WHAT'S YOUR INITIAL IMPRESSION OF THE 2022 BSA GOLD STAR?
[Maria] It's a lot better than I thought it was going to be.
I thought it would be, I didn't think it would be as pokey as it is, as
you know, as torquey, and pulled off up the hill. A couple of times I managed to get it in fifth
and thought excellent we can go on for days. There felt like there was a lot, it's got a lot.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S LOOKS?
It looks like a Gold Star. Yeah, the exhaust, the tank, the badge on the side there.
The fact that the dials go that way as opposed to that way, first thing I noticed. The
only trouble is that the one in the middle is small. I think most of us rode for quite a long
time with the indicators on because it's so small you just can't see them flashing.
ANY OTHER NEGATIVES?
So the oil tank doesn't have an external filler, you have to pull the case off to get to it. So
if you can't see it you're not going to worry about it, you're not going to check it, possibly.
HOW'S THE ENGINE FEEL, LIKE A SINGLE OR A TWIN?
Probably somewhere between the two I think. Yeah you've got the power of a twin but
possibly the noise of a single. But it's not too, it's not
overly noisy. It's good, it's a good thump, thump, thump. That's good
DOES IT FEEL HEAVY?
I did find if it was, when we were on one of the sort of slopey bits, it's a long way down to
put it on the stand. If you're on a incline that side, it's a long way down to put it
down. So you're going to end up sort of paddling and you won't catch it. It's heavy enough that
I don't think you'll catch it if it goes too far. But it is a 650 so it's going to be heavy.
But just taking it off the stand and riding it, no problem at all. It's good at slow speed.
HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL GO ON THE MOTORWAY?
So I think it will keep up with sort of motorway, dual carriageway traffic.
And the same in town, I think it will be, I think it's a pretty good all-round bike. And so far
I think it'll be comfortable as well. I think you could do quite a lot of miles, and this one's got
all the panniers on it. I think you could do quite a lot of miles and not end up with sore bums
and arms. But I think yeah, no I think it'll do a good all-round job.
HOW'D IT FEEL IF YOU WEREN'T IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT GEAR?
There was a couple of occasions when I went up the hill in the wrong gear
and I thought, uh-oh, and I had to change it. So it struggled,
it was steep though, really steep, and it struggled. But I think it'd pull away, I don't think you
could pull away from a junction in top gear. I don't think you could like you can with the
old stuff. You can just sort of ride the clutch a bit and off it'll go. But I don't think you
could do it. Maybe second or third, but I think any more than that and you'll struggle.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS BIKE'S FOR?
I think it will be for the old guys who wanted them when they were younger, couldn't for
whatever reason have them, but now they can. And they can put it in the shed and come back to it
in a year's time, maybe a trickle charger, turn the ignition on, press a button, and off they go.
There'll be no fettling with the carbs or the tray underneath to catch the oil, and
having to kick-start it, and the starting procedure. So I think that's, I don't know
about the younger market. I don't know whether they will, possibly, I'm not sure,
I'm not sure. I think they'll be led by their peers, and it's not got enough plastic on it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RIDING POSITION?
As soon as you got on it, as soon as you get on it you just sort of jiffle about a bit, and yeah,
I didn't find myself jiffling too much to get comfortable. The good thing is,
being female, we're not always very tall. This isn't too tall. Low seat height,
yeah, so you're not, I mean I've got built up boots on so I've got a slightly higher in-step
on mine, so I've got a little bit extra in case I need it, but I don't, it's not, the weight's not
all at the bottom so it's trying to tip you over anything. I think it's a good
all-round bike. I think it'll do very well. And this, oh don't, it's just lovely.
HOW'S IT COMPARE TO THE ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 YOU'VE BEEN RIDING LATELY?
Oh yeah, I would say there's a comparison, yeah, because you go from the
350 sort of if you passed your test. From the 350 I think you'll soon run out of power
on the 350 because it's a 350. And then what can I have next. It'll be
this or Interceptor, I would think. But this is just a little bit more refined.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PRICING?
So this is the top one and it's £7,000. You've then got not shiny silver, just
sort of a satin silver, black and red and white, which is £6,800. And the really glorious sort of
greeny blue, £6,500. That's mega. £6,500 for this. [Man] It's good value.
[Maria] It is definitely, yeah. No I really like it. I think they've done a really good job, really good job.