You read it right. Brough Superior is back. In Milan at the EICMA Show, Brough Superior unveiled a new SS100 high performance luxury motorcycle for year 2014. It’s a 1000 cc V-twin Sport Classic designed as a 90th anniversary of the most famous Brough Superior model in the company’s illustrious history, replete with technical innovations and high-tech components. The new SS100 will only be available in limited numbers and it precedes a range of exclusives motorcycles… The company executives stated that they want Brough Superior to become again the new reference in technology, performance and distinction.
Brough Superior is a legend in the motorcycle world, known for the highest level of quality, innovation and design in its motorcycles. The new SS100 is coming out from the 20’s and 30’s -motorcycle golden age- taking for inspiration the outstanding design of George Brough that has passed over trends and years as a reference. The new SS100 keeps a minimalist simplicity, the typical round shape of the tank, the same front suspension system principle, the small diameter brakes discs, etc for an iconic neoclassical look.
The new SS100 is built around its specifically designed V-Twin engine whose engineering was created in collaboration with Boxer Design and Akira. Akira is a skilled company involved in engine design and development, dealing with the major manufacturers as well on racing engine development as well as mass production projects. It’s a 88° V-Twin of 997cc with cylinders integrated into a horizontal seal plan semi-dry motor casing. This motor is designed to provide great sensations through wide engine speed. As a bespoke engine it could provide from 100 to 140 hp depending on ECU settings following the customer request. More info to come. Stay tuned.
A Little Bit Of History.
Why Brough Superior bikes were called “The Rolls Royce Of Motorcycles”. It’s a motorcycle magazine road tester of one of Brough Superior first bikes who printed for the first time these words.
One day A Man from Rolls came calling, requiring Brough to cease and desist from infringing his company’s trademark, or there will be legal retribution. After an abortive attempt to talk his way out of trouble, Gorge Brough hit on the plan of showing his Rolls visitor around the small factory where by chance his hand-picked team of skilled artisans was preparing the bikes due to be displayed on the Brough Superior stand at the forthcoming Olympia Show in London. To prevent their fingerprints soiling the gleaming finish of these show bikes, the workers had donned white gloves, allowing Brough Superiror. to infer that this was the normal modus operandi for such a high-class motorcycle operation, well worthy of being likened to Rolls Royce.
The visitor, a high-up executive at Rolls-Royce – was so impressed that he gave Brough the explicit permission to continue using the slogan “The Rolls Royce Of Motorcycles.” And so the tag stuck.
Interesting quote: “company executives stated that they want Brough Superior to become again the new reference in technology, performance and distinction”…….and oh ya we used the Daymaker LED headlight from H-D?? What price range will this be in?
You will have to pay the price of a Cult Brand…
Did Jay Leno already get one?
Outstanding ! I have been a fan my hole life, was able to see 4 different models from back in there day in Wellington New Zealand . Can’t Wait to see one, Very cool !
Hesketh all over again.
I’ll take it!
Sigh. This is what happens when people defend buying a name and then calling the greatly anticipated offspring of a constipated clown, “heritage”. Maybe Trabants can be made under the Duesenberg name…
Wow…….. and how much?
Snap, crackle, pop
nice concept but ugly
I like it.
I’m sure it’s way out of my price range, but it has nice lines and seems to at least somewhat embody what Brough may have evolved into had they survived as a company, imho.
I wish them well on their endeavor.
I do enjoy when someone pursues and achieves their vision, I do not not like it so much when they pimp out a classic name in motorcycle history to do so. I feel it cheapens both the old and the new, why not just be bold enough to present your machine without the “gimmick” of by-gone branding?
A very cool thing! Every week on this blog I wonder where do all these rude, negative a**holes who have likely never built a bike come from!? Go back to your parents basements and keep dreaming of being the righteous bikers that you imagine you are, while making disparaging remarks about everything new and interesting that Cyril posts. Get a life you wanna be bikers.
Its nice, I’m guessing its £100,000 or so?….
I still prefer ‘George III’ Lawrence of Arabia’s 4th Brough – seen pootling around Dorset in the summer and occasionally parked up with 2 or 3 other Broughs on Poole Quays Tuesday Night Bike Nights
Broughs being ridden and used on the road, now THAT is awesome…
Superb machine
Some of the old marques should be allowed to maintain their place in history without being reinvented. The Indian remaking (3 or 4, I lost count over the years) made sense to me with the enormous heritage and following. But as a life long motorcyclist and a capitalist at heart, if investors want to fund the creation of these machines for their target market, I only wish them the best. Hope to see one of these in person.
Why such a wide angle v?It really spoils what could be an ok looking bike. Saying that i would like to see one in the flesh.
Montechristo.Brough used Harley-Davidson forks back in the day.
Actually Brough used a Castle fork. H-D copied it, and Kiwi is producing them again.
I like LOUD pipes!
Mmmm, very fashionable, old sport…
Nothing wrong with it – eg nice BMW front suspension; light-weight = commendable, cool avant-garde looks, etc.
HOWEVER – before I spend the kind of money you would expect to pay for the new B.S. (no pun intended), I will get the new Ducati 1200 Monster, give it to a top shop to customise (as in make it even lighter – eg carbon fibre rims, tank, etc; better looking; quicker, etc) and have enough left get another (cheap) exotic – maybe a MV Agusta.
So beckons the question – who is the target market? The ‘new money’ that rode their Confederate Hellcat’s once and got scared sh1tless? Certainly does not look like something that will compliment a mid-life spread…
Note:
The day HD can get a 100hp – 140hp and 125Nm from a 1000cc V-Twin – then they can call it a Sportster.
In fact HD should have had fewer doughnuts at Rushmore and worked on repositioning the Sportster – ie focussed on the “larger” capacity types (rather than the 500cc/750cc sumo-scooters of late) 1000-1200cc, with the performance similar to the numbers above (perhaps via a collaboration with somebody that knows how to get it), rehash the FXR frame (eg with an aluminium swingarm, make it a bit lighter via popper FEA analysis/design, minimalist layout and uuurrrr, sell plenty more proper Sportsters.
PS:
Sportster Mike – you obviously know that it was a Brough Superior – he called George VIII – that finally delivered ‘ol T.E. Lawrence to his maker.
Some times legends, tall tales and true need to stay just that.
Have we lost the ability to bring out something new.
What next ? Cyclone ,Crocker, Indian Oh wait that has already been done.
Compared to the Original Broughs that is plain ugly,…..BUTT UGLY
At least the likes of Eric Buell try to do something original and inovative.
If it died before the 70’s leave it to the dust of memories and legends.
like my brain cells
Rock On
Well, it is “original”….
It looks to be well engineered….
Some style cues form the name-sake were incorporated….
Sorry, i don’t see a problem here.
-nicker-.
shame about the radiator carbuncle
I beat them to the punch with my Raven. And a Raven is a whole lot less I bet.
@ Sigfreed
Yes, I did and have seen it.. (there were TWO of them floating about Southern England at one point???!!!.. Court case and the Brough Club solved that I think)
and coincidentally I whizzed past the exact spot at the weekend on the way to Bovington Tank Museum
I think this new Brough is made by the same guy that rebuilds old Broughs and builds replicas of the old ones (Brit Bikes Austria?)
He brought the rights to Brough Superior from the Card brothers whose father owned the brand for many years (and they still produce JAP engines)