Brough Superior SS100
There are going to be lots of people who
will sniff at the thought of any bike being ‘worth’ £ 45,000 and while barely
any of us have the available cash to buy one, that’s missing the point. The
world is a better place for bikes like the Brough Superior SS100 existing. The
famous brand is in British hands and from our ride on a prototype it would
appear things are most certainly heading the in the right direction.
The new Brough Superior SS100 is a
wonderful thing and the few lucky people who have the cash available to buy one
are going to love it. The fact it’s so well built, so well-resolved is a
triumph for such a small outfit. This is the perfect representation of a modern
‘gentleman’s motorcycle’ and the future is bright for the famous Brough
Superior brand.
That unusual suspension system
contributes to a very flat, firm riding experience. Weirdly the front end rises
when you accelerate but barely dives at all when you brake hard. This flat
non-diving front end thanks to the suspension does make worse perhaps the only
major flaw on the bike which are the fiercely un-progressive front brakes. They
are a little scary at first and it takes an unbelievably gentle touch to avoid
over-braking. Overnight the Brough engineers changed the master cylinder and piston
to soften the braking force and on a brief test ride it proved to be a lot
better.
Of all the engineering on this bike it’s
the 997 cc water-cooled V-twin that really stands out. While so many other small
companies opt for an ‘off-the-shelf’ motor from one of the many global
suppliers, Brough Superior insisted this bike could only exist if they
developed their own motor. Work on the engine has been done by Akira
Engineering; the same company that builds the factory Kawasaki engines for the
World Superbike riders Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea. The V-twin motor is smooth, tractable
yet still willing to rev out. It’s only when leaving it in too high a gear that
any piston slap starts to become a problem.
Despite this bike being a prototype the
overall styling is pretty much bang-on what owners will be getting. The
stunning, hand-crafted aluminium fuel tank is welded from five sections on
site; as is the sleek tailpiece. The cast aluminium Fior fork design is
startlingly new and a world away from the usual twin conventional forks. The
diamond-cut cast aluminium wheels are distinctively different.
There is no point arguing the Brough
Superior SS100 is cheap; at £ 45,000 and some change this is one expensive,
exclusive bike which stays firmly on the side of the collector/rider than an
everyday commuter. But that’s the whole point. It’s not meant to be cheap. If,
however, you look at prices of original Brough’s which rarely dip below
£ 100,000 then it starts to look cheap. What you get for the price is a
handbuilt, beautifully-crafted machine that will always be something special.
The switchgear will be
changed for cast alloy version rather than the temporary Harley-Davidson items
in use today, the handlebar top yoke will be cut from billet, the sidestand
will get a far better design with a lug on the end to make raising or lowering
it far easier. The Smiths clocks are getting a backlit needle and clearer LCD
information from the small integral screen and the tiny indicators on this bike
aren’t production specification. All of these changes are in the final stages
of being fixed before full production begins in June.
