BSA Scrambler 650 (2025) – Review
By Michael Mann
BikeSocial Managing Editor
19.11.2025
Technical Review - Ben Purvis - Dec '24
Riding Review - Michael Mann - Nov '25
£5,999
45bhp
218kg
3/5
BSA was once the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer with the Gold Star 350 and 500 responsible for its successes from the late 30s to the early 60s. Then, after a gap of over 40 years, the brand was bought back to British life by a subsidiary of Indian automotive giant, Mahindra. And the Gold Star was reintroduced as a 650c liquid-cooled single in 2022, with the reborn machine proving a substantial success in the UK market with sales figures almost rivalling those of Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650.
Yet, despite that resurgence, everything went a little quiet and the momentum fell away… until up popped a retro off-road style version of the Gold Star in the shape of the BSA 650 Scrambler – two of which sat quietly on the firm’s stand at the 2024 Motorcycle Live Show in Birmingham - just a stone’s throw from the company’s birthplace. BSA of course stands for ‘Birmingham Small Arms Company’, formed way back in 1854 though it didn’t produce its first motorcycle 1910. Fast forward to a sunny September day, a full 10 months since the proverbial covers were whipped off and the 650 Scrambler production models are winging their way into dealerships and we’ve been able to cock a leg over one this rather trendy-looking machine in the yellowy-gold paint job that looks very similar to Triumph’s newer XC version of its Scrambler 400X.
Based very heavily on the Gold Star, using many similar components including the engine, gearbox and running gear. The front wheel is larger, the suspension travel is longer, the handlebars are wider and the 650 Scrambler is likely to be more popular still thanks to its on-point, retro-off-road style sprinkled with a little modern-day tech. This is not the bike that your Grandad used to ride but is it all style and no substance? Can it cope with a looser surface road?
Pros & Cons
Pulls off the retro scrambler look with aplomb – just as suitable for Central London as it is for the Outer Hebrides.
652cc single is close to Royal Enfield’s twin in terms of power
Good attention to detail
Radiator, while essential, is more obtrusive than on some rivals.
A high-level exhaust would look even more authentic.
Faces stiff competition in this popular segment.
2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Price & PCP Deals
The introductory price for the 2025 BSA 650 Scrambler, also known as the BSA B65 Scrambler, is priced in the UK at £5,999, with three colour schemes available – Thunder Grey, Raven Black and that of the bike we had on test, Victor Yellow, which all carry the same price. While a 3-year, unlimited mileage, warranty is included. Somewhat surprising is the number of UK dealers – 40 at the last count. Head to BSA’s official website to find your nearest.
It's stablemate the Gold Star’s RRP is £6399 for the base version or £6699 for the higher end ‘Legacy Edition’ model. Given that Royal Enfield’s Bear 650 starts at £6749, rising to £6949 if you opt for the ‘Two Four Nine’ paint option, the BSA’s 650 Scrambler at sub-£6k is a real sucker punch for RE.
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, it’s 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.
Overall performance matches the Gold Star and the Royal Enfield rival machine, by offering a top speed 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, and despite the apparent flexibility of having just one cylinder pumping up and down, I found the buzziness of the engine a little too overbearing on dual carriageway stretches. 70mph in 5th gear = 5,500rpm, and the engine felt stressed which converts through the touchpoints of seat, ‘bars and ‘pegs. Top gear seems too short but maybe a fix would be a larger rear sprocket. Even setting off and getting up to town cruising speeds is quite an event for the left hand/foot combination as you pile through the gears.
2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)
Borrowing its steel tube frame from the Gold Star, the 650’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 650 – and twin shocks with five notches of preload adjustment. On the Gold Star, the suspension is one of its weak points, yet the 650 Scrambler’s setup includes a substantially higher riding position and longer suspension travel which somewhat remedies the flaws of the original version. Yes, the ride becomes more comfortable than it’s sibling but the quality of the suspension isn’t as nice
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 650 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 650 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 650 Scrambler is around 5 kilos heavier than the Gold Star and even though that figure is a mere 4kg higher than the Bear 650 from Royal Enfield, the BSA feels more cumbersome to ride. They both have a 19” x 17” wheel set-up, the wheelbase is almost identical and there’s just a 10mm seat height difference though you do feel a little further away from the front wheel, which results in a heavier steering feel. Additional cause is because of the wide handlebars. That’s not necessarily a negative point – the feeling from moving a bike through a corner is personal and riders can sometimes prefer a more reassuring sensation than a lighter/flighty front end. The lock-to-lock range isn’t ideal for tight garages or small car parks.
Off road (where nobody will ever venture on this bike), well it was more like a wet gravel trail where I tested the bike for all of 2-miles, and the standing-up ergonomics weren’t too alien, and once you turn off TC there’s definitely an opportunity to get lairy though novice off-roaders such as I shouldn’t be fooled into thinking the 650 Scrambler is boss-able. There’s enough performance to tie you in knots and make you/me look daft. Though the suspension and tyre combo are decent for these types of road. Even so, it’s not an adventure bike in period clothing.
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, and even though the flat bench-style seat may look like it’s been included for visual appeal only, it is actually more comfortable than it appears.
BSA claims an impressive 70.6mpg for the Gold Star with the same engine as the 650, but the Scrambler’s knobbly tyres and larger frontal area thanks to its taller riding position and broader bars inevitably eat into that. Even so, I attained somewhere in the region of 50mpg and wasn’t even riding like journalists are supposed to. That, in theory, should offer a range of 130 miles 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. Well, just two-ways work it, the other two are redundant.
There’s a USB socket on the bars, too, with both USB-A and USB-C sockets – though strangely located given the proximity to the rider controls leaving no space for whatever it is that you plug into the sockets. The instrument pod has Bluetooth connectivity for basic phone integration via the Royal Enfield app.
2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Rivals
Royal Enfield’s new Bear 650 is the clearest competitor for the BSA 650, but customers are also likely to consider the less powerful but lighter Triumph Scrambler 400X (as well as the later XC variant) and Honda’s CL500. Style over substance is the MO for this class – rugged machinery that are still small enough to build confidence on.
Royal Enfield Bear 650 | Price: £6749
46.8bhp / 41.7lb-ft
214kg
Triumph Scrambler 400X | Price: £5795
39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft
179kg
Honda CL500 | Price: £5499
45.6bhp / 31.9lb-ft
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 650 Scrambler is based on a tried and tested platform, so what’s not to like?
Well, that will almost entirely depend on how you’ll ride it and how particular you are about rider comfort – it took me a while to understand the bike’s purpose aside from a design aesthetic. Potter about on the back roads or a short commute, perhaps even a light trail or two, and you’ll enjoy every second of its charming thumpiness. But avoid long motorway treks for comfort-sake, which is a bonus of that small fuel tank. Oh, and there’s a fleet of models from the other Indian-owned British brand, Royal Enfield, to consider. That and the more technologically advanced Triumph too.
A keen price mixed with sharp styling and a boost of brand legacy, and BSA could well have a sales chart success story.
If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.
Do you own this bike? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.
2025 BSA B65 Scrambler - Technical Specification
| New price | £5,999 |
| Capacity | 652cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 100 x 83mm |
| Engine layout | Single-cylinder |
| Engine details | Liquid-cooled, DOHC, twin-spark, 4-valve |
| Power | 45bhp (33.1kW) @ 6500rpm |
| Torque | 40.6lb-ft (55Nm) @ 4000rpm |
| Transmission | 5-speed, chain final drive |
| Average fuel consumption | TBC |
| Tank size | 12 litres |
| Max range to empty | TBC |
| Rider aids | ABS |
| Frame | Steel tube |
| Front suspension | 41mm telescopic forks |
| Front suspension adjustment | None |
| Rear suspension | Twin shocks |
| Rear suspension adjustment | 5-stage preload |
| Front brake | 320mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper |
| Rear brake | 255mm disc, Brembo single-piston floating caliper |
| Front wheel / tyre | 110/80-19 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR |
| Rear wheel / tyre | 150/70-R17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | TBA |
| Wheelbase | 1463mm |
| Seat height | 820mm |
| Weight | 218kg (wet) |
| Warranty | 3 years unlimited miles |
| Servicing | TBC |
| MCIA Secured Rating | Not yet rated |
| Website | www.bsacompany.co.uk |
What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
An ignition immobiliser system
A vehicle marking system
An alarm system
A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
Getting a motorcycle insurance quote with Bennetts is easy.
We compare prices from our panel of top-tier insurers, to find riders our best price for the cover they need. With common modifications covered as standard, our policies are rated Excellent on Trustpilot and 5 stars by Defaqto. We are an award-winning UK broker, with a UK-based contact centre and 24/7 claims support.
Buy direct or renew at bennetts.co.uk, or via our contact centre, to gain access to a free BikeSocial Membership - unlocking discounts on kit, tyres, training, and exclusive customer-only VIP experiences.
