1955 BSA GOLD STAR BACKGROUND
By 1955, the Gold Star was well-sorted and had turned into a fine machine. All Goldies were special to begin with, each engine being hand-assembled and dyno-tested at the factory. A copy of the dyno test was included with each new Gold Star. They were powerful and reliable, and they were fast, very fast. Gold Stars dominated off-road events, were highly competitive in road racing, and were a bona fide hit on the street and in showrooms. It was a major hit for BSA, both in sales and in reputation. They were produced from 1938 through 1963, a 26-year run which concluded when BSA was converting all it’s engines over to unit-construction, and Lucas stopped making magnetos. It was replaced by the unit-construction 441 Victor.
1955 BSA Gold Star SPECIFICATIONS
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Engine type Displacement Bore & Stroke Compression Ratio Lubrication Fuel system Ignition system Charging system Horsepower output Primary drive Clutch Gearbox Final drive Wheelbase Seat height Front wheel Rear wheel Front suspension Rear suspension Front brake Rear Brake Fuel capacity Weight Top speed |
Air-cooled OHV single 499cc / 30.5 cid 85mm X 88mm 8.0:1 Dry sump 1-Amal Monobloc carburetor Lucas magdyno Lucas magdyno, 6-volt 38hp @ 7000 rpm Chain Multi-plate, wet 4-speed constant mesh, right-foot shift Chain 1400mm / 56.0″ 770mm / 30.5″ WM3 X 19″ WM3 X 19″ Telescopic forks, hydraulic damping Swing arm w/2 Girling shocks 8.0″ SLS drum 7.0″ SLS drum 18.0 L / 4.8 US gal 171 kg /384 lbs 177 km/h / 110 mph |
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