Royal Enfield Classic 650 vs BSA Gold Star 650: Image Comparison

Royal Enfield recently launched the highly-anticipated Classic 650 in the Indian market. The retro motorcycle has a  650cc parallel-twin motor, which makes it a direct rival to the BSA Gold Star 650. Lets have a closer look at how these retro motorcycles compare.

Design 

In terms of the styling, the Royal Enfield Classic 650 looks absolutely stunning with its iconic design and exciting colour options. With the 650cc motor, the motorcycle gets the twin peashooter exhausts which complete the overall look of this retro motorcycle. It is available in 4 colours: Vallam Red, Bruntingthorpe Blue, Black Chrome, and Teal.

The BSA Gold Star 650 gets a very well-executed design which makes it look quite appealing. It gets a tear drop shaped tank, round headlight, twin-pod console and many more elements which makes the motorcycle stand out. The Gold Star is available in 6 colour options: Insignia Red, Highland Green, Shadow Black, Sheen Silver, Midnight Black, Down Silver.

Performance 

The Classic 650 uses the tried-and-tested 648cc parallel-twin motor which makes 47PS at 7,250rpm and 52Nm 5,650rpm. This engine now powers 6 motorcycles in RE’s lineup and has been praised for being extremely refined and full of character.

The BSA Gold Star 650 gets one of the biggest single-cylinder engines in India, under Rs 15 lakh. This 652cc liquid-cooled motor produces 45PS at 6,500rpm and 55Nm at 4,000rpm. The engine has a strong mid range and in comparison with the Classic 650, the Gold Star makes its peak power and torque a lot earlier in the rev range. 

Underpinnings 

The Classic 650 gets a steel tubular frame along with a 43mm conventional telescopic fork and twin rear shock absorbers which get preload adjustability. The motorcycle gets a 320mm front disc and a 300mm rear disc with a single piston caliper along with dual channel ABS. At 243kg (kerb), the Classic 650 is the heaviest motorcycle from the brand.

The BSA Gold Star 650 gets a double-cradle frame and a 41mm conventional telescopic fork along with twin rear shock absorbers with preload adjustability. It gets a 320mm front disc, a 255mm rear disc and Brembo calipers at both ends along with dual channel ABS. At 201kg (kerb) the Gold Star 650 is 41kg lighter than the Classic 650, which is quite a lot.

Features 

Royal Enfield has given the Classic 650 all the necessary features. The motorcycle gets an analogue speedometer along with a digital display to show the fuel capacity, trip information, and more. The tripper navigation is standard across all variants and supports smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. It also enables turn-by-turn navigation and SMS/call alerts for added convenience.

The Gold Star 650 does not get any extra features to boast about. It gets an analogue twin-pod console with a speedometer on the left and a tachometer on the right. As a highlight feature the motorcycle gets two USB charging ports (USB A and C) for charging a mobile phone while riding. Other than this the motorcycle misses out on smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.

Pricing 

All prices ex-showroom Delhi

At Rs 3,37,000, the base variant of the Classic 650 is Rs 37,010 more expensive than that of the BSA Gold Star 650. While the Classic 650 top variant is Rs 15,010 more expensive than the BSA Gold Star 650 top variant. 

BikeDekho Says 

Both of these retro motorcycles offer a great blend of old-school looks and modern engines. The Classic 650 is a more expensive motorcycle here, but for the price it gets a smooth parallel-twin motor and a convenient tripper navigation system. While the BSA gets a single-cylinder engine with a basic console. Other than this, it is quite difficult to beat RE when it comes to after sales and service experience as they are present all over the country. In the end, both of these motorcycles do a great job in being two of the most well-sorted retro motorcycles in the Indian market.