Update on the new BSA

[Greybeard]

Cyclespot Group - Auckland was pleased to launch the BSA Gold Star last night.  It was great to see so many like minded people brave some pretty ugly weather conditions! 
The wait is over and we are please to be have the full BSA Gold Star range on display, in store now.

[rocker21]

had a test ride on the new goldie, then the new triumph speed 400, the 400 is almost as quick but a lot lighter and a lot cheaper at the mo, its easy to move about and carries a pillion ok, and it goes round corners, so i bought it and not regretted it.

[limeyrob]

I think the Triumph 400 is very interesting. The spec is almost a straight match for an A10 - 40hp, 180kg, 80 mpg or quite a few other 60's bikes.
Its interesting to read shocked road testers saying "its amazing , I only need 40hp even 2 up" or "I can ride faster with 40hp than 90hp on a bigger bike" which of course we all know.
Its also interesting to compare with the BMW 1250 "Adventure" - 98hp, 268kg and 50 mpg.  When you look back on the big road trips and circumnavigations they were done on 40hp or less with fully loaded up bikes.  Now its seem the min is 90hp and a bike that weighs another 100kg (220lb!!) more before it even gets going.  I was watching a video of a guy on one green-laning, it fell over when the stand stand sunk in.  He really struggled to pick it up and looked knackered, he was on his own.
I used to ride a '55 B31, all 18hp (and some of those had long gone) I pulled up one day and a guy came out of a big house (I was expecting to be asked to move on ). He was very pleased to see the B31 and told me he bought one new in 1952 and rode it to the Helsinki Olympics the long way, over the channel, up Holland, Denmark, Sweden and back down Finland to Helsinki, then all the way back. In size terms that would be very similar to the T400.
Obviously as a dyed in the wool BSA owner I'd buy the Gold Star but I think the Triumph is a great spec and will shake up the market a bit.

[rocker21]

my local dealer cant get enough of them (speed 400 ) the waiting list is getting quite long and there are now 3 of them in the bike club i belong to, a couple of points against it, front mudguard is to short, had to buy an after market extension , fitted the rad guard . going to fit the rear hugger  as there really is no rear mudguard, no center stand  which is not easy to fix, and i have found it difficult to bungee anything to the seat, so a carrier is needed, it is light enough and slim enough to get into the van  which the goldie is not.  i have a sort of camper van for when we go away we can park the van and go out on the bike, 

[KiwiGF]

I think the Triumph 400 is very interesting. The spec is almost a straight match for an A10 - 40hp, 180kg, 80 mpg or quite a few other 60's bikes.
Its interesting to read shocked road testers saying "its amazing , I only need 40hp even 2 up" or "I can ride faster with 40hp than 90hp on a bigger bike" which of course we all know.
Its also interesting to compare with the BMW 1250 "Adventure" - 98hp, 268kg and 50 mpg.  When you look back on the big road trips and circumnavigations they were done on 40hp or less with fully loaded up bikes.  Now its seem the min is 90hp and a bike that weighs another 100kg (220lb!!) more before it even gets going.  I was watching a video of a guy on one green-laning, it fell over when the stand stand sunk in.  He really struggled to pick it up and looked knackered, he was on his own.
I used to ride a '55 B31, all 18hp (and some of those had long gone) I pulled up one day and a guy came out of a big house (I was expecting to be asked to move on ). He was very pleased to see the B31 and told me he bought one new in 1952 and rode it to the Helsinki Olympics the long way, over the channel, up Holland, Denmark, Sweden and back down Finland to Helsinki, then all the way back. In size terms that would be very similar to the T400.
Obviously as a dyed in the wool BSA owner I'd buy the Gold Star but I think the Triumph is a great spec and will shake up the market a bit.

The “adventure bike” (ADV) scene has been stirred up quite a bit in NZ with the arrival of the relatively cheap CFMoto 450MT, Triumph 400 scrambler and Royal Enfield 450 Himalayan. The KTM 390 ADV has been around a while and sold OK but now looks pricy and being road bike based not as good off road as it should be.

Only new bikes with ABS can be imported to NZ for last couple of years so the cheap “dual sport” bikes that can double as ADV (such as the Suzuki DR650) are not sold any more. About the only one I can think of is the Honda CRF300, which is a bit slow. Choice has been limited and the used price of DR650 and similar bikes is crazy.

Whats odd is that the new “light weight” sub 500cc ADVs weigh 175 to 200kg so not very light at all!

I’ve ridden all the above except the enfield but for the moment I am keeping my old KTM 990 ADV (about 190kg dry weight after a bit of weight reduction farkling), but I can see one day I would want something more manageable.

Yesterday I went for a 100km + ride around the local gravel roads, wet mud in places, me on my B44 him on his 1100GS (250kg). Both had fun but I had less “dodgy moments” I reckon….B44 only really lost out on the 100kmph roads joining the gravel roads up.

A cheap new BSA scrambler or ADV would be interesting to me, but unlikely as I dont think that market is what Mahindra is trying to capture.

Edit: pic from another day out of my brothers beemer awaiting my help to right it, obviously he had to wait whilst I took a pic first 

[limeyrob]

Interesting to see the B44 is claimed 139 kg with the works competition bikes at 103kg!
I've been putting together a 350 Matchless trail bike.  Not sure of the weight, but it fell over* yesterday and was OK to pick up on my own. In road trim it would weigh about 180 kg but I reckon about 20-30 kg has been removed.  I don't know the power, I'm hoping for around 18hp perhaps a little more as its got the all ally competition engine but I haven't worked out what compression its got as i bought it as a part finished project and the engine was the finished bit.
* Who but Matchless could come up with a fly-off side stand?  It gets me every time.

[Joolstacho]

Ducati... 'suiSidestand'.

[KiwiGF]

Interesting to see the B44 is claimed 139 kg with the works competition bikes at 103kg!
I've been putting together a 350 Matchless trail bike.  Not sure of the weight, but it fell over* yesterday and was OK to pick up on my own. In road trim it would weigh about 180 kg but I reckon about 20-30 kg has been removed.  I don't know the power, I'm hoping for around 18hp perhaps a little more as its got the all ally competition engine but I haven't worked out what compression its got as i bought it as a part finished project and the engine was the finished bit.
* Who but Matchless could come up with a fly-off side stand?  It gets me every time.

Got a pic of the matchy? Sounds a fun project

[groily]

* Who but Matchless could come up with a fly-off side stand?  It gets me every time.

Frame should have 2 holes in offside lower rail - if it has, hook the spring in t'other hole for 'stay-down' Rob.

[Greybeard]

Er, bit off-topic guys 😕

[limeyrob]

Fair cop. Back on topic I rather like the look of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt8tpoQUbOE
I'm not usually a retro bike fan but I think they've done a good job on capturing the original.
Do we know whether its a one-off or real prospect for 2025?

[Greybeard]

I think that is fake

[limeyrob]

Pity, I liked the look of it.

[muskrat]

I think that is fake

G'day GB.
I tend to agree but if it is real I want one.
Remember a few years ago when the news of a new BSA was announced there was a pic of a scrambler.
Think I'll just plod around on my old XT500.
Cheers

[Worty]

Sorry GB, but I want an XT500!