The Gold Star Buyer's Companion

Book excerpt: This buyer's guide for the classic BSA Gold Star covers the complete range of production from the original 1938 Model M24 through post-WWII models ZB, BB, CB, DB and DBD. It is organized for potential Gold Star buyers to use when inspecting one of these highly desirable machines for possible purchase. Significantly expanded from the previous edition, it includes specialized information and photographs necessary to avoid paying Gold Star prices for the similar-looking B32/B34 and Alloy Clipper "competition models," or purchasing dubious components such as renumbered engines and counterfeit RRT2 gearboxes. The information also will be invaluable for restorers as well as people generally interested in the history of these machines. One chapter is devoted to the 1957 Spitfire Scrambler, a little-known hybrid produced only that year consisting of a twin-cylinder 650 cc engine in Gold Star cycle parts, predating the Rocket Gold Star by five years. The main body of the 4th edition was 21 pages, with 16 figures and 11 tables. The main body of the 5th edition has more than doubled to 50 pages and now has 44 figures and 17 tables containing information on the proper speedometers, tachometers, gearboxes, carburetors, etc., and cover all models, including Clubman, Catalina Scrambler, Road Racer, Dirt Tracker, and Competition 'All Sports'. Sixty-four pages of color advertisements and images from rare sales brochures and magazines contain information for all years of this machine, from a pre-production 1937 description of expected specifications, to a listing in a 1964 sales brochure issued a year after the last Gold Star was manufactured (not covered are the B25/B50 machines that were given the name in 1971-72). For the restorer or rebuilder, a very useful "reverse parts list" specially created for this book has DBD part numbers sorted in numerical order, enabling part numbers to be quickly identified and associated with the corresponding figures in the BSA parts manual. If you ever might want to buy, restore, or rebuild a Gold Star, the information in this book can save you considerable time as well as keep you from making some very costly mistakes. CHAPTERS: 1. Who Should Buy This Book? 2. Mini-History of the Gold Star 3. U.S. Gold Star Models 4. Current (2015) Selling Prices5. Cost of Restoration6. Major Features to Check7. B32, B32A, B34 and B34A Competition and Alloy Clipper8. Aftermarket Accessories9. Summary--Checklist of a Few Important Points10. Procedure for Starting a Gold Star11. 1957 Spitfire Scrambler12. Sources of Additional Information13. Useful Addresses14. Selected Material from Advertisements and Sales Brochures15. Figures from DBD Gold Star Parts Manual (Catalogue No. 00-5076)16. Part Numbers (in numerical order) from DBD Gold Star Parts Manual REVIEWS of the 4th Edition: "Buying a Goldie? Buy This First." (Classic Bike); "...it stands as an ultimate Gold Star buyer's resource." (Classic Bike Guide); "...a mine of useful information (so) there's no excuse for not knowing what you need to know." (Classic Motorcycle Mechanics); "It is the outstanding book on Goldies." (Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader); "a must-have book for Gold Star fans... like an owner's manual on steroids..." (Cafe Racer).