Brough Superior SS100

GET UP TO SPEED

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BIKING MONTHLY! October 2018 #148 FREE take this home paper FREE!for It’It’sshowtime!h ti ! Stafford guide FREE inside

Spied: Ducati Hypermotardgoess YBIKE★B NE IG O M M O back to thefuturee Brough N IG E B Y

Superior. B

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K Is it REALLY

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worth I

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£60k? O N

G ✪ 100bhp ✪ 186kgg ✪ 997cc ✪ Looks fantastic

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B B I ★ K E GGo 11MPHMPH over speed limit –get fined £100! National roads policing head Chief Constable Anthony Bangham wants to crack down on road users who stray just 1mph over the limit. Learner’sGold: The top cop said: “The existing speed enforcement guidance could, in fact, be encouraging driving at these moredangerous higher How to buy your speeds rather than the actual speed limits.” very first bike Moreonpage4 22 FIRST RIDE

TECH SPEC Brough Superior Price: From £60,000 on the road Engine: 997cc 88º V-twin,liquid cooled, 8v Bore and stroke: 94mm x71.8mm Power: 100bhp @9800rpm (130bhp @ 8000rpm Sports version available) Torque: 89Nm @7450rpm (120Nm @ 6400rpm Sport version) Transmission: Six-speed, wet clutch, chain drive Front suspension: Fior-type cast aluminium wishbone fork, titanium triangular links, monoshock with preload and rebound adjustment, 120mm travel Rear suspension: Cast aluminium swingarm pivoting from engine, monoshock adjustable for preload and rebound, 130mm travel Front brake: 4x230mm Berenger 4D Stainless discs, 2xfour-piston Berenger radial calipers Rear brake: single 230mm disc, Berenger twin- piston caliper Tyres: 120/70 ZR18 front, 160/60 ZR18 rear Seat height: 820mm Dryweight: 186kg Visit: broughsuperiormotorcycles.com Brough Superior SS100: FIRST CLASS TRAVEL After years teasing us and ruffling the feathers of the die-hard fans of the original, is the new Brough Superior worthy of its name?

Words: Matt Hull Photos: GaryChapman

First things first;the new Brough to grow momentum, which is why Superior SS100 is as afantastic Polaris hasIndian after tryingsohard motorcycletoride as its engineering with Victory. is to behold. Secondly, youwould Back in 2008, Mark Uphamgained attract lessattention ridingapink the rights to the mostfamous of all camel, while naked, at the Grand motorcyclebrands;Brough Superior. National –shrinking violets need not Forthoseunfamiliar with thename,it apply. Thirdly, it costs from £60,000. wasthe fastest, mostexpensivebrand And lastly, Ican’t think of amore ever ridden by thrill-seeking Oxbridge reasonably-pricedbikethatwould undergrads and thosewellheeled. genuinely compare. This is atruly George Brough wasson of William unique motorcycle. Brough,who made bikes under the Badgeengineering is such a Brough name and George even rode contentious subject,especially when one of his father’s bikes at the TT. it comes to motorcycles. Ourlovefor ButGeorge wasaclever marketer amarque,its historyand its models and startedupthe somewhat stretchesfar;sowhen someone buys ostentatiouslynamed Brough the righttouse aname,manyhave Superior,usingthe yearlymotorcycle mixed emotions.Willany new bikes show at Olympia to enthral the media be true to theoriginalethos? of the daywithhis latest creations. Will they fitin? Brough Superior’s best-knownfan Some work,some don’t.Triumph wasone TELawrence, alsoknown as hasmanaged it well. John Bloor Lawrence of Arabia whohad seven of createdaclever,sustainable business the marque,with an eighth on order model that goes from strength to when he waskilledwhile ridingin strength.Norton areaimingata May1935, aged 46. lower-volume,higher-endmarket, So the new companyhas alot to BSAhopeafamous name will givethe live up to.Hand-built in Marseilles, Indian-built bikes some cred,while France,the designhas takenyears to AJS,Aerialand NewImperial arealso perfect; givingenoughofthe original badgestoadorn new models.Itseems look while makingitabikeyou can an establishednamehelps abrand actually ride.Loveorloathethe look FIRST RIDE 23

“There are six gears and achain final drive –itisdelightful to ride abespoke built engine that is so well finished.”

as you first see it,onceyou getup linkage holdsanexquisite swingarm. for the lazy description; butcreamyis closefew will be as cynical once you TheConnollyleatherseat, theexquisite theonlyway to describe the flat line takeinthe details. That signature topyoke, thealuminium bodywork, deliveryofthe engine –gearchanges tank is 8mm cast alloy, which is then titanium subframe and even the areoptional. Theside casesare machined down to around 3mm for switchgearare all unique. sandcastand then machinedlightly to aperfect finish and to eradicateany And then thereare the brakes.To still showthe castingmarks,holding possibility of aweldedtank fracturing keep with the original look,small, forgedpistons. Thereare six gears over time. twin, fully-floatingdiscs perside are andachain finaldrive –itisdelightful Theparalever frontend is something used to keep rotation weight down to ride abespokebuilt engine that is you don’tnotice whilethe bikeisat and to look similar to adrum. The so well finished. Theonly downside astandstill, butyou see it workingin calipers hold three pads; the middle is theengines arecurrently Euro 3 frontofyou while riding. Thefront one hasfriction materialonboth sides compliant, so have to be individually andrearends bolt to the engineina and theycost£300 aset. typeapproved.Brough Superior says Vincent-esque manner,with ahand- Theengine is a997cc,four-valve, this is just forthe time beingand are welded titanium frameworkclasping 88º V-twin. It hastobeliquid-cooled workingtoget the bikethrough Euro 4 thetankand fuelinjectionsystem. to pass today’sstandards,adding compliance. Very few partsare not made by the the only unsightly partofthe bike, As with many high-end products, factory–the wheels arebespokemade the water pipes.Designedand built the SS100 canbefinished as you by an American firm,but therestisin by AkirainSpainwho alsomake wish.Frompainttochrome,even house. Themachined levers have roller Kawasaki’s World Superbike engines, gold-leaf emblems –the world is your bearings in them foraprecise feel,the it makes100bhpand acreamy88lb-ft –expensive–oyster.Wordistherewill top yoke framesthe large speedoand or torque,with130bhpavailable in be alessexotic versiontofollowthe at thebackthe underslungsuspension unhomologated Sportform. Apologies current models. 24 FIRST RIDE

“When one is riding agentleman’s bike, one must not forget one’sattire. Pockets are also essential, as there is nowhere to store anything…”

Riding aBrough Superior Youcan U-turn it,but at this price I controlledbyacable,but it’s set Onethingthat won’t change on Beforeyou start,what does one wear have to admit to peddling it round up reallywell; this is no shed-built the production bikes is the fuel tank. to ride amodern Brough? It’s fastand just in case. special devoid of developmenttime. Beautifultobehold, the finish is powerful, butclassic.Leathers and Turn the reassuringly heavykey As you head up the gearbox with flawlesswith its natural milledalloy awax-style jacketIsurmised.When (made from brasstodeliberately age) nicely spaced gearsyou canride the comingthrough the thicklacquer one is ridingagentleman’s bike, one in theignition whichisunder the tank torque and short-shift,orrev the and the two fillers mimickingthe must not forgetone’s attire. Pockets (the keyinthe top yoke is the steering engine.Peak powerisat9800rpm and original (it’s one tank though). Butit arealsoessential,asthereisnowhere lock)and wait for the speedo needle it comes in hard around half of that. only holds 10 litres –10measly litres. to storeanything… and idiot lights to do acycle and hit Sixthgearisrelaxed,allowing cruising With athirsty V-twin to supplythis TheSS100 is tall –you can’t hide that the starter button. Thebig short- at 70-80mph with minimaleffortand means youhavearealistic rangeof fact. Thetall engine means it canbe stroke motor settles down instantly, thereisalotmoretogoafter that. 80 miles;less if you’ve been posing little elseand the fuel injection and reminiscentofaDucati Panigale 150mph is agenuine possibility – aroundtown. It’s because thetank other gubbinshavetofitunder the and is quicktorev. Theexhaustsare though Ideclinedtotest my theory... hastohouse theinjection and airbox tank.I’m lucky,but others mayfeel loud, butjust theappropriate side of Theridingposition, whichis beneathit, butit’spoor–justas on tip toes. Theseatisassumptuous acceptable,sopullinthe unfeasibly dependantonyoursize andstature Harley’sForty-Eightpeanuttank is. as it looksand is long, so if youfeel lighthydraulic clutch,slot seamlessly canonlybedescribed as mild café Form over function gone too far –a perchedyou cansit further forward into firstand feel theimpeccable racer.Slowspeedsare not arm- gentleman mayneed to stop on a to gain confidence.Steeringlockis manners of the fuel injection. wrenchingly awkward, yet at speed horseafter that many miles,but not Ducati-esque,enoughbut that’s it. Interestingly, the throttle is you’re not sittinginthe wind. Theclip on his motorcycle. on handlebarsare nicely angledand This is arealshame,because unlike feature thickerthanusual grips. These mosthigh-end limitedproduction feel nice,but make reachingtothe bikes, the Brough fulfils itscriteria switches lesssubconsciousthanon of beingarider’s bike. Youcould mostbikes.But theonly issueIhad ride all day, with no dramas and no wasthe right-hand clutch coversticks discomfort. This is helped by the outafair wayand with one setof suspension. Thetelelever frontend boots,hindered therearbrake.Ithas allied toalong(1540mm –60.6in) to be said that ourtest bike is apre- wheelbaseisunusual, though BMW’s production model and hadpassed K1300 tourer wassimilar.Steering through severaljournalistsand test inputs need only be fine and the riders,soproduction bikeswouldbe SS100 heads for the exact point you set up in anicer manner. want it to.