BSA Gold Star 650 Price in Kottagudem

My dad bought a BSA GS650 a couple of years ago, and it has quickly become one of our favourite bikes.
To the positives first - The performance is solid, with it outright beating Interceptors and Dukes in a straight line to 100. It's got a wonderfully comfortable seat, a great handlebar and rider triangle, and is an excellent place to sit when crunching miles. The clutch isn't feather light, but it's perfectly serviceable in daily traffic. You'd think the 5-speed is a downside, but the gearbox ratios are so well spaced, and there's SO MUCH bottom end torque, you're never lacking for shove at any rpm. The 652cc single is a masterful bit of kit - the bike feels docile and friendly under 3000 rpm. Twist the throttle, and it turns into a bit of an animal. The bike is wheelie happy; the chassis and short wheelbase make it INSANELY manoeuvrable in traffic, and the wide handlebars give you great control on and off road. The Brembo brakes are PHENOMENAL. It does NOT feel like a 200kg bike - feels lightweight and nimble. The front end is a masterclass in great handling and is ridiculously stable, unlike the Interceptor. In styling, it's a distinctive and gorgeous bike. The red and chrome tank is awesome; the white stripe is a great touch. The reverse analogue dials are AWESOME. The taillight is simple and elegant, and the radiator isn't as much of an eyesore as it seems to be in the pictures. The paint quality is excellent, the chrome quality is excellent, and the ride quality is excellent. The long exhaust looks phenomenal, and the BSA Gold Star 650 has got possibly the BEST exhaust note of any single-cylinder bike on sale in India today. It's a lovely, thumping sound, with backshots and pops and crackles on the overrun. The bike is built like a TANK - don't let people pointing out the welds etc put you off. It's a solid, quality machine.
The negatives are mainly down to bs6. The enormous, car-sized catalytic converter is disastrous and hideous, and is the main culprit for the heating. The bike also faces trouble cold starting occasionally - again, due to bs6. The heating is a problem - but that can be solved with decatting the bike. There is also the issue of bad fuelling - again, a bs6 hallmark. It's not as bad as something like a Himalayan 450 or a BS6 Interceptor, and it's certainly not terrible, but when cold or on startup, if you twist the throttle, the engine will immediately cut out. The fuel average isn't great, at about 20-24, but then again, it IS a large single, after all. The lack of a centre stand is incredibly annoying at best and unforgivable at worst. Some of the switchgear doesn't feel as solid as, say, a BS4 Enfield GT 650, but it definitely feels better than a BS6 Enfield 650. The Pirellis are great, but a replacement pair will be tough to find. The halogen headlamp is terrible - but swapping in a nice led bulb will solve that very quickly. A few details could have been better - like embossed or engraved symbols instead of stickers. Bolts tend to rust quickly - which is a sore point. Service and support is pretty much abysmal, but we were lucky to find one competent guy who helps us when needed. But then again - the service for my GT650 was so utterly AWFUL at enfield, I used to get my bike back in worse condition than I sent it in. I had to switch to a competent mechanic, and my GT has been running great ever since. It's much the same with the bsa - find a good mechanic, and you're sorted.
Overall, it's a phenomenal daily bike with character, charm, looks, all the right technology you need, and none of the unnecessary rubbish you don't. It's got all the modern safety stuff, with all the old school charm. It might just be the ultimate commuter and, at an excellent price point, it's great value for money. Would 100% recommend to anyone to test it and buy, but understand what you're getting into. Hope my review helped.

About the Reviewer

The styling of the bike is what drew me to it . I always wanted to own a BSA and when it became available in india with a modern engine, i just had to buy it . The engine is a single cylinder unit which is derived from BMW Fundura 652cc which was available in India about 25 years ago . The current engine has loads of Torque low down in the rage ( a Feature of Single cylinder engines ) which makes it a breeze to ride at slow speeds and traffic . It has only 5 gears , a sixth would have been better but 5 are enough given the kind of customers the bike is likely to attract . It is not a racy bike but it will still surprise you with its acceleration and easily outrun smaller capacity bikes should you want to do that . The fun in riding the bike is its torquey power delivery and the thump . The sound the bike produces when you decelerate while in gear is phenomenal. Try taking the bike up a Flyover or a bridge at 40 kmpl in 5th gear and you will be love how few RPM are needed to do that without any signs of a let up from the bike . The fuel average can vary from 22 kmpl in city to about 30 on the highway; on an average about 25 kmpl is a fair expectation from it . The bike has a liquid-cooled engine and produces some heat while you are idling it at a traffic stop but nothing that makes things uncomfortable. It also has an assist and slipper clutch in all variants. Overall it is a great bike if you are into Nostalgia and want a large thumping engine to upgrade from your RE 350.

About the Reviewer

Bought the vehicle on my first visit to the showroom as the vehicle has irresponsible styling and performance. But unfortunately, the vehicle got stopped while running all of a sudden. The vehicle is not registered yet, driven less than 180 km. With great struggle, managed to take the vehicle back home and complained to a service station. Terrible service experience as the team responded after 4 days after recurring calls. The vehicle was given back to me as everything was done and no major issues. The day I took the bike back from service, the vehicle stopped with the same fault on the same day. The battery is discharging while running. I am writing this as I am waiting on the road without any help from the Classic Legend team for towing or repair. Pathetic service and vehicle quality. Suggest people go with a reliable brand. Mahindra's backup is just an eye wash.

About the Reviewer