The return of famed ( previously British ) motorcycle brand BSA has finally borne fruit in the form of the 650 Gold Star . Resurrecting the Gold Star name is sure to rekindle the embers of memories in those old enough to remember them the first time around . So … as a 23-year-old male , I am probably not that target demographic for this motorcycle , but who doesn ’ t love a tasteful classic ? And it ’ s LAMS approved too . There ’ s no shame in saying I was going to require some winning over … possibly making me the perfect reviewer for this bike . A 650cc single cylinder retro-styled cruiser , this is a motorcycle keenly attuned to those who ride for the sake of riding , not those looking to push the limits of asphalt , nor those looking for Harley-esque power and sound . Tasteful retro stylings , perfunctory cooling fins , and twin-rear shocks are not at the top of the priority list for a guy who at present prefers to risk his life rather than savour it . What it excels at is being ridden off the driveway with no destination in mind , and looking damned handsome while doing so . The Gold Star looks good , rides well , and smells faintly of the open road on a sunny Sunday
afternoon . Without hyperbole , this bike elicited genuine whoops of joy when the road opened up on one blissful weekend , and at 10km / h under the speed limit no less . For someone whose joyous whoops are generally adrenalinefuelled and released at redactable speeds , this is rare . So , without spoiling the story , I ’ m not ashamed to say that the BSA 650 managed a fair bit of that winning over .
RETRO-BRITISH STYLING Firstly , I think this is a beautiful motorcycle . A fan of retro styling or not , any man or woman with eyes can surely recognise this . Despite knowing the silver engine casings and the aforementioned cooling fins are all purely aesthetic in nature , it does an exceptional job of drawing the eye . The build quality is strong , a welcome divergence from similar models by other manufacturers . The polished brass look of the exhaust and indulgent smattering of logos all contribute towards a look that harks back to BSA ’ s storied past , supplying an unholy number of motorcycles during the second world war , and enjoying enormous success commercially
40 KIWI RIDER