BSA Gold Star
Real ownership data from 2,543 UK Gold Star motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Gold Star problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | dangerous | 12.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 12.4% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 12.1% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 11.3% |
| Electrical | fail | 8.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 6.8% |
| Wheels | fail | 6.5% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
Gold Star mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 128 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 196 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 585 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 608 | 2,513 mi | 514 | 95.24% |
| 2022 | 8 | 1,815 mi | — | 77.78% |
| 2019 | 5 | 32 mi | 41 | 100% |
| 2018 | 5 | 2,391 mi | — | 100% |
| 2017 | 8 | 9,594 mi | — | 75% |
| 2016 | 6 | 857 mi | 230 | 90.91% |
| 2015 | 6 | 624 mi | 294 | 100% |
| 2014 | 8 | 7,316 mi | 355 | 90.48% |
| 2013 | 7 | 7,060 mi | 1,878 | 100% |
| 2012 | 6 | 2,886 mi | 449 | 91.3% |
| 2011 | 15 | 374 mi | 288 | 100% |
| 2010 | 14 | 2,274 mi | 184 | 98.46% |
| 2009 | 12 | 956 mi | 234 | 95.24% |
| 2008 | 10 | 852 mi | 199 | 90.63% |
| 2007 | 15 | 3,075 mi | 203 | 98% |
| 2006 | 5 | 5,077 mi | 215 | 93.94% |
| 2005 | 9 | 5,305 mi | 98 | 95.35% |
Gold Star questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA Gold Star?
Across 2,543 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (12.7% of all recorded faults), tyres (12.4% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (12.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA Gold Star?
The median BSA Gold Star in the UK has covered 3,111 miles, and typically rides about 150 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,016 and 8,452 miles.
Is the BSA Gold Star reliable?
94.33% of BSA Gold Star MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.07 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 2,543 BSA Gold Star motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.