It wasn’t the kind of afternoon you’d want to spend on a motorcycle. Even the cab ride across town so I could lay my hands on the BSA Scrambler 650 had been hot and uncomfortable and, if I’m honest, I was dreading my elaborate riding itinerary that was to follow.

Blame it on my curiosity (to ride the BSA) or excitement (I’m driving too many EVs of late), but I’d spent the night before poring over satellite images of yet unexplored trails. I found one quickly enough, replete with a lake for a view and guaranteed solitude, and I was happy to be gunning down in its direction the following afternoon. The shiny, cheerfully yellow motorcycle seemed to share my enthusiasm. For a moment, I didn’t seem to mind the summer at all.

That, in some way, is what the Scrambler 650 is meant to do. It’s a happy motorcycle, made for the carefree tribe. It certainly isn’t a problem solver, unless a mid-life crisis happens to be one of them, and you shouldn’t look in its direction if you want a tonne of practicality from it. The Scrambler 650 is meant to be a go-anywhere motorcycle and that it (or, for that matter, any other motorcycle) will. While looking very desirable, not to mention.

KEEPING IT COOL

Scramblers, historically, were road bikes that were made lighter, taller and (for no reason) louder by British motorcyclists who wanted to go racing in the dirt and their popularity has hardly withered since the ’50s. Less formal than the hardcore dirt bike and far less cumbersome than the adventure-tourer, Scramblers are meant to look free-spirited and perform on similar lines, too. The Scrambler 650 had it easy, you could say, since it only had to look at BSA’s own glorious scrambler history for cues.

Visually, the Scrambler 650 is what you could call a neo-retro motorcycle. It paints just the right kind of scrambler silhouette, but it isn’t decidedly old-world. The centrepiece of the Scrambler 650, at least in this Victor Yellow paint scheme, is the metal fuel tank, although the engine that’s tastefully inspired from the BSA singles of yore does come a close second. The wire-spoke wheels, a 19/17-inch combination (front and rear, respectively), do well to lend it some authenticity as a scrambler. The rest of the Scrambler, however, is mostly modern stuff — the raised front fender, the side panels that double up as race plates, the small LED headlight and, of course, the exhaust.

BSA has kept the equipment list simple, too; there’s a dual-channel ABS and traction control, and both are disengageable. Nice, except, I couldn’t figure out how to switch off either! Not a very intuitive interface, then, especially for something so minimally equipped. While it is plausible that this can be attributed to my own limitations with technology, I’d like to think anything is less complex than the user interface of a Ducati!

Moving on, while the Scrambler 650 takes the minimalist approach in its configuration, it still is a lot of motorcycle given its platform. It’s a rather large-framed bike, its dimensions amplified by its taller stance (than the Gold Star) courtesy its slightly longer-travel suspension. The fuel tank is a 12-litre unit, the seat is 820 mm off the ground and it weighs 208 kg, although BSA doesn’t specify whether the latter is the dry or wet weight. In any case, it does feel heavy.

A GOOD VIBE

Thumb the starter and the Scrambler takes extra care to announce it’s been awakened. This is a loud motorcycle at idle and its soundtrack only gets bolder as you wring open the throttle. You certainly won’t want an aftermarket exhaust on this bike! On the move, the Scrambler feels easy to adapt to; it’ll help if you’re familiar with motorcycles of similar girth, of course. There’s ample leverage from the wide crossbar-equipped handlebar and the overall riding ergonomics are quite good, giving you a sense of space while still keeping you in an engaging hunch over the fuel tank.

Speaking of engagement, there’s no greater supplier of it than the liquid-cooled DOHC motor. In my short stint astride the Gold Star 650, this very four-valve twin-spark engine had felt rather out of place, but on the Scrambler it works like a charm. The 5.6 kg-m of peak torque lend loads of tractability to the Scrambler and, especially because of how analogue the engine feels, laying down its 44.3 bhp feels quite thrilling. There’s a 5-speed gearbox, too, and it worked flawlessly on my test loop even if it didn’t feel particularly premium. Also, other than out of habit, I didn’t necessarily miss sixth gear at cruising speeds.

In the city, the Scrambler is quite a hoot, with its punchy acceleration and loud exhaust making for an addictive combination. Braking, too, is quite strong, which means you can confidently revel in the engine’s performance. On the highway, it does just enough to make you settle into a pleasant rhythm, although if you like a vibe-free ride, you’ll do well to stay under the absolute top end of the rev range.

Pushed hard, the Scrambler does emit some strains of stress, although most of those appear largely at speeds you won’t be holding for too long anyway.

LOOSE TALK

But wait, what about off the road, which is where this motorcycle is meant to excel? To answer the question I’d posed in the intro to this story, yes, it does ‘scrambler’ things. Does it do those things well? Not quite.

Okay, for all the unseriousness a scrambler can get away with, it must, at its core, be somewhat adept at dealing with the rough stuff. The Scrambler 650 is limited in this regard. Sure, it isn’t meant to be a mountain goat, but with its restricted suspension travel (138 mm front, 127 mm rear) and, of course, with all of its weight, the Scrambler isn’t an ideal motorcycle to go scrambling on. Okay, you’ll have fun with it on loose surfaces, perhaps a curated flat-track or some such (the Ceat CrossRad tyres work decently), but any more than that and you will find the Scrambler quite limiting.

Who’s it for, then? That’s easy. Want a really cool-looking motorcycle you can buy for ₹3.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and enjoy riding in short bursts? You’ll love the Scrambler 650. Sure, it’s a bit uncouth, but it makes up with its flavour and personality. If that’s something you’ve been desperately looking for, your search may just have come to an end.

@TheMotorGram

Published on June 5, 2026