STAR QUALITIES
For nearly 20 years, BSA’s 650 twin topped the company’s range. In that time it underwent a total transformation – starting with a separate engine and gearbox in a rigid frame, and finishing with a unit construction powerplant in an oil-bearing, fully suspended chassis. Each incarnation has its devotees: for every A10 enthusiast there’s an eager A65 owner. Some people have even owned one of each – like Colin, the owner of the unit A65 Star you see here.
Colin has previously owned a Golden Flash; the base-model A10 all-rounder. It’s now been replaced with the Star, the cooking version of the A65. So Colin is perfectly placed to settle the question once and for all – which is the better classic bike? Is it really worth paying maybe 20% more for the earlier A10?
Before we get to the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick refresher. By the early 1960s, BSA’s highly-respected A10 twins were becoming somewhat dated.
