GOOD AS GOLD
Who doesn’t adore the looks and lore of the Gold Star? Back in the day, Martin and his pals simply salivated over Gold Stars but the prices ‘were so high they might as well be on the moon.’ So for 30-odd years Martin rode the next best thing, an oily rag 1949 B31 and a selection of other rigid BSA singles. But his dreams of owning something like a Gold Star never quite faded…
The post-war Goldie was unveiled at the 1948 Earl’s Court show as the alloy-engined B32 – it adopted the ZB designation a little later – with its 71mm by 88mm dimensions giving 348cc. Almost immediately the plunger-framed Goldie was offered alongside a wallet-bending selection of optional upgrades which effectively makes it impossible to define the specification of a ‘standard’ Gold Star.
There were four broad categories: touring, trials, scrambles and racing. Customers could specify almost everything which went inside the alloy head and barrel (piston, porting, cams, valves, springs and such) and bottom end (including polished 8” flywheels of a different design to the B31). There were three options for gear ratios offered between 1949 and ’52 and a vast array of external ancillaries which included the carb, silencer, gearing, fuel tank, magneto (Lucas standard or special or a BT-H item) and electrical system.
Even so, the majority of the motorcycle was clearly derived from the roadgoing B31. The Goldie employed the ‘open-diamond’ touring frame and BSA’s tele fork front end which provided 5.75”travel. At the back the plunger suspension offered 2¼” of compression and rebound springing, but only minimal damping was provided by grease and friction. Under pressure felt the Gold Star’s handling was ‘above reproach’.
