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Pure Gold
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Gold Star
Ray Thursby
11/01/2006
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Photography by David Gooley
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When compared to many other machines that have achieved classic
status, the BSA Gold Star seems rather innocuous at first glance. It does not
look as if it would intimidate its rider, or even generate all that much speed;
nor does it bristle with unique technological or design features that set it
apart from a myriad of other single-cylinder British motorcycles. In fact, it
appears so simple that it might be nothing more than a low-priced, basic
bike with a few boy-racer pretensions.
And yet, the Gold Star is a racing
legend that enjoys an enthusiastic following among contemporary connoisseurs.
This hard-won appreciation did not occur overnight. In fact, most historians
suggest that during the first two years the Gold Star was offered, it made
almost no impression at all. Time and continued development transformed it from
an unappreciated bike into a long-lived success.
 Treasured details abound on this 1960 BSA Gold Star. (Click image to
enlarge)
At the time the first Gold
Stars were built, BSA seemed an unlikely source for anything but rather
pedestrian motorcycles. Two-wheelers were, after all, only one part of the
company’s wide-ranging interests. As the name suggests, Birmingham Small Arms
began as a weapons manufacturer. Birmingham had a thriving armament industry
dating back to the 17th century. Bicycles were the first step away from arms
production, circa 1880, followed by a motorcycle 23 years later.
Like similar
firms, BSA tried its hand at racing early on, but abandoned its factory-backed
efforts in 1921 after some poor results. Without the impetus provided by
competition, its range of motorcycles seemed destined to never be more than
simply good. The Gold Star ultimately changed all that.
 The Gold Star’s
story begins with another BSA, the Empire Star. Though rather unexciting, the
Empire Star had tuning potential, at least in the minds of some enthusiasts at
the factory who modified one extensively. In 1937, it was sent to the track at
Brooklands in the care of one Walter Handley. The brave Mr. Handley, who came
out of retirement for the occasion, was to compete in a three-lap race around
the 2 3/4-mile banked oval track. (Click image to enlarge)
Though an eight-mile race may not seem
noteworthy, Handley’s victory in this sprint was no small achievement. The
Brooklands circuit’s aging, treacherous surface and uneven bankings were capable
of inflicting severe damage on both two- and four-wheeled machines. Any pilot
error carried with it the potential for major injuries or death. Handley’s
fastest lap of 107.5 mph took considerable skill and courage; it also earned him
a gold star badge, which was awarded by the Brooklands race organizers to anyone
who circled the track at more than 100 mph.
A year later, BSA introduced a
new 500cc motorcycle, which for marketing purposes had its M24 model designation
somewhat immodestly supplanted by the Gold Star name. In initial form, its
90-mph maximum speed rendered it incapable of putting its riders in line for
their own Brooklands gold stars. Even so, the Gold Star was a handsome machine,
and keenly priced at £82 (about $6,300 in today’s American currency). This was
not, however, a good time to introduce a civilian motorcycle. Within a year,
Europe would be at war and Gold Star production would end after a mere 500
examples were built.
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