2025 BSA Scrambler 650 Review – The Comeback Kid with Dirt in Its DNA

The 2025 BSA Scrambler 650 brings British motorcycling history to life with a touch of retro-modernism. From performance to price in India & UK, here’s the deep review of BSA’s most daring bike.

A Story of Dust, Steel, and Comebacks

Some brands won’t die. They might fall silent, but leave behind so many echoes that riders continue to hear them decades later. BSA is such a name. One time the pride of Birmingham’s factories, the BSA bikes thundered through the 1950s and 60s with soldiers, revolutionaries, and open-road riders alike. Decline, bankruptcy, and then silence followed.

Flash forward to 2025. The quiet ends. Since the Gold Star 650 start the fire, BSA continues to add fuel to it—then Scrambler 650. While its café-friendly cousin only pretends with vintage aesthetics, this one actually goes about getting its boots dirty, its chrome dirty, and your smile wide.

Consider it a motorcycle that looks back at the past but refuses to be mired in it.

Build Quality and Features: Tough Love, British Style

The Scrambler 650 doesn’t try too hard—it doesn’t need to. Its stance is natural, rugged, and purposeful.

The raised front fender instantly says, “I’m not afraid of potholes.”

Wire-spoke wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs whisper confidence whether you’re leaning into a corner or sliding into loose gravel.

The ribbed bench seat feels retro, yet practical enough for long commutes.

Side panels featuring number plates in racing style bring attitude, while the swept-back exhausts mean that the soundtrack doesn’t disappear in traffic.

There are LED lights, a digital-analog gauge, and solid switchgear, yet all this is brought to 2025 without sacrificing soul, despite its retro character.

The finish is premium—not dainty café-artwork, but a machine that would like to be ridden, scratched, and loved.

Performance: The Thumper That Talks Back

Hidden in the middle is a 652cc liquid-cooled single. The figures?Around 45 horsepower and 55 Nm of torque.On paper, modest.On the road, unexpectedly lively.

It’s calibrated for street-friendly torque instead of headline figure top-end power. Which is:

Pulls like a boss in urban traffic.

Cruises contentedly on the highway.

Tackles dirt tracks without fuss.

Top speed is around 155 km/h, but that’s not the idea. The idea is how alive it feels from 40 to 100 km/h—that sweet spot where real-world riding occurs.

Fuel efficiency is at around 24–25 km/l, which is enough to balance thrills and practicality.

The only complaint?A 5-speed transmission. Smooth as it is, a 6th gear would have come in useful for extended highway runs. But the single’s thump excuses it—this is an engine that talks to you, not merely spins figures.

Safety: Retro Heart, Modern Brains

Ancient scramblers were fearless but savage. The new Scrambler 650, gently, adds mind to muscle.

Brembo brakes: 320 mm disc upfront, 255 mm at the rear.

Dual-channel ABS: Quietly in the background, only taking over when you ride too aggressively.

Steel double-cradle frame: Solid, predictable, and reassuring.

Suspension: 41 mm telescopic forks + twin shocks with preload adjustment. Retro looks, contemporary performance.

It’s safe without being sanitized. You still have the pure ride feel, just with a safety net to be thankful for.

Capabilities: The Two-Wheeled All-Rounder

Imagine what would happen if a Jeep Compass Trailhawk and a Mini Cooper had a child—tough but fashionable, utilitarian but playful. That’s the Scrambler 650.

It’s not a hardcore off-roader, but it’ll gladly venture onto rough terrain and light trails. It’s not asportbike, but it enjoys twist of roads. And better than many retro bikes, it doesn’t come across as a delicate trophy.

This is a motorbike you can commute on, café-hop with, and camp out on—all in one week.

Pricing and Availability: The Money Talk

Here’s where BSA makes its cards smart:

UK Price: Approximately £6,000. That’s lower than the Royal Enfield Bear 650, so it makes for a very appealing competitor.

India Price (Expected): 3.4 – 3.6 lakh (ex-showroom). Launch in August 2025, deliveries in early 2026.

In both markets, it’s positioned as the stylish yet accessible choice. A motorcycle that looks £10,000 but doesn’t cost it.

Pros and Cons

Why You’ll Love It

Authentic scrambler design with real off-road touches.

Torquey engine that’s fun in daily life, not just spec sheets.

Brembo brakes + ABS = confidence everywhere.

Priced to tempt riders away from rivals.

What Might Bug You

At 218 kg wet, it’s on the heavier side for a scrambler.

Small 12-litre fuel tank restricts long-distance capability.

Just 5 gears in an age where even the majority of bikes receive 6.

Bottom Line: A Modern Classic That Does It Right

The 2025 BSA Scrambler 650 is declares: retro motorcycles don’t need to be finicky, and scramblers don’t need to be talk.

It’s not the quickest, not the most lightweight, and not the most inexpensive. But it does have something that few bikes do—character. The sort of character that compels you to turn around to take one last glance after you’ve parked it. The sort of character that makes you drive home the long way.

In brief: the Scrambler 650 is a motorcycle that doesn’t merely transport you from point A to B—it leaves an impression along the way. And that’s what riding has always been about.