Both British machines boast of engines with near-identical capacities.
The UK prices for the BSA Gold Star 650 have been leaked, and it’s priced higher than its direct competitor, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.
The BSA Gold Star 650 was revealed late last year and intends to spearhead the brand’s return as a mainstream motorcycle manufacturer. BSA is under the umbrella of Mahindra’s Classic Legends, which also brought back names like Jawa and Yezdi from the dead.
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Priced between the equivalent of Rs. 6.15 lakh and Rs. 6.62 lakh in the UK
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Powered by a 652cc single-cylinder engine making 45hp, 55Nm
Pricing for the new Gold Star 650 begins at £6,500 (Rs 6.15 lakh) for the Highland Green version. Shelling out £6,800 (Rs 6.43 lakh) will get you a choice of three colours: Insignia Red, Midnight Black and Dawn Silver. Sitting atop the pile, priced at £7,000 (Rs 6.62 lakh), is the Legacy Silver option, arguably the most desirable option harking back to the BSAs of yore.
Meanwhile, rival Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, priced between £6,039 (Rs 5.71 lakh) and £6,539 (Rs 6.18 lakh), costs less than the equivalent BSA. Historically, too, REs have been placed lower as compared to equivalent offerings from BSA.
BSA Gold Star 650 vs Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Both British machines boast of engines with near-identical capacities, but there’s some differences. The BSA, standing true to the original Gold Star from the 20th century, sports a 652cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine producing 45hp and 55Nm of torque, making it one of the largest single-cylinder engines on offer today.
The Enfield, meanwhile, deploys an additional cylinder on its 648cc air- and-oil-cooled parallel-twin making 47hp and 52Nm of torque. Both these engines’ performances are close, but owing to their different architecture, should promise a unique riding experience.
BSA Gold Star 650: Will it launch in India?
BSA hasn’t expressed any plans to sell the Gold Star 650 in India and the priority right now is to focus on its UK launch. After eventual expansion to Europe and the US, India will be considered and until then the bikes will simply be manufactured here. BSA is also working on opening another facility in the UK after which manufacturing will be split between the two.
To give us an inkling of where the BSA Gold Star 650 will sit in the market if launched, we can compare the prices of the RE Interceptor 650 abroad and on our shores. In India, the Interceptor is significantly affordable, retailing between Rs 2.88 lakh and Rs 3.13 lakh.
Other bikes that are dominant sellers in this category are the 390 trio from Austrian marque KTM, all priced between Rs 2.88 lakh and Rs 3.35 lakh, which should be within striking distance of the BSA’s price bracket once launched here.
Between the Interceptor 650 and the Gold Star 650 what would be your pick? Let us know in the comments section below.