BSA Rocket Gold Star

The modern Gold Star has stolen the limelight of late. But, as Rowena Hoseason explains, BSA built a rip-snorting roadster back in 1962, one which combined the best that both the famous 500 single and the stalwart 650 twin had to offer…

If it was thrilling to own and ride 60 years ago, what’s a Rocket Goldie like to ride right now? We spoke with owner James, who bought his RGS a decade ago in full working order. ‘It’s a great handing bike,’ says James. ‘In clubmans trim – with clip-ons and rearset footrests and its low centre of gravity – it can be really cranked over. It has an instantly responsive throttle and great roadholding in the corners.

‘I’ve got used to the close-ratio RRT2 gearbox which I really like. With the tall first gear I tend to keep it in first for slow urban riding.’ Then on the open road the high-comp 10.5:1 engine delivers ‘rapid acceleration for a 650 of its day, and it will cruise all day at 80mph and 4500rpm if so desired. I don’t take it over 5000rpm out of respect for the engine although it’s itching to dish out more horses with a whiff of extra throttle. The evocative staccato exhaust note through the Gold Star silencer is also a big plus.’

James’ RGS is an early machine which emerged from Small Heath in the June of 1962. It initially was despatched to a collector in America, ‘a big British motorcycle collector with many machines that were either used very little or still brand new in their original packing cases.’

Three decades later, but with very few miles recorded on the clock, the RGS came back to the UK where Roger Sharman of Cake Street Classics recommissioned it. When current owner James bought the bike it had touring bars fitted upside down – ‘a common practice,’ he says – which he replaced with clip-ons.

James also added a lifting handle, to facilitate easing the machine onto its centrestand because ‘it’s not the easiest bike to rock onto the mainstand although it has a good prop stand as well. It either needs to be on dead level ground or, better still, slightly sloping backwards to get it onto the centrestand comfortably. Available from George Prew, the aftermarket quality chrome handle bolts neatly under the seat at just the right position to be grabbed by your right hand when you’re heaving the bike onto the stand.’

And it’s useful if you can get the RGS onto its centrestand for starting. From cold this normally takes three or four kicks; ‘I keep the manual magneto ignition advance / retard set on full advance for starting. It doesn’t need any choke from cold with the carb set slightly rich. Use a decent, followed-through kick and once it kicks back, usually on second or third kick (and which is much less vicious than from a Gold Star 500 single), it always goes on the next swing of the kickstarter.’

Starting with the engine warm is also an acquired skill. ‘Don’t tickle the carb and use only small throttle opening on the twistgrip. Otherwise you can flood the engine and then it’s a bitch to start.’

The booming trade in replica bikes means that spares supply is pretty good – everything which isn’t standard A10 is catered for by a series of Goldie specialists. ‘I’ve used Cake Street, George Prew, Len Haggis and Phil Pearson,’ says James’ and they’re all RGS specialists with quality parts and from whom I’ve always had great service.’

He then issues the standard caution about checking very carefully the provenance of any prospective purchase before your part with your cash. ‘The frame number starts GA10 and is unique to the genuine RGS. Replicas will almost always use a standard A10 frame. The engine number should start DA10R for all genuine RGS bikes. The Gold Star Owners’ Club offer an authentication service and many owners of genuine RGS bikes already will have the authentication letter. I have this for mine.’

Just remember: ‘there are probably as many replica copies of the RGS as there are genuine BSA factory models!’

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THERE’S MASSES MORE about the RGS in a huge two-part article which spans two issues, RC235 and RC236 (Nov23 and Dec23). Copies available online.

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Photos by JamesF, Mortons Archive, RC RChive

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