|
|
 |
Pure Gold
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gold Star
Ray Thursby
11/01/2006
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Photography by David Gooley
|
It took several years for BSA to return to civilian
production, but one of its first new products in 1948 was again called Gold
Star. Like its predecessor, the new “Goldie” was an exceptionally simple
machine, cradling a 350cc single-cylinder engine/transmission assembly, largely
made up of light-alloy castings, in a minimal frame. Despite its stark
appearance, the Gold Star justified its £211 price (about $9,100 today) by
having a considerable amount of extra attention lavished on it; each engine was
hand-assembled from specially selected components and was run-in on a test bench
before the bike left Small Heath.
Almost immediately, the Gold Star made a
name for itself in competition. At the Isle of Man TT, a Gold Star won the
Junior (350cc) class for the first time in 1949; Gold Stars would dominate this
class through the late 1950s. A companion 500cc model was added in 1949; it too
would become a perennial class challenger in the Manx races. But Gold Stars were
not just for road racing; they were also used to great effect in trials and
scrambles events, as well.
The first major changes in the postwar Gold Stars
appeared in 1953, when a new double-tube frame, swing-arm rear suspension and
upgraded gearbox were introduced. The new frame and suspension improved the
bike’s handling noticeably, a good thing in light of the power increases wrung
out of both engines the following year. Even more was done in 1955 and, in 1956,
the “ultimate” Gold Star was introduced.
In essence, the DBD34 was an
evolution of previous Gold Stars; new cylinder heads, tapered mufflers and the
use of larger Amal carburetors made them potent indeed. Though some found them
pleasurable road bikes, the factory and most customers were more interested in
racing. BSA offered Scrambles and Clubman versions, with engines tuned
specifically for racing, close-ratio gearsets and, at least in the latter
model’s case, clip-on handlebars. These were, as BSA readily admitted,
“unsuitable for touring.” The DBD34 was offered only in 500cc form.
 Oddly
enough, it was not obsolescence or lack of demand that ended Gold Star
production in 1963. The bikes were still winning races with regularity, and
BSA’s U.S. distributor clamored for more. Management simply wanted to stop
building them and, when notified that Joseph Lucas, Ltd. was no longer willing
to produce the magneto used in the Gold Star engine, the production line was
shutdown. (Click image to enlarge)
That might be said to have been the beginning of the end for BSA.
The company was going through changes, selling off divisions—Daimler went to
Jaguar in 1960—and the motorcycle business was eventually absorbed by the
short-lived Norton Villiers Triumph combine in 1972. This
government-ordered consortium dropped the BSA name and had no use for the
Small Heath motorcycle factories. After further ownership changes, the BSA Regal
Group took over in 1994. Among other projects, the re-organized company produced
the BSA Gold, a Gold Star look-alike with a Yamaha engine, but this effort
failed after a few examples were built.
Though BSA has essentially vanished
from the motorcycle world, the Gold Star is still supported by loyal owners who
restore and race their treasured machines. The example seen here is owned by
Bruce Meyer, a Californian known for his collection of hot rods and exotic
sports cars. In the 1960s, Meyer raced Gold Stars and formed a solid
appreciation for them. This one, purchased some 20 years ago in fully restored
condition, does not receive such hard use.
Like most of Meyer’s machines,
this Gold Star has a history. Its first owner was racer John Surtees, a World
Champion on both two and four wheels. Best-known among motorcycle fans for his
years with MV Agusta, Surtees bought the Clubman-model Gold Star in 1960, just
as his bike-racing career was coming to an end. It was sold in 1962; the next
year, he signed with Ferrari, for whom he would win the Formula One championship
in 1964.
Beautiful in its simplicity, reliability and speed, the Gold Star
has more than earned its place among the great machines in motorcycling
history.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
