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VISORDOWN got the chance to try out the new 2022 BSA Gold Star in front of a sell-out crowd at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Toad took to the Hill in an attempt to get the all-new model on to the livestream – here’s how he got on!
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the biggest and most prestigious dates in the UK motorsport calendar. Since its launch in 1993, it’s brought together the most important machinery and the biggest names from the world of two and four-wheeled motorsport.
And this year the 1.16-mile drive that leads to Goodwood House played host to little old me, as the chance was offered to ride a selection of motorcycles, including the all-new and much-awaited 2022 BSA Gold Star.
Having already ridden up the hill on Thursday on a Triumph Rocket 3, you’d have thought the nerves associated with taking part in the event would have been slightly diminished. I can honestly say that is not the case. With nearly 100,000 people at the event and countless more viewing the livestream on YouTube, the tension begins to build as soon as the order is given to gear-up in preparation for the run.Related Articles BSA give update on the release of the Gold Star 650BSA Gold Star first impressions from Motorcycle Live
And this might just have been the most important run for the little Gold Star of the whole weekend, as Sunday’s proposed 6:20pm start time would mark the final activity on the hillclimb course, effectively closing the 2022 event. Speaking to the team from BSA it was clear that the little Gold Star hadn’t quite got the airtime it had deserved during the event, although when running in the same group as a supercharged Triumph Bobber, you can kind of see why.
‘So, will it do a burnout then?’ I ask David from BSA’s PR team. ‘Likely not, the ABS will cut in!’ was his reply. It was from there that I knew to get the Beeza onto the big screen, we’d have to get a little bit creative. A couple of minutes later and the seat was off the bike and while inspecting the internals of the machine, we’d accidentally lost the fuse that controls the new bike’s ABS system. It’s still missing, and if found return to Visordown or BSA…
After some practice burnouts in the holding area prior to the run, the scene was set for the BSA’s big moment in the limelight. I placed myself and the bike last in the queue of road bikes to run up the hill. That way I can pull the bike up outside the front of Goodwood House and give it the berries, hopefully, that’d be enough to get the new Gold Star at least a little bit of airtime.
Once the nod is given to take off up the hill, I pin the little 650cc single off the line. I’m surprised to say it actually feels a little bit quicker than its 45bhp would have you believe. While the engine looks as though it could’ve been plucked from the production line back in the 1940s, within its classic-looking casings it’s all-new. Twin spark plugs, DOHC, and modern fuel injection mean the throttle response is crisp and progress brisk. After a few hundred yards, Goodwood House looms into view, and a surprising number of fans are still lining the haybales looking to enjoy every last drop of the action. I snick the bike back down into first gear, pull up in front of the house and hang all of my body weight over the front end of the bike. Slipping the clutch, the bike ploughs forward with its front wheel locked. Disaster! “Come on, don’t f**k me over now!” I mutter into my lid angrily. After the first failed burnout attempt, I wedge my RST boots under the footpegs and do my best to lift the rear wheel of the bike to try and instigate some kind of smoky excitement for the remaining fans.
BINGO - it works. With the rear wheel now spinning in first, I hook second gear and pin the throttle, taking my left hand off the bars to give a little wave to the assembled fans. It seems to have worked, a ripple of applause and cheers makes its way through the crowd, and I just hope it was enough to get the attention of the dozens of TV cameras that line the hillclimb course.
Once the run is done, I trundle back down to the paddock area to see if we’d made it onto the live stream – result; we had. The cameras might not have captured the entire burnout (I knew I should have held onto it for longer!), but they did capture the hazy aftermath, and then followed myself and the little BSA for the remainder of the run. Happy Toad, Happy BSA team, happy family watching at home.
Look, I’m not going to claim this is some first ride review, but even a mile on the new 2022 BSA Gold Star did give me chance to get a feel for the new bike. It seems like a thoroughly modern machine in some respects and very retro in others. The controls are feather-light, just as you’d expect from a 2022 machine, although the riding position and feel of the 652cc thumping single-cylinder engine both have a distinctly retro vibe to them. It’s a vibe that continues with the clocks of the bike, with the upside-down rev counter and speedo looking perfectly in keeping with this retro homage. With nine corners on the course, I also got a chance to test the handling of the new bike, and it’s a similar story to the engine. With the tall single-cylinder engine dominating the machine, it’s never going to be the fastest turning machine on the planet, although it is a sweet-handling little bike. The chassis feels nicely taut, with plush but not wallowing suspension that allows you to have some fun in the turns while not being jarringly stiff. All in all, it feels nicely put together and very well set up.
Styling-wise I think the 2022 BSA Gold Star is spot on. It’s authentically put together, with lovely design touches inspired by the original motorcycle, and to the casual observer, you’d be hard-pressed to know that this wasn’t an original bike from the 40s, 50s, or 60s. It really is only missing a kickstart and carbs, the rest of it is very much in keeping with the period.
Stay tuned to Visordown in the coming weeks, as we’ll be riding the new BSA Gold Star on the UK press launch a little bit later this month, we’ll update this page as and when it happens.
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