ZigOpinion: Is The BSA Gold Star A Step In The Right Direction?

Ever since the BSA Gold Star’s launch was announced, there have been mixed feelings about it among enthusiasts. Yezdi and Jawa (whose parent company has a partnership with Jawa to manufacture & sell their bikes) haven’t been doing very well in India and bringing a new bike from a relatively forgotten brand in the middle of working on the current products sounds hectic. 

And it’s not just any ‘new bike’. It is a retro roadster trying to take on the 650cc space. And yeah, if that sounds familiar, that’s because Royal Enfield did that about 6 years ago. And the last time Jawa and Yezdi tried benchmarking Royal Enfield bikes, things didn’t go too well for them. But now that the bike is here and as someone who attended the event and saw everything happen first hand, here’s if the Gold Star makes sense for India. 

It Looks Beautiful!

The BSA Gold Star is a handsome machine and there’s no doubt about that. The round headlight, indicators, flat seat, peashooter exhaust and some of the colour schemes (red, for example, with all the chrome), all of them come together to make it look very pretty indeed. And the best thing is, it’s beautiful but more in a Benelli Imperiale 400 way than a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. On the road, we don’t think someone could mistake the Gold Star for the Interceptor 650. 

Promises To Be More Than Just An Interceptor 650 Rival

For me, the most impressive thing about the Gold Star would be the way it’s more than just an Interceptor rival and it promises to have its own identity. The biggest point is obviously the 652cc single-cylinder engine. The lack of one extra cylinder should make it quite different to ride. And it not only makes more torque than the Interceptor, but the fact that it also makes as much as 33Nm from just 1800rpm is quite impressive. And if international reviews are to be believed, that sheer low-end grunt is complemented with a solid mid-range punch too. 

Adding to that, the Gold Star also seems to be more accessible than the Interceptor. As likeable as the Royal Enfield 650s are, they’ve always been heavy bikes and us lanky folks felt that weight at low speeds. The Gold Star is not only 17kg lighter than the Interceptor but also has a 24mm lower seat height. For perspective, that means you will be sitting nearly an inch lower. That’s definitely substantial and should make the Gold Star a lot more accessible for riders of different shapes and sizes. 

Customers Need To Be Given A More Premium Experience

Jawa and Yezdi bike owners’ experiences with their after-sales service network hasn’t been the best and that has to change with the Gold Star 650. It is the group’s flagship product and hence even the overall buying and servicing network has to feel that way with a more premium, lifestyle-like experience. Of course opening BSA showrooms for just 1 bike isn’t feasible but BSA will have to make amends there. 

What is in it for the customer, you may ask? Well, the Gold Star promises something different. While its revival might be inspired by the Interceptor 650’s success, the Gold Star brings something new to the table and that is something we always appreciate. Its launch finally gives us options apart from the Royal Enfield 650s. As good as they are, they’ve been the only affordable 650cc bikes in India, given that the likes of the Kawasaki Z650RS are too expensive to buy & maintain. 

To answer the original question, the group does seem to be heading in the right direction and we’re happy they brought the Gold Star to India. Updates to the 334cc and 293cc platform seem to have put the company on the right path and with a good flagship product, the brand can make inroads as a premium manufacturer too. The entire group feels like the Indian cricket team right before the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Both had struggled big time in the last iterations and were battered. But now with some fresh blood and a heavyweight in the team, they seem to be on the right path. So will it be a world cup win for Jawa, Yezdi and BSA? We obviously cannot vouch for that but they’re definitely heading in the right direction