Aston Martin teams with icon to build its first bike
When Aston Martin recently announced it was building a motorcycle in conjunction with Brough Superior, most car enthusiasts were probably wondering why the storied automaker was stooping to build a motorcycle. But if anyone is slumming in this new relationship, it is Brough, once the pinnacle of two-wheeled exclusivity and favourite of the most famous motorcyclist of all time.
What has made the Brough name an enduring legend is the devotion of its most famous client, T.E. Lawrence. You know him better as “Lawrence of Arabia,” and his love of motorcycles — and Broughs in particular — knew no bounds. He owned eight, and gave them all names.
Brough was resurrected by longtime enthusiast Mark Upham in conjunction with Thierry Henriette of Boxer Design, who crafted the double-overhead-cam 990-cc 88-degree V-twin on which the new AMB 001 is based.
In Aston Martin guise, said big twin is turbocharged for an output of 180 horsepower (stock modern Broughs are good for about 120 hp) and is mated to a chassis constructed of aluminum, titanium and carbon fibre.
The result is a motorcycle with a double-wishbone front suspension, which is still something of a rarity in the biking world, and a completely carbon-fibre body, which helps keep the AMB 001’s overall weight down to 180 kilograms.
Only 100 examples of the 001 will be available, at a price of €108,000 (Cdn$158,000), and delivery will begin at the end of 2020.