BSA B65 Scrambler (2025) – Technical Review

BSA might be a name that’s been missing from the motorcycle landscape for decades but its return in 2022 with the reborn Gold Star has proved a substantial success in the UK market with sales figures rivalling those of Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650. Not bad for a brand that’s only just been reintroduced under the stewardship of Indian owner Mahindra.

But the company’s latest machine, the B65 Scrambler, is likely to be more popular still thanks to its on-point, retro-off-road style.

Pros & Cons

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Price

There’s no word yet on the pricing for the B65 Scrambler but given its close relationship with the existing Gold Star its likely to be competing in the same price bracket.

The Gold Star’s RRP is £6499 for the base version or £6999 for the higher-end ‘Legacy Edition’ model, but each currently has £1500 off, bringing the tags to £4999 and £5499 respectively.

Given that Royal Enfield’s new Bear 650 starts at £6749, rising to £6949 if you opt for the ‘Two Four Nine’ paint option, the competition between it and the B65 is likely to be fierce.

Official pricing will be confirmed nearer the on-sale date, expected to be in summer 2025.

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Engine & Performance

The engine is the same liquid-cooled, DOHC single that debuted in the current Gold Star in 2022, with a capacity of 652cc and a modern design with four valves and two spark plugs that belies its old-school appearance. It’s actually derived from the 652cc Rotax single that’s been used over the years in a broad array of bikes from BMWs (F650 Funduro, G650), to Aprilias (Pegaso 650) and even Voges (650DSX).

Only the rather obtrusive radiator gives away the fact that the engine isn’t more in keeping with BSAs of old. There’s impressive detailing on the motor’s cylinders and covers that give it the sort of visual interest that’s usually absent on a liquid-cooled design, even if it’s not the authentic air-cooled setup that Royal Enfield’s rival Bear 650 uses.

That liquid cooling is reflected in the engine’s performance. With a peak of 45hp at 6500rpm and 40.6 lb-ft at 4000rpm, its on a par with the Royal Enfield twin despite having just one cylinder. The BSA is a more highly-tuned motor, not only with twin cams instead of the RE’s single one, but with 11.5:1 compression where its rival has just 9.5:1. While the outright max power and torque figures are similar to the Bear’s (the Royal Enfield makes 46.8hp and 41.7 lb-ft), the BSA’s figure are each 650rpm lower in the rev range.

Top speed should be around the same as the Gold Star and the Royal Enfield rival machine, around the 100mph mark, but bear in mind this is a machine that’s designed specifically with A2 licence holders in mind, so its rivals will all fall into the same performance category.

The five-speed gearbox might seem like a retro step too far in a world of six-speeders, but the single’s flexibility should mean it’s not a problem.

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Borrowing its steel tube frame from the Gold Star, the B65’s chassis isn’t breaking any new ground in terms of technology but should be more than up to the job being asked of it here.

As on the Gold Star, the suspension is pretty straightforward kit, with non-adjustable 41mm right-way-up forks – they gain gaiters for the B65 – and twin shocks with five notches of preload adjustment. On the Gold Star, the suspension is one of its weak points, so it will be intriguing to see whether the B65 Scrambler’s take on the setup, including a substantially higher riding position and longer suspension travel, remedies the flaws of the original version.

It’s the same story with the brakes, which again come directly from the Gold Star. They include a 320mm front disc and Brembo two-piston caliper, mixed with a single 255mm rear disc and Brembo single-piston caliper. ABS is standard, as law demands. We found the same setup to be a little soft on the Gold Star.

Where the B65 really differs is its wheels and tyres, with a 110/80-19 front instead of the Gold Star’s 100/90-18. The rear size is unchanged at 150/70-17, but both ends get Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber instead of the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomps of the original bike. The wheels are 36-spoke wires, as before, with alloy rims.

That larger front wheel and the new suspension setup of the B65 results in a longer, 1463mm wheelbase (1425mm on the Gold Star) and a steeper 26-degree rake (down from 26.5 degrees).

Coming in at 218kg wet, the B65 Scrambler is around 5 kilos heavier than the Gold Star.

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Comfort & Economy

The big difference from the Gold Star here is the seat height, which thanks to the taller suspension measures 820mm compared to 780mm for the older bike. That’s puts it 10mm lower than the Royal Enfield Bear 650 and 15mm lower than the smaller-capacity Triumph Scramber 400x, so it’s still likely to be well within reach to customers in the bike’s target audience.

The wide bars combined with relatively low pegs and a roomy, flat seat, so you’re not likely to be cramped on board. But of course there’s no wind protection so long, high-speed trips will inevitably be wearying.

BSA claims an impressive 70.6mpg for the Gold Star with the same engine as the B65, but the Scrambler’s knobbly tyres and larger frontal area thanks to its taller riding position and broader bars will inevitably eat into that. Even so, somewhere in the region of 60mpg should be on the cards, giving a range of 150 miles-plus from the 12-litre tank.

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Equipment

A single, circular display replaces the twin analogue clocks of the Gold Star. It’s an LCD unit with a variety of settings, borrowed from the Jawa 42 that’s sold in India. Jawa, like BSA, is an old bike name that’s been bought by Mahindra, so it makes sense to share components.

The bar controls are also straight from the Jawa 42, including a four-way switch to operate the multi-function LCD.

There’s a USB socket on the bars, too, with both USB-A and USB-C sockets, and while BSA hasn’t released detailed information yet, the same instrument pod on the Jawa has Bluetooth connectivity for basic phone integration.

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Rivals

Royal Enfield Bear 650 | Price: £6749

Read more

Power/Torque

46.8bhp / 41.7lb-ft

Weight

214kg

Triumph Scrambler 400X | Price: £5795

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft

Weight

179kg

Honda CL500 | Price: £5499

Read more

Power/Torque

45.6bhp / 31.9lb-ft

Weight

191kg

2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Verdict

The design is sleek, the trend is now, the brand is reborn and full of romantic nostalgia (not to forget the backing of Indian automotive giant, Mahindra), and the B65 is based on a tried and tested platform, so what’s not to like?

Well, that will almost entirely depend on the price tag of the upfront purchase but also what’ll cost to run… oh, and there’s a fleet of models from the other Indian-owned British brand, Royal Enfield, to consider. We’ll be sure to have our verdict here once we’ve ridden the new BSA towards the middle of 2025.

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2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Technical Specification

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