BSA Gold Star 650 - a real world test ride
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2023
- No technical stuff or statistics - just an honest review of what it's really like to ride. Bear in mind, this is a budget bike so don't expect perfection. It's about value for money!!
I bought mine on the 1sr of March and love it. Being on the big side, not to mention the crappy Lancashire roads, i upgraded the rear shocks which have improved the ride considerably. No mechanic issues and after it's first service its really loosened up.
I'm a Lancashire lad myself! Enjoy the Goldie
Yours is the first review which I believe accurately documents the higher-frequency "buzzy" vibration of the BSA. We took a test ride a couple of weeks ago with a view to touring as a family as we all have bikes. Within 15 minutes of riding the BSA it was clear that the vibration through the handlebars, seat and footpegs would soon result in numb extremities and very frequent stops. We wondered whether it was a problem with the particular demonstrator that we were on but yours sounds the same.
We discounted the BSA and the following week we bought a three year old Bonneville for virtually the same price as we would have paid for the new BSA and there is no buzzy vibration at all. There is a low frequency rumble but that is relatively pleasant and does not cause limbs to go dead.
Our first short tour on our three bikes was to the Peak District last weekend, staying overnight in Matlock, about 100 miles from where we live. The Bonneville was excellent although, as you also infer, some kind of screen will be needed for sustained riding above 75 mph.
Richard
I have an early 23 only vibes i felt where through handlebars cured by fitting the old style triumph grips I had two of the newer bonnevilles I fitted same to them love both the bonneville and the goldstar I have ridden motorcycles from 1970 90cc to 1400cc have to say the bsa is up there with the best it was my first big four stroke single and first few rides throttle felt a bit jerky but after a few rides no problem done a few 140 mile runs no problem with vibes through seat or foot pegs
I ride regularly through Chatsworth, as a mature rider 3 months on L-plates, I came late to this game . Stopping for the sheep and "suicide" deer really puts us in our place 😂 but it's great to see them. Can't wait to get a slightly bigger bike for the Peak District roads, but I expect that won't be until next year now, I'll just muddle through winter on my 125 and gain more experience. Think I'll still prefer Royal Enfield though when the time comes.
An enjoyable review. Just your immediate reactions. Thank you.
Thanks. I tried not to repeat all the stuff that other reviewers had posted. I really don't need to know the size of the rotors or the seat height to the last millimetre.
Great review, nice riding skills
Well done on a good video. Picture quality and sound are excellent and a real world review with your opinions and not a mish mash of publicity blurb as in other reviews.
Nice review, thanks.
Thanks for watching!
I had one when I past my test at 17 years old. Got off a DT125LC and onto an A650 unit construction. After a day of thrashing it the main bearings went. I was crying lol. But my dad rebuilt it and got the upgraded mains kit.
ROTAX 653 single engine!? Similar to the old GS n Aprilia 650 of the 90s. I love the chugging from that old engine. Now you have me thinking, thx for sharing your experience on this classic
Hi I had test ride on that bike, back in April this year. Yes what a good bike felt like I was back in the 60s. Come on everybody 😅
Seeing lots of negative reviews on the web at the moment, so it's nice to get a positive one. And one bloke even said it was a Rocket Gold Star copy, which of course it isn't. Can this bike really be the same one that the journos and others raved about last year? How quickly perceptions change! Great unbiased review with lovely scenery. Thanks for posting.
In reality, it's not even a Gold Star. It is a nice bike full of nostalgia though. I enjoyed riding it - far more than the Interceptor, which I found small and VERY uncomfortable. Couldn't wait to get off it.
Good review. Good bike. Shame that there are a few negative reviews of this bike, usually by people who don't understand what a single cylinder bike is all about.
Hey up. Nice ride/review, not to dissimilar to how I do mine. Nice to see someone else who doesn’t do a quick 5 mins around the block with scripted narration. When I first took one out, it was back in January, when they were first released. The roads were awful, and a tight, greasy roundabout, found me doing the thruppeny bit thing. I had an Interceptor back then, with the same Pirelli Phantom tyres. The BSA didn’t feel quite as sure footed ! In the spring, I took it out again, for a really long ride (split into two), and didn’t have the same feelings re the roundabout’s. I still wasn’t convinced it was the Interceptor beater which others thought it was, but I was impressed nonetheless. I have no doubt that I will ride it again next year, as it is an enjoyable bike to ride.
Thank you Ian. I watched a couple of your videos and you are right - we do have a similar style. Nice area that you live in!
@@froglodytestravels thanks for watching. Yes, it’s lovely up here, but it is also lovely in the Peak District. We know it quite well, as I am originally from Nantwich, and my wife is a Stokie. In fact, we stayed at Stanshope Hall for a couple of nights last week, for our annual pilgrimage to Bakewell 😎
I have a Goldie and I inverted the USB, it will not hit the tank, and looks way better, also there are a lot of upgrades that in my opinion make the bike more premium, such as the dart short fly screen, Moore speed racing exhaust, and dash angle adaptor, Tec parts bar end mirrors.
Good on you. Way too many people knocking the Goldie..It's a look alike, not a DBD34! Lots rave about the RE Interceptor but I found it a bit bland. Good bike for a new or returnng biker but I wouldn't swap either of my bikes for one.
Have you thought about doing a video showing your mods?
Curious, have you also happened to have ridden a Royal Enfield Classic 350? I know it make sound like a strage request but could you compare the two?
No but I have ridden the meteor 350. Same engine and a brilliant bike.
I used to own an Interceptor, which is the BSA’s closest competitor. I now own just the Classic 350. I have done 3 demo’s on the BSA. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the BSA against the Classic 350 really, with the BSA’s extra 300cc and water cooling. Seat height is about the only similarity, the BSA feels quite low compared to the Interceptor, a point which for some reason, I am the only one who seemed to notice 😂. The 350 is a belter, and capable of doing all the speed limits here in the UK, but I prefer riding at 55-60mph, unless I feel like getting a wriggle on. Obviously the 650 in the BSA gets to these speeds more quickly, and goes well beyond the 350’s top speed of about 73mph…..but top speed is not what the Classic 350 is all about. Bimbling around the lanes is an absolute joy. The 350 has bags of torque, so steep inclines aren’t an issue. I enjoyed my rides on the BSA, but I don’t think I would swap my Classic 350 for one. Hope this helps.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Thank you so much. That is actually a bit of a help. Even though I have ample places to ride fast, I guess that's not what I'm looking for per se, and I have an Indian Scout for that if I want it. I want a slightly lighter and nimble classical styled bike for the slightly slower but winding and hilly canyon and mountain roads that are all over Arizona and much of the US, the back highways. Still a hard decision. The BSA doesn't even have a release date in the US yet.
@@kenmetalsmith8638 if you have a look through some of my older videos, you will see the roads I usually go on. Some pretty steep inclines amongst them. I will be taking mine to Wales again soon, with yet more, very steep hills, which the Classic 350 will go up without any issue. Happy to help.
I rather fancy the Scrambler when it comes out. The Gold Star looks brisk enough. Nick J
Saw a custom bsa scrambler yesterday at Coventry classic bike fest. Wasn't cheap but showed what could be done. The customising market seems to be opening up for the Gold Star
Nice positive review let's hope bsa release another model soon, 125 market a bsa bantam, that is reliable 😂(my 1st 2 bikes awful electrics) lucas prince of darkness!
I've been (reliably) informed that BSA have registered the names Bantam and Lightning so fingers crossed
@@froglodytestravels wow good news look forward to that may bsa become as successful as triumph and royal enfield.
I had a BSA Bantam and it had WIPAC electrics however, they were really poor.
If you think Bantam electrics were bad, I had a 1972 Bonneville with 6 volt dynamo powered electrics. I dare not go out in the dark!
6:20 are you just clunking down the box, rather than actually down shifting through the gears?
Presume main rival is Interceptor.
Never seen so many sheep crossing at once at Chatsworth!
I have ridden both. The Interceptor was the most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden. I was in pain within 10 minutes. As for the sheep, there were so many, I almost fell asleep.
@@froglodytestravels surprised, thought they were similar bikes
@@derbyshireruralrider9398 I have an interceptor. The stock seat isn’t the best. I replaced it with a more more plush one. It’s one of my favorite bikes ever. I haven’t ridden the BSA but I am intrigued with it being a single. Looks great too.
I look at the mirrors.....no vibrating wiggling.......?
Not at normal road speeds
Tbh I'd think that the term nicely run in when applied to a demo bike isn't saying much 😬
Yes you're probably right but I don't think the ones who are interested in this bike are the type to rag the nuts off a demo bike (with the exception of Mototingle). At least the tyres and pads had had time to bed in and also the first service done.
On the back of what you said did you buy one
No. I'm waiting for the new Triumph 400 to compare them.
Also, I don't think it's the best time of year to buy a naked bike
I have watched a few you tube videos about the BSA not all that great a bike. Mahindra built race bikes. They more than held up to racing. Why would the quality about the BSA be questioned?
Indeed. Not perfect but it is a budget bike
if its liquid cooled im not interested
i don't know what you are riding but it isn't a bsa
Triumphs built in Thailand, KTMs built in India?
@@froglodytestravels It's a modern look a like, er that's it.....
Hence the saying...Follow like sheep. Bit like todays society😁😉
2h to tell us all about the bike…
Another quickshot UA-camr without any practical use… 👎
You are of course entitled to you opinion
I'm a bit unsure what you expect in 2 hours.....full strip down perhaps?
@@keithpearson7539 - 2h are to short to get the right feel for a bike!
A short test ride I can get at any dealer by my self - to experience the quirks you need at least a ridden in bike for a few hundred miles.
Yep. The video was a test ride - not a full technical review!@@keithpearson7539