When you think of affordable, retro-inspired motorcycles, chances are the first manufacturer that comes to mind is Royal Enfield. The Indian motorcycle marque has quickly gained popularity in recent years, thanks to its impressive lineup of two-wheelers that serves as the perfect platform for custom builds.
RE’s one of the few manufacturers who continues to keep its bikes super simple, and indeed, Enfield’s bikes are a breath of fresh air in today’s tech-dominated market. And as is human nature, when something’s successful, you can bet that others are gonna try to replicate it. Case in point: BSA Motorcycles.
The once British-owned company, now owned by Indian automotive giant Mahindra, through its motorcycle subsidiary Classic Legends, has locked horns with Royal Enfield, particularly in the 650cc class. BSA’s Gold Star is indeed a direct competitor to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, with a spec sheet and price list well within striking distance.
Of course, the main difference here is that the Enfield is rocking a punchy parallel-twin while the Gold Star gets a thumper. So your personal preference will ultimately be the deciding factor.
But BSA didn’t stop with just the Gold Star. You see, hot on the heels of the debut of the Royal Enfield Bear 650 scrambler, BSA has decided to preview what it’s calling the B65 Scrambler. And you guessed it, it’s a rugged, retro-inspired scrambler based off the Gold Star 650—a coincidence? I think not.
The B65 Scrambler surely looks the part. It has a high front fender, raised suspension, and rolls on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels shod in knobby rubber. It also gets sporty details like a number plate on the side, blacked-out exhaust headers, and minimal bodywork. Styling-wise, I’d say that the B65 Scrambler looks sleeker and more athletic than the Bear 650, and hey, maybe its thumpy single-cylinder engine will be more fun off-road, too. Take note, however, that BSA’s 652c single makes about as much power as RE’s 648cc twin—around 45 horsepower and 40 pound-feet of torque.
Clearly, once BSA launches the B65 Scrambler, whether or not it’ll become a smash hit will depend heavily on its price. The company has been known to undercut Royal Enfield’s prices when it comes to base models, but slightly surpass them when it comes to top-tier models, and it’s more than likely that we’ll be seeing a similar story with the B65 Scrambler.
At the end of the day, more options in the market is always a good thing, not just for us consumers, but for manufacturers, too. Competition breeds innovation, and seeing how manufacturers step up, particularly in the hot neo-retro segment, is always super exciting.
What do you think? Could BSA’s B65 Scrambler be a viable alternative to the Royal Enfield Bear 650, with its peppy single-cylinder engine? Or is a modern-day scrambler’s personality really more attuned to a 270-degree parallel-twin?
Sources: Top Gear India, GaadiWaadi.com
