A water cooled one lunger 650. I’m going to sit that one out regardless of whatever high (or low) tech they use to smooth it out. Just not my cup of tea. However, looks wise for my tastes it’s right on the money.
Click to expand...
Like the Moto Guzzi V7*, you rarely buy it for a power or whatever else thrill. You just buy it for the nostalgic feel.

Yeah, BSA seems to be doing good with that.
 
pekingduck_imp said:
I doubt BSA's specs are real-world rear-wheel dyno, they may be starting at a deficit, (maybe 10%?). Hard to believe they would be in the same ballpark powerwise as BMW's Rotax-based 650, much less the KTM 690 Duke.

The weight is the killer though. It weighs as much as a W650 twin.
Click to expand...

There has never been a motorcycle (or car) company in the world that advertises at real wheel hp.

All HP #'s are at the engine- not after drivetrain loss.

Heck- Remember old cars use to rate before any engine accessories were even take into consideration- AC, alternator, water pump, power steering, etc.

That being said- always take into consideration that a well breathing 4 valve cyl head engine can make 10hp per 100cc without sacrifice playing RPM tricks ...then deduct from there- for noise, emissions, fueling, packaging, and cost cuttings...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top