Great balanced review thanks. I've got the TEC short baffle in mine and it sounds much better, especially on the over-run, but it's not noticeably louder when cruising. The engine is tight from new so requires well over 1,000 miles before loosening up and giving its best. Mine's approaching 2,000 miles now, and the motor spins up really well and gives a lovely dollop of torque at low revs just where you need it on the road. It's the closest I'll ever get to owning an original Goldie, and that's absolutely fine by me because I love it.
Good balanced review. Whether the purists like it or not, it is a BSA. As you said, it does not feel heavy, has loads of torque, and has enough top end power. Mine definitely has the grin factor.
I would tend to agree As an owner of a 50s BSA I find it mildly annoying how people comment about the BEEZA but go out an buy an Asian built Triumph for far more money I do wonder If some critics have an ulterior motive Or maybe they are just old fashioned trolls 🤷🏼 Whilst a prefer my Classic BSA are can’t see the point of being sniffy about the new bike
The Indians aren't stupid. They're using European designers creating miniscule numbers of skilled jobs here, while mass manufacturing at home. India has a protectionist economy while we have become a low paid low skilled service economy for many. Triumph employs 1000's offshore helping their economy, while again a small number here. I'm not convinced of Thai built bikes build quality. Talking to a dealer, they said Triumphs designs good, but the build quality poor. You do see a lot of tatty Triumphs. We need good skilled jobs here. As it is , we now see most welfare paid to people 'in' work. Look at our clothing (biking or otherwise), made for absolute peanuts offshore, while sold expensive here. Why we see textiles billionaires.
Well balanced review I love my early 23 goldstar and treat it as a blank canvas for making it my own just the same as I did in 1972 with my three month old A65L which back then I was told that's not a real bsa thanks again for a great video
While in the UK last summer I test rode a new BSA in Worthing at Alfs motorcycles and compared to the rentals I'd been riding on the IOM was very impressed. In June this year BSA released in NZ and I added a red one to my garage, which includes a ZB33 and an early road rocket. The new BSA shines when I want to jump on and go. no tickling carbs, draining the sump, etc. I use it for short runs, club rides and it isnt phased by local gridlocked traffic which is very hard work on the old ones. That doesnt mean I don't love my old bikes, it just fulfills a different need, So I do find myself rediscovering some of the riding joy I had as a youngster and riding roads where increased traffic have spoiled riding on a 70 year old bike. I'm very pleased with the bike and have no intention to sell it. Don't ask me why but the Guzzi and oil field just don't do it for me (I did own a mk2 le mans for a while many years ago). I've put a couple of 1000km on mine so only just run in. Yes its not perfect but for the money its great value and if it was made in the UK wouldnt be competitive in a market full of third world manufactured bikes, so I can live with it not coming from Small Heath. I enjoyed your review. I knocked out the end of the baffle with a broomstick, still quiet but a little less than it was
I do agree with your comments. I much preferred the BSA over the RE interceptor, it was more comfortable, suspension seemed much better controlled over poor road surfaces, and the lower exhaust would make fitting aftermarket soft luggage easier. I read somewhere that it is not possible to fit a centrestand. I wasn't tempted at the original price, but the new price and a good dealer makes me start thinking!
Indeed Residuals aren’t to good at the moment, but I suspect that’s true of any new bike in the current climate. As a personal who keeps his bikes for well over a decade it doesn’t enter my thoughts when looking for a knew bike.
Well ultimately you have to keep your own council on you bike choices I had years of people telling me that old Brit bikes were terrible I finally brought myself my BSA A10 more than a decade ago and she’s absolutely brilliant Ride the bike you want and enjoy it I say
Being a New BSA GS owner I enjoyed your review there and as you say it doesn’t match the old machines but like you I enjoy riding it aswell as the old machines Good one 😊😊 Phil Green
It is possible to like different things for different reasons Some people do struggle with the concept don’t they 😂 Maybe some people just have a very blinkered view or are swayed far to much by social media Who can say 🤷🏻
@ Very true and we’re all different but some are just sheep and believe everything they hear and unwilling to try something new but hey that’s their choice I find the bike absolutely brilliant and if you pull back that throttle it certainly shifts and is more enjoyable at higher revs sometimes..
A good well balanced review/opinion. It’s a fact that what were British brands are no longer British made, get over it & accept these motorcycles for what they are. Fun! I haven’t ridden the BSA yet, that a conscious decision, as I own an Interceptor, which I love. Whilst on its own the lack of centre stand is not a deal breaker, in my personal garage, I couldn’t accommodate it without moving 2 motorcycles on. Shame, but, my CX500 is running really good now, so it’s going nowhere. ( unless someone makes a silly offer)lol.
To be honest I would buy if they were The fact that I don’t own a new BSA or Triumph should really say where I stand on this matter I will give my honest opinion on them as a motorcycle but I haven’t purchased a new Triumph for some time the fact that I’m not sniffy about foreign built triumphs for example should not be inferred that I think that this is acceptable The Bloor family had the opportunity to create a fountain head of British industry but frankly pissed it away for higher profits and poorer products Sticking a union flag on an Asian built bike strikes me as plain dishonest I’ll happily buy a motorcycle built in Malasia or Thailand but I would expect more from a Triumph Some brands are indelibly linked to there origins HD for example A non American built Harley ? No thanks What makes Guzzi such a great company is you know where they are made you can visit there and get a since of history and connection Hinckley on the other Hand is little Moore than a massive where house Pathetic
Sadly, it was never sold here in Oz... That rough section of the A45 around Meriden used to be a decent stretch of road, back in the day; both Triumph and BSA used it as part of their road test Recognised a few bits of that ride, including the bit through Stoneleigh. 👍
@@bikerdood1100 I hope so. It's strange that BSA have chosen to export to New Zealand, where prices range between 11k-13k NZD +ORC, rather than to the larger market here in Oz.
My only issue is they have been out for over a year now and there's still no sign of them being sold in Australia so I can take one out for a test ride.
I will add to the previous comments - balanced, objective review as always to counter the rider's that may tend to make judgments based on their own personal reason's rather than considering the overall objective of how the bike is? if all bikes were the same it would get pretty boring. All these retro manufacturers are balancing the scales to appeal to the original ethos of the bike's looks and style whilst trying to make them modern in terms of handling etc. I asked my late Father about BSA as he was a Triumph 3T and 5T owner in his prime and his response was they were o.k. but nothing special back in the 60's A bit flashy but being a single they were affordable bikes - his words not mine!
Which of course has no relevance to the modern bike My personal classic is a 54 Golden flash So a twin 650 not a single It was my first big BSA after a couple of smaller ones And a couple of triumph twins incidentally The BSA compared the Triumphs is smoother and more oil tight The best Classic twin we have owned hands down there’s a reason we had the Triumphs for a few years but the A10 a couple of decades
It looks great, the clocks are gorgeous, and it’s cheap. If you want a nice retro for low money which looks good and is fun to ride. What’s not to like?
There doesn’t seem much substance to the negative stuff when you dig deeper I’m not saying go out and buy one I only state what it’s actually like to ride Putting they BS moto one side
I much prefer the interceptor, I looked at them both before I purchased one of them, the goldstar didn’t do it for me so I went for the interceptor and love it,
@ I preferred the sound of the interceptor twin engine and the big standard exhausts, it’s perfect for me, But I also want the classic RE 350 just got to convince my partner that I actually need another bike lol
Is there such a thing ? haven’t seen it yet maybe at the show this year perhaps, I’d imagine not much like the original an RE 125 would help to expand their appeal
I'd consider one. If they sold them in the Netherlands, which they unfortunately don't. Especially because Royal Enfield is charging some very high prices for their 650's. The cheapest Interceptor costs 8900 euros here, or 7400 in british pounds for comparison. There's a lot of room here for BSA to undercut RE.
@@bikerdood1100 Yeah, I really wanted to get a Continental GT for my first bike but even the cheapest used one I could find cost more than a used XSR 700, so I bought that instead.
British BSA and triumph are very good bike even after 6o odd years old but I find Norton have just have the edge in handeling and top speed but top speed is not everything
I am looking to buy one and for 5k they seem incredibly good value. Nothing is truly British these days so we just need to accept it. Good review but I don't think comparing to a 1960s bike helps, it's not a classic bike after all.
No that’s true however comparisons with the original are inevitable given that they used the Gold Star name As for truly British well The new Norton is genuinely British made, much improved but too expensive for most of us. Likewise CCM and DOT the 5k price certainly makes the bike more appealing Triggered I expect by Triumphs similarly Indian made 400 Strangely a fact often glossed over 🙄 Fir me the BSA is better Styling is nicer and Tom tried the 400 off road and found first gear very low and the bike lacked torque unsurprisingly
it was always going to be a hard sell putting the Gold Star name to it. not sure what i think. would i buy one? no. but i wouldn't say anyone who would is wrong. bikes are personal things. they have a soul which requires an owner with a similar soul.
It's a shame you can only compare this single with twins. I personally think the Gold Star is soul less compared to my 500 Bullet, but I wouldn't want to se a review comparing the Bullet with only 500 twins.
Had a bullet myself for a while and it was indeed full of character but given the fairly big difference in power I’m not sure I’d compare them plus the Bullet isn’t a contemporary model with the BSA
Not talking conspiracy theories Don’t believe I used the term in the video There aren’t actually a huge number of owners publishing problem videos though either 🤷🏻
I bought a Moto Guzzi V7 Special 850 as a "Classic Retro." It has proved to be an interesting experience. It is a lot more money to buy compared to the BSA and the riding experience does border on the "Heavy," Side of things. You certainly can't chase it along. That said, it is well made and has a HUGE character. The BSA isn't a contender for me as in seems to be a bit like a "Manufactured Boy Band" It seems to be too heavily dependent on "Tales of yester year" as it's marketing tool rather than producing something that is a good bike in and of itself. The V7 is a much better bike in terms of being its own thing and I think BSA should concentrate on doing that rather than "Pretending" to be something from the 1960s....
I would apply the boy band remark equally to the REs and triumph in particular The Guzzi has always been the only one that feels truly authentic in that sense But I am biased
@@bikerdood1100 I think REs have been an Indian brand longer than they were British, or near enough. It isn't long since they stopped making the cast iron engine, so there's a sense of continuity, at least in format and cc's. I'd like to like the Gold Star but if the tank badge said Mahindra would anyone be interested, even if it was a perfectly good 650 Rotax single?
Pardon me, may late model T120 does most certainly have a UK VIN and not an Indian or Thai one... I do like the BSA and the REs and the Jawas all made in India. and they are BSA, RE and Jawas because they own the name and make the bike, so it is what it is. Why does RE even exist? India...
A very small number of T120s have final assembly here Go to the factory and be disappointed We did You member remember all final assembly stopped at Hinckley in 2020 It was reinstated recently following the negative backlash with orders being cancelled as a result I believe the assembly line in Hinckley adds to under 10% of production volume Non of the components used are made there incidentally although the Spanish made cranks are machines there I made the comment following a visit to Hinckley and would stand by it
My current bike is an RE Classic 350 which with mods is a lovely machine but it’s the last new bike I will buy, the next will be an English classic as I’m fed up with loads of devices to make it acceptable while the big nations are determined to destroy our planet !😢
Donkeys They are generally ill of shit aren’t they? Ironic that you would choose them as an example isn’t it ? Who are you to tell people how to spend their hard urned cash Not ridden either have you ? I expect not Reserve judgement until you have to avoid looking an A hole Donkeys have this too 😂
It is great if these bikes do it for you. But at the risk of feeling your wrath, I'd say these BSA's don't make the appealing proposition for me. There are several reasons: The price reductions, general lack of brand plans and seemingly diminishing dealer network don't make parts availability, or brand perception very good and there does not seem much brand excitement around. the launch was a bit of a disaster, the recall list (for loom, clutch, longer bolts, headlamp, etc) for early bikes makes it seem like the bike wasn't properly tested. It's like they've shot their bolt too early: Where can they go from a Gold Star? Maybe this should have been branded as a less sporty model, like B33, or whatever. Secondly, after briefly owning a 1st gen RE Continental with similar tyres (Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp) to the same standard tyres on those Goldstars and finding they were cross-ply variants, I can't understand how anyone can say the handling of any bike with those tyres is acceptable, in comparison to more modern radially constructed tyres. My Continental tram-lined, 50p'd round corners and had numerous tank slappers, making me think it was me and my riding and not the bike - until I found out. I notice one of the first changes RE made to their 650's was to a radial (of a lesser brand), which seemingly makes the bikes way more fun to ride round bends. That leads me to distrust anyone who denies the experience I had and would like their bike to do anything more than pootle around slowly. This is also true of expectations for engine power and weight, since I found my own 230kg, 46hp, 650 under-powered and over-heavy for my tastes. Of course heavy bikes don't feel it once you get going, although the stopping and pushing about do make it important. It's a budget bike, built down to a price, with plastic boxes on the bars, plastic cover on the headlight (around the idiot light cluster) and transfers and stickers on the engine, rather than casting marks. I remember the original B33's and B31's idling a lot lower and making more of that single thump, rather than the modern drone. With the prices coming down so much, who's to say they won't come down even more? How easy is the bike to service, if they use shims on the engines' valves? Don't you think the rash of recent BSA purchases and reviews by "popular" Northern British biking RUclipsrs seems a bit suspicious to a jaded audience? I do totally agree about your India remarks and wonder why they wouldn't be as proud of sticking an Indian flag on the bike (rather than the mysterious union flag on the seat of 1st gen BSA Mahindra's) as I am of putting a big Thai flag on my own Triumph Bonnevillle hard-tail chop. I could think of various far better (handling, easier to fix, better investments) bikes to buy at any price, especially these days, instead of this one.
I’d say the dealer network was pretty big given how recently they came to market The tyres can of course be replaced ditto the mud guards and light Although I’d have to say that’s not really an indication of a budget built How many premium brands use plastic mud guards ? All of them The top of the range chrome plated job should metal I would agree but metal side covers on anything in the last 2 decades? Including the modern Triumph range Centre stand is a much bigger miss The weight we cover in rev video and the bike does indeed feel much light on the road, or indeed when being moved around we thought, I found it easy to move around than my A10 for example All bikes these days are built down to a price so I would tend not to agree here Check out the flimsy plastics used on Japanese machines in recent years and even Hondas simply don’t have the paint quality they once had. Items such as the gear change and break pedal were of better quality than the equivalent REs it should be noted. On any modern bike to expect the headlamp shroud to be metal is rather optimistic A B33 isa great bike but it doesn’t make 45 hp and a four valve engine will naturally feel very different Who would buy it if it only made 25 hp like a b33 45hp is acceptable given the target market, it has better midrange that the RE for example and it is a single. Road a KTM with a much higher performance single but it was horrid to ride being totally inflexible and very lumpy low down Would I replace my A10 with one Nope but thy isn’t really comment on the new BSA as a bike
If you check out my recent video on the state of the Classic bike scene you’d know that a classic, with the exception of very few models no longer represents a good investment But this should never be basis for choosing a machine of any type Did I purchase my A10 with an eye on its residual values Absolutely not Bikes are for riding Not speculation
@@bikerdood1100 I hear you and thanks for your reply. If I may respond: I hear the dealer network is reducing from what is was at launch and as I say, there is not much buzz about BSA doing anything else soon. That's a bad sign. At the time I owned my Continental, it was very hard to find any decent 18" tyres to replace the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp cross-ply rubbish. This has probably changed now though. But that's beside the point I was making, which is about how the bike handles with the tyres it's sold with, hence criticism aimed in general at reviewers not mentioning this rather startling handling fact. Have you seen The Mindful Motorcyclist and video about his Goldstar 650 front end giving out on him on a dry, warm residential road bend at slow speed? One other thing RE did in improving their Interceptor range after launch is making the switch control boxes out of metal, rather than third rate plastics (that broke for me, as I carefully refitted mine to proper clip-ons). The same thing on their valance headlight shroud and also the chrome guards. So RE's to me seem better built, although have a weight to them. By the way, I had to pay extra not to have a centre stand on my brand new continental! You may say the hp is enough for the target market - which is what I thought until I bought one. I got rid of it because it was wrong for me. I'm not Barry Sheene either. I PXed it for a S/H Honda SP1 a few years ago (months after I bought it) and I reckon I've not lost too much on that deal from then to now. Obviously, that bike handles like a dream in comparison and is always a huge pleasure to ride, unlike my Continental. (You should do a video on the SP1 and SP2 - great stories about winning the 2K WSB from Ducati dominance, Joey Dunlop's last IOM TT win, etc - and you can come to Cornwall and ride my example if you please.) I had a mate with a B33 and I did a lot of work on it. It was the loudest bike I ever heard - giving out an almost sickening thump, for some reason. We were both matey with another chap with a B31? (similar but with plunger rear suspension, rather than a swingarm(?), from what I recall). Both bikes had lots of vibes, a real low down thump and seemed to rev low and top out early. I guess for today's singles, they need to fulful emissions regs, so rev different - higher and leaner. To me they seem like entirely different things from the old bikes, so I can't personally make that connection that might otherwise endear them as retro classics. The RE 650 engine sounds like a V-twin and with pipes can sound glorious, although I always felt it' was all bark and no bite, unless I was attempting to lean. I do appreciate your videos - they are interesting informative and thought provoking, so thanks for doing them and sorry to disagree this time!
@bikerdood1100 There are many YT'ers with exotic, expensive machines that want to share their experience of something other than scrap limping its way to the knackers.
To go with the "ROTAX ENGINE" PLASTIC IMITATION PUSH ROD COVER.. WHY NO PLASTIC IMITATION MAGNETO COVER. WHAT ABOUT A IMITATION "ADVANCE RETARD LEVER ON HANBLEBARS.".
Why ? Well what would have been the magneto drive cover is the starter Many modern engines have some plastic covers Have done since the 70s in fact Although on the BSA some covers army actually plastic but coated metal For me bare metal would have looked better but slower to manufacture Note how few modern classics have bare metal these days RE or Triumph The fake push rod tube I believe is metal and was also a feature on early Bonnie’s I don’t see the point of either personally Point is it’s hardly a new idea unique to the BSA engine 🤷🏻
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
It doesn't matter what bike you ride, the main thing is that it fits your needs and is enjoyable.
If it's fun, then even better!
It should Always be enjoyable
That is very much the point and why I dislike cars
Great balanced review thanks. I've got the TEC short baffle in mine and it sounds much better, especially on the over-run, but it's not noticeably louder when cruising. The engine is tight from new so requires well over 1,000 miles before loosening up and giving its best. Mine's approaching 2,000 miles now, and the motor spins up really well and gives a lovely dollop of torque at low revs just where you need it on the road. It's the closest I'll ever get to owning an original Goldie, and that's absolutely fine by me because I love it.
If your love you bike
Well that’s the only thing them at really counts certainly not the negative nancys out there
Good balanced review. Whether the purists like it or not, it is a BSA. As you said, it does not feel heavy, has loads of torque, and has enough top end power. Mine definitely has the grin factor.
I would tend to agree
As an owner of a 50s BSA I find it mildly annoying how people comment about the BEEZA but go out an buy an Asian built Triumph for far more money
I do wonder If some critics have an ulterior motive
Or maybe they are just old fashioned trolls 🤷🏼
Whilst a prefer my Classic BSA are can’t see the point of being sniffy about the new bike
The Indians aren't stupid. They're using European designers creating miniscule numbers of skilled jobs here, while mass manufacturing at home. India has a protectionist economy while we have become a low paid low skilled service economy for many. Triumph employs 1000's offshore helping their economy, while again a small number here. I'm not convinced of Thai built bikes build quality. Talking to a dealer, they said Triumphs designs good, but the build quality poor. You do see a lot of tatty Triumphs. We need good skilled jobs here. As it is , we now see most welfare paid to people 'in' work. Look at our clothing (biking or otherwise), made for absolute peanuts offshore, while sold expensive here. Why we see textiles billionaires.
Crap!
@@BunyipToldMe Expand.
Based on a BMW F650GS single cylinder engine from 20/30 years ago.
Well balanced review I love my early 23 goldstar and treat it as a blank canvas for making it my own just the same as I did in 1972 with my three month old A65L which back then I was told that's not a real bsa thanks again for a great video
My pleasure
While in the UK last summer I test rode a new BSA in Worthing at Alfs motorcycles and compared to the rentals I'd been riding on the IOM was very impressed. In June this year BSA released in NZ and I added a red one to my garage, which includes a ZB33 and an early road rocket. The new BSA shines when I want to jump on and go. no tickling carbs, draining the sump, etc. I use it for short runs, club rides and it isnt phased by local gridlocked traffic which is very hard work on the old ones. That doesnt mean I don't love my old bikes, it just fulfills a different need, So I do find myself rediscovering some of the riding joy I had as a youngster and riding roads where increased traffic have spoiled riding on a 70 year old bike. I'm very pleased with the bike and have no intention to sell it. Don't ask me why but the Guzzi and oil field just don't do it for me (I did own a mk2 le mans for a while many years ago). I've put a couple of 1000km on mine so only just run in. Yes its not perfect but for the money its great value and if it was made in the UK wouldnt be competitive in a market full of third world manufactured bikes, so I can live with it not coming from Small Heath. I enjoyed your review. I knocked out the end of the baffle with a broomstick, still quiet but a little less than it was
Well yes really
After all we didn’t say we’d buy one
Only that we were impressed with a big that was much better than expected
Hello, bsaroadrocket. Interesting, you have the BSA in Nz. I don't believe we can get them in Australia. Well done.
I do agree with your comments. I much preferred the BSA over the RE interceptor, it was more comfortable, suspension seemed much better controlled over poor road surfaces, and the lower exhaust would make fitting aftermarket soft luggage easier. I read somewhere that it is not possible to fit a centrestand. I wasn't tempted at the original price, but the new price and a good dealer makes me start thinking!
Indeed
Residuals aren’t to good at the moment, but I suspect that’s true of any new bike in the current climate.
As a personal who keeps his bikes for well over a decade it doesn’t enter my thoughts when looking for a knew bike.
@bikerdood1100 I do tend to keep my bikes, I've had my old aircooled boxer for over 20 years now, and still no plans to sell it!
spot on - it's why I bought one and in fact why I bought all my bikes!
Well ultimately you have to keep your own council on you bike choices
I had years of people telling me that old Brit bikes were terrible
I finally brought myself my BSA A10 more than a decade ago and she’s absolutely brilliant
Ride the bike you want and enjoy it I say
@ great advice, I still plan to get an older BSA to try, never had one on the road (I have Bonnevilles)
I wholeheartedly agree regarding the absence on most bikes of center stands and mud guards/fenders. Hopefully the BSA will make it to the states.
Hopefully they’ll have a centre Stan£ at least as an option by then
May yet appear In the US. They are expanding having started low key in the UK
Brilliant review answered a lot of my questions thank you 👍
Glad it was useful
Being a New BSA GS owner I enjoyed your review there and as you say it doesn’t match the old machines but like you I enjoy riding it aswell as the old machines
Good one 😊😊
Phil Green
It is possible to like different things for different reasons
Some people do struggle with the concept don’t they 😂
Maybe some people just have a very blinkered view or are swayed far to much by social media
Who can say 🤷🏻
@
Very true and we’re all different but some are just sheep and believe everything they hear and unwilling to try something new but hey that’s their choice I find the bike absolutely brilliant and if you pull back that throttle it certainly shifts and is more enjoyable at higher revs sometimes..
Enjoyed that, they looked good on the road together 🙂
Thanks 👍
A good well balanced review/opinion. It’s a fact that what were British brands are no longer British made, get over it & accept these motorcycles for what they are. Fun! I haven’t ridden the BSA yet, that a conscious decision, as I own an Interceptor, which I love. Whilst on its own the lack of centre stand is not a deal breaker, in my personal garage, I couldn’t accommodate it without moving 2 motorcycles on. Shame, but, my CX500 is running really good now, so it’s going nowhere. ( unless someone makes a silly offer)lol.
To be honest I would buy if they were
The fact that I don’t own a new BSA or Triumph should really say where I stand on this matter
I will give my honest opinion on them as a motorcycle but I haven’t purchased a new Triumph for some time
the fact that I’m not sniffy about foreign built triumphs for example should not be inferred that I think that this is acceptable
The Bloor family had the opportunity to create a fountain head of British industry but frankly pissed it away for higher profits and poorer products
Sticking a union flag on an Asian built bike strikes me as plain dishonest
I’ll happily buy a motorcycle built in Malasia or Thailand but I would expect more from a Triumph
Some brands are indelibly linked to there origins
HD for example
A non American built Harley ?
No thanks
What makes Guzzi such a great company is you know where they are made you can visit there and get a since of history and connection
Hinckley on the other Hand is little Moore than a massive where house
Pathetic
@ can’t argue with you regarding Moto Guzzi. Long may they continue as they are.
Sadly, it was never sold here in Oz... That rough section of the A45 around Meriden used to be a decent stretch of road, back in the day; both Triumph and BSA used it as part of their road test Recognised a few bits of that ride, including the bit through Stoneleigh. 👍
May yet be
The company is slowly opening up in different markets
@@bikerdood1100 I hope so. It's strange that BSA have chosen to export to New Zealand, where prices range between 11k-13k NZD +ORC, rather than to the larger market here in Oz.
My only issue is they have been out for over a year now and there's still no sign of them being sold in Australia so I can take one out for a test ride.
Well they should make their way they I think
I will add to the previous comments - balanced, objective review as always to counter the rider's that may tend to make judgments based on their own personal reason's rather than considering the overall objective of how the bike is? if all bikes were the same it would get pretty boring. All these retro manufacturers are balancing the scales to appeal to the original ethos of the bike's looks and style whilst trying to make them modern in terms of handling etc. I asked my late Father about BSA as he was a Triumph 3T and 5T owner in his prime and his response was they were o.k. but nothing special back in the 60's A bit flashy but being a single they were affordable bikes - his words not mine!
Which of course has no relevance to the modern bike
My personal classic is a 54 Golden flash
So a twin 650 not a single
It was my first big BSA after a couple of smaller ones
And a couple of triumph twins incidentally
The BSA compared the Triumphs is smoother and more oil tight
The best Classic twin we have owned hands down there’s a reason we had the Triumphs for a few years but the A10 a couple of decades
It looks great, the clocks are gorgeous, and it’s cheap. If you want a nice retro for low money which looks good and is fun to ride. What’s not to like?
You would think 🤔
Certainly is a bike that generates strong reactions
Good review after all the unwarranted negative stuff out there.
There doesn’t seem much substance to the negative stuff when you dig deeper
I’m not saying go out and buy one
I only state what it’s actually like to ride
Putting they BS moto one side
I much prefer the interceptor, I looked at them both before I purchased one of them, the goldstar didn’t do it for me so I went for the interceptor and love it,
I like the interceptor but the BSA definitely has a fatter mid range
@ I preferred the sound of the interceptor twin engine and the big standard exhausts, it’s perfect for me,
But I also want the classic RE 350 just got to convince my partner that I actually need another bike lol
The new flying flea please.
Is there such a thing
?
haven’t seen it yet maybe at the show this year perhaps,
I’d imagine not much like the original
an RE 125 would help to expand their appeal
Ohh
The electric thing
Ohhh no
I like to ride big distances with something that feels alive ta
I'd consider one. If they sold them in the Netherlands, which they unfortunately don't. Especially because Royal Enfield is charging some very high prices for their 650's. The cheapest Interceptor costs 8900 euros here, or 7400 in british pounds for comparison. There's a lot of room here for BSA to undercut RE.
That seems steep
@@bikerdood1100 Yeah, I really wanted to get a Continental GT for my first bike but even the cheapest used one I could find cost more than a used XSR 700, so I bought that instead.
British BSA and triumph are very good bike even after 6o odd years old but I find Norton have just have the edge in handeling and top speed but top speed is not everything
Indeed it is not
How fast did you get out of the Norton then. ?
I am looking to buy one and for 5k they seem incredibly good value. Nothing is truly British these days so we just need to accept it.
Good review but I don't think comparing to a 1960s bike helps, it's not a classic bike after all.
No that’s true however comparisons with the original are inevitable given that they used the Gold Star name
As for truly British well
The new Norton is genuinely British made, much improved but too expensive for most of us.
Likewise CCM and DOT
the 5k price certainly makes the bike more appealing
Triggered I expect by Triumphs similarly Indian made 400
Strangely a fact often glossed over 🙄
Fir me the BSA is better
Styling is nicer and Tom tried the 400 off road and found first gear very low and the bike lacked torque unsurprisingly
it was always going to be a hard sell putting the Gold Star name to it. not sure what i think. would i buy one? no. but i wouldn't say anyone who would is wrong. bikes are personal things. they have a soul which requires an owner with a similar soul.
Well put
If theyd recreated the A65 twin ..then yes..
Now then you would be talking
It's a shame you can only compare this single with twins. I personally think the Gold Star is soul less compared to my 500 Bullet, but I wouldn't want to se a review comparing the Bullet with only 500 twins.
Had a bullet myself for a while and it was indeed full of character but given the fairly big difference in power I’m not sure I’d compare them plus the Bullet isn’t a contemporary model with the BSA
There is no conspiracy in the horror stories of unreliability from several owners.
Not talking conspiracy theories
Don’t believe I used the term in the video
There aren’t actually a huge number of owners publishing problem videos though either 🤷🏻
@@bikerdood1100 1:08
Ive found big singles not user friendly..worst thing is risky engine braking in the wet
That would be nice
Engine breaking ??
Really ??
Any worse than say a big Vtwin
If course not
I bought a Moto Guzzi V7 Special 850 as a "Classic Retro." It has proved to be an interesting experience. It is a lot more money to buy compared to the BSA and the riding experience does border on the "Heavy," Side of things. You certainly can't chase it along. That said, it is well made and has a HUGE character. The BSA isn't a contender for me as in seems to be a bit like a "Manufactured Boy Band" It seems to be too heavily dependent on "Tales of yester year" as it's marketing tool rather than producing something that is a good bike in and of itself. The V7 is a much better bike in terms of being its own thing and I think BSA should concentrate on doing that rather than "Pretending" to be something from the 1960s....
I would apply the boy band remark equally to the REs and triumph in particular
The Guzzi has always been the only one that feels truly authentic in that sense
But I am biased
@@bikerdood1100 I think REs have been an Indian brand longer than they were British, or near enough. It isn't long since they stopped making the cast iron engine, so there's a sense of continuity, at least in format and cc's. I'd like to like the Gold Star but if the tank badge said Mahindra would anyone be interested, even if it was a perfectly good 650 Rotax single?
When you say "you can't chase it along" do you mean it's a slow performer. ?
Pardon me, may late model T120 does most certainly have a UK VIN and not an Indian or Thai one... I do like the BSA and the REs and the Jawas all made in India.
and they are BSA, RE and Jawas because they own the name and make the bike, so it is what it is. Why does RE even exist? India...
oh, note Avatar....also have a Harley. Ride what you like, like what you ride.
A very small number of T120s have final assembly here
Go to the factory and be disappointed
We did
You member remember all final assembly stopped at Hinckley in 2020
It was reinstated recently following the negative backlash with orders being cancelled as a result
I believe the assembly line in Hinckley adds to under 10% of production volume
Non of the components used are made there incidentally although the Spanish made cranks are machines there
I made the comment following a visit to Hinckley and would stand by it
Avatar?
Are you mad ?😂
Crap film incidentally.
Especially the second one
My current bike is an RE Classic 350 which with mods is a lovely machine but it’s the last new bike I will buy, the next will be an English classic as I’m fed up with loads of devices to make it acceptable while the big nations are determined to destroy our planet !😢
They do seem to blame the motorist
Somewhat unfairly
To be honest I think a major driver is the determination to stimulate the motor industry
It can be done
With the latest regulations coming out next year in Europe
The Guzzi V7 range is still air cooled and OHV
Selling like cold chips.
Nothing is currently selling
Check out the number of dealership closures
Pin a cheap looking RE or BSA badge on a donkey and it will still be a DONKEY.......
Donkeys
They are generally ill of shit aren’t they?
Ironic that you would choose them as an example isn’t it ?
Who are you to tell people how to spend their hard urned cash
Not ridden either have you
?
I expect not
Reserve judgement until you have to avoid looking an A hole
Donkeys have this too 😂
It is great if these bikes do it for you. But at the risk of feeling your wrath, I'd say these BSA's don't make the appealing proposition for me. There are several reasons: The price reductions, general lack of brand plans and seemingly diminishing dealer network don't make parts availability, or brand perception very good and there does not seem much brand excitement around. the launch was a bit of a disaster, the recall list (for loom, clutch, longer bolts, headlamp, etc) for early bikes makes it seem like the bike wasn't properly tested. It's like they've shot their bolt too early: Where can they go from a Gold Star? Maybe this should have been branded as a less sporty model, like B33, or whatever.
Secondly, after briefly owning a 1st gen RE Continental with similar tyres (Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp) to the same standard tyres on those Goldstars and finding they were cross-ply variants, I can't understand how anyone can say the handling of any bike with those tyres is acceptable, in comparison to more modern radially constructed tyres. My Continental tram-lined, 50p'd round corners and had numerous tank slappers, making me think it was me and my riding and not the bike - until I found out. I notice one of the first changes RE made to their 650's was to a radial (of a lesser brand), which seemingly makes the bikes way more fun to ride round bends. That leads me to distrust anyone who denies the experience I had and would like their bike to do anything more than pootle around slowly. This is also true of expectations for engine power and weight, since I found my own 230kg, 46hp, 650 under-powered and over-heavy for my tastes. Of course heavy bikes don't feel it once you get going, although the stopping and pushing about do make it important.
It's a budget bike, built down to a price, with plastic boxes on the bars, plastic cover on the headlight (around the idiot light cluster) and transfers and stickers on the engine, rather than casting marks. I remember the original B33's and B31's idling a lot lower and making more of that single thump, rather than the modern drone. With the prices coming down so much, who's to say they won't come down even more? How easy is the bike to service, if they use shims on the engines' valves? Don't you think the rash of recent BSA purchases and reviews by "popular" Northern British biking RUclipsrs seems a bit suspicious to a jaded audience? I do totally agree about your India remarks and wonder why they wouldn't be as proud of sticking an Indian flag on the bike (rather than the mysterious union flag on the seat of 1st gen BSA Mahindra's) as I am of putting a big Thai flag on my own Triumph Bonnevillle hard-tail chop. I could think of various far better (handling, easier to fix, better investments) bikes to buy at any price, especially these days, instead of this one.
I’d say the dealer network was pretty big given how recently they came to market
The tyres can of course be replaced ditto the mud guards and light
Although I’d have to say that’s not really an indication of a budget built
How many premium brands use plastic mud guards ?
All of them
The top of the range chrome plated job should metal I would agree but metal side covers on anything in the last 2 decades? Including the modern Triumph range
Centre stand is a much bigger miss
The weight we cover in rev video and the bike does indeed feel much light on the road, or indeed when being moved around we thought, I found it easy to move around than my A10 for example
All bikes these days are built down to a price so I would tend not to agree here
Check out the flimsy plastics used on Japanese machines in recent years and even Hondas simply don’t have the paint quality they once had.
Items such as the gear change and break pedal were of better quality than the equivalent REs it should be noted.
On any modern bike to expect the headlamp shroud to be metal is rather optimistic
A B33 isa great bike but it doesn’t make 45 hp and a four valve engine will naturally feel very different
Who would buy it if it only made 25 hp like a b33
45hp is acceptable given the target market, it has better midrange that the RE for example and it is a single. Road a KTM with a much higher performance single but it was horrid to ride being totally inflexible and very lumpy low down
Would I replace my A10 with one
Nope but thy isn’t really comment on the new BSA as a bike
If you check out my recent video on the state of the Classic bike scene you’d know that a classic, with the exception of very few models no longer represents a good investment
But this should never be basis for choosing a machine of any type
Did I purchase my A10 with an eye on its residual values
Absolutely not
Bikes are for riding
Not speculation
@@bikerdood1100 I hear you and thanks for your reply. If I may respond:
I hear the dealer network is reducing from what is was at launch and as I say, there is not much buzz about BSA doing anything else soon. That's a bad sign.
At the time I owned my Continental, it was very hard to find any decent 18" tyres to replace the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp cross-ply rubbish. This has probably changed now though. But that's beside the point I was making, which is about how the bike handles with the tyres it's sold with, hence criticism aimed in general at reviewers not mentioning this rather startling handling fact. Have you seen The Mindful Motorcyclist and video about his Goldstar 650 front end giving out on him on a dry, warm residential road bend at slow speed?
One other thing RE did in improving their Interceptor range after launch is making the switch control boxes out of metal, rather than third rate plastics (that broke for me, as I carefully refitted mine to proper clip-ons). The same thing on their valance headlight shroud and also the chrome guards. So RE's to me seem better built, although have a weight to them. By the way, I had to pay extra not to have a centre stand on my brand new continental!
You may say the hp is enough for the target market - which is what I thought until I bought one. I got rid of it because it was wrong for me. I'm not Barry Sheene either. I PXed it for a S/H Honda SP1 a few years ago (months after I bought it) and I reckon I've not lost too much on that deal from then to now. Obviously, that bike handles like a dream in comparison and is always a huge pleasure to ride, unlike my Continental. (You should do a video on the SP1 and SP2 - great stories about winning the 2K WSB from Ducati dominance, Joey Dunlop's last IOM TT win, etc - and you can come to Cornwall and ride my example if you please.)
I had a mate with a B33 and I did a lot of work on it. It was the loudest bike I ever heard - giving out an almost sickening thump, for some reason. We were both matey with another chap with a B31? (similar but with plunger rear suspension, rather than a swingarm(?), from what I recall). Both bikes had lots of vibes, a real low down thump and seemed to rev low and top out early. I guess for today's singles, they need to fulful emissions regs, so rev different - higher and leaner. To me they seem like entirely different things from the old bikes, so I can't personally make that connection that might otherwise endear them as retro classics. The RE 650 engine sounds like a V-twin and with pipes can sound glorious, although I always felt it' was all bark and no bite, unless I was attempting to lean. I do appreciate your videos - they are interesting informative and thought provoking, so thanks for doing them and sorry to disagree this time!
Crap!
And you know how ??
Or do you just know because social media says so ??
@bikerdood1100 There are many YT'ers with exotic, expensive machines that want to share their experience of something other than scrap limping its way to the knackers.
To go with the "ROTAX ENGINE" PLASTIC IMITATION PUSH ROD COVER.. WHY NO PLASTIC IMITATION MAGNETO COVER. WHAT ABOUT A IMITATION "ADVANCE RETARD LEVER ON HANBLEBARS.".
Why ? Well what would have been the magneto drive cover is the starter
Many modern engines have some plastic covers
Have done since the 70s in fact
Although on the BSA some covers army actually plastic but coated metal
For me bare metal would have looked better but slower to manufacture
Note how few modern classics have bare metal these days
RE or Triumph
The fake push rod tube I believe is metal and was also a feature on early Bonnie’s
I don’t see the point of either personally
Point is it’s hardly a new idea unique to the BSA engine 🤷🏻