Brough Superior SS100
A timeless motorcycle icon now resurrected in the modern world
IT’S AN EXHILARATING AND classically English experience. As the bike accelerates hard with a long-legged twincylinder feel and deep exhaust bark, I’m looking over a large, round Smiths speedometer and leaning forward across a broad fuel-tank on which, beneath two big chromed filler-caps, is the unmistakable logo of Brough Superior. But this is no British burn-up on the legendary Nottingham-built V-twin that ruled the roads until production was abruptly halted in 1940. I’m just outside Toulouse in the south-west of France, riding an SS100 on D-roads that sweep between fields of yellow sunflowers, like the ones that form a picturesque annual backdrop for cycling’s Tour de France. And I’m riding away from the factory where production of the newgeneration SS100 is about to get under way.
That famous logo, the bike’s essential style, its V-twin engine configuration and many of its details are instantly recognisable as Brough Superior. And it’s here in Toulouse, more than 75 years after the last SS100 rolled out of George Brough’s famous works in Haydn Road, that current Brough Superior owner Mark Upham is about to bring this most glorious of marques roaring back to life with an all-new superbike of the same name. This part of France has long been the base of Thierry Henriette, the quietly spoken design genius whose Boxer Design concern has created a string of show-stopping specials over more than 25 years. None matched the impact that the SS100 made on its unveiling at Milan’s EICMA exhibition in November 2013.
That was just a few months after Henriette had joined forces with Upham, a classic spares dealer, former Ducati dealer and long-time Brough Superior enthusiast who has owned the famous marque since 2008. Now, less than three years after that Milan début, several prototypes have been tested and an initial batch of 60 machines is set for production. More than half are already sold, despite costing €50,000 (Rs 37.5 lakh) apiece.
That’s a big price, but you’ve only got to take a glance at the SS100 to realise that this bike is seriously special; and every inch a Brough Superior. This modern V-twin captures the essence of the old SS100 brilliantly, starting with the large, distinctively shaped petrol-tank that was the original model’s defining feature — to the extent that Lawrence of Arabia, George Brough’s most famous customer, retained his tank and fitted it in turn to the string of Superiors that he owned, before being fatally injured when crashing his SS100 in 1935.
The new bike’s tank is cut, shaped and welded by hand in Brough’s Toulouse base. It sits above a 997-cc, liquid-cooled V-twin engine whose cylinders are angled at what looks like 90 degrees but is actually 88 degrees. (“I didn’t want to copy Ducati,” Henriette says.) The cylinders are black; the cases polished alloy. Little frame is visible. A slim, tubular titanium rod
runs up from a curved, polished section on each side, to support the single seat. Both this and the front subframe, also made from titanium, are lightweight structures bolted to the load-bearing engine unit.
It’s up front where the most eye-catching chassis features live. Front suspension is not by telescopic forks but by a wishbone fork of the type pioneered by the late Claude Fior, another noted French motorcycle engineer. This gives the Brough a period, girder style look that is enhanced by the wheels — finely spoked forged aluminium items of 18-inch diameter. And even more so by the unique front brake, which gets its drum-style small diameter by comprising not two but four 230-mm discs, operated by four-piston Beringer callipers.
In combination with the heavily braced, black finished aluminium swingarm, which pivots directly on the engine, it all makes for a bike that manages to look traditional yet unmistakably modern. And although the test bike is a well-used development machine that has covered 50,000 km (and been stripped and rebuilt numerous times along the way to check for wear), and which has a few unfinished details such as coolant hoses that will be hidden inside the casings on production models, the SS100 just gets better the closer you look.
At the front the distinctive round headlamp echoes traditional lenses in its size and shape, but holds LEDs and has the Brough Superior name etched into its aluminium surround. At the rear the almost conical aluminium tail-piece holds a single seat that is quite tall at 820 mm. But the Brough is pretty light, at a claimed 186 kg dry, and felt respectably manoeuvrable as I climbed aboard.
Ahead was a black fly-screen and that big Smiths speedometer, calibrated to 180 mph (290 km/h). It was a fair reach across the long tank to the slightly raised one-piece handlebar, which held a pair of small, neat alloy master cylinders mounted alongside the round mirrors, plus minimalist aluminium switchgear with just three buttons on each side. Pressing the starter brought the motor to life with a mechanical whirring and a thrappy, distinctively V-twin but not excessively loud sound from the twin pipes on the right side.
Immediately, although the silencers were not the street-legal standard parts, that was one key question answered: the SS100 has some genuine V-twin character. The engine was developed in conjunction with (and is initially built by) Akira, the specialists from nearby Bayonne who also build Kawasaki’s factory World Superbike engines. It has an eight-valve, DOHC top end layout, with long-stroke cylinder dimensions of 94 x 71.8 mm — more like Ducati’s old air-cooled motors than the short-stroke Panigale layout.
The result is a modest maximum of 100 PS for the Euro 3-complaint V-twin, rising to 130 PS at 7,800 RPM for the slightly louder demo bike with its accessory silencers and ECU. That’s far from an all-conquering output like that of the original SS100 in its day. But this Brough is designed for all-round use rather than pure speed, and its engine’s key attribute is a broad torque spread, enhanced by a very well-metered fuel-injection system from Continental (formerly French-based Synerject).
There’s no ride-by-wire or multiple modes, and none seemed necessary as I accelerated away from the modern Boxer factory on the outskirts of Toulouse. The Brough felt flexible andrider-
This modern V-twin captures the essence of the old SS100 brilliantly, starting with the large, distinctively shaped petrol-tank that was the original model’s defining feature
friendly, pulling sweetly from low down without a hint of snatchiness in fuelling or transmission. It was enjoyably quick, too, punching harder through the mid-range, and kicking slightly harder towards the top end although the prototype’s Smiths clock, which incorporates a digital tachometer in its big black-faced speedometer dial, wasn’t working sufficiently accurately to be of much use.
In its straight-line performance the Brough was, perhaps, slightly quicker than Triumph’s Thruxton R, which is slightly less powerful and heavier but has an even gruntier twin-pot throttle response. But the SS100 stormed forward with a very different, distinctly long-legged V-twin feel, its gentle vibration not remotely annoying and those twin silencers belting out an engaging and by no means deafening soundtrack, enhanced by a six-speed gearbox that was effortlessly light and accurate, and also found neutral easily (a previous issue having been sorted).
When the road opened out, I left photographer Phil’s hired car way behind in an attempt to get somewhere near the likely top speed of about 140 mph (225 km/h). I probably didn’t make that but it felt fast enough on these narrow roads, despite the fly-screen’s attempt at wind protection. This SS100 is certainly more than fast enough to justify the name that every one of its predecessors earned with a 100-mph (161-km/h) top speed, recorded by a Brough test rider and confirmed with a certificate that accompanied every bike sold.
This Brough stayed stable at speed, its suspension doing a good job of soaking up bumps, and being sufficiently well-
damped to keep excellent control. Despite sporty amounts of suspension travel (120 mm front, 130 mm rear) the ride was respectably smooth even when I was watching the black flyscreen, which is mounted along with the headlamp on the top suspension linkage, moving vigorously up and down in time with the front wheel. The single units at each end were from local specialist Bos, rather than the Öhlins units with which the prototype was initially fitted. The Brough team are also evaluating Paioli shocks before making a final decision on what to fit.
One French firm they’re committed to is Beringer, whose innovative front brake, inspired by the quad-disc set-ups used in aviation, gave ferocious stopping power even in response to light pressure on the handlebar lever. That was fine at higher speeds but for general use the stopper was too fierce, especially as this year’s batch of Euro 3 homologated bikes don’t have ABS. Henriette and project manager Albert Castaigne agree and are experimenting with pads and other mods to tone it down slightly.
The small-diameter discs’ light weight doubtless helped nullify any extra turning resistance of the broad 18-inch front wheel, and contributed to the SS100’s pleasantly agile steering. For a bike with such an innovative chassis (although its front suspension is very similar to the Duolever used by numerous BMWs), the Brough felt reassuringly normal, tipping into turns with a very neutral feel, and holding a line accurately despite needing only a light touch to change direction.
The Fior front-end layout allows the amount of dive under braking to be adjusted, and the Brough felt just about right as it was. Michelin Pilot rubber provided plenty of grip, and the SS100’s essential slimness meant that ground clearance wasn’t an issue despite foot-rests that are set low enough to give a reasonably roomy riding position. (There’s a touring kit of higher bars and lower pegs for those who want more room.) Brough know that few of their customers for a bike of this cost will be young, so the SS100 has been designed more as an executive express than a hardcore sports bike.
On the evidence of this prototype it’s an outstandingly good one, that will only get even better by the time the first bikes start rolling off the Toulouse production line in the next few months. Almost as soon as I’d returned from the test ride, Henriette was dashing around the workshop to highlight details that will be improved on the customer machines, from a reworked radiator and neater engine castings to a swingarm with centre-stand lugs built in.
The SS100’s hand-built construction — roughly one bike will be produced per day — allows buyers many options. The main one is a choice of three basic finishes: the demo bike’s traditional polished alloy with black top, a “full black” whose colour extends to engine and silencers, and a Titanium with polished top. Wheels come in a choice of four spoke designs, and seat options range from suede to ribbed leather.
Inevitably, some options add to that already high base price of €50,000 (Rs 37.5 lakh). And, of course, there are plenty of bikes that provide far more performance for a fraction of the cost. But the “Rolls-Royce of motorcycles” was always expensive. In George Brough’s words, it was “a big solo machine, built up to an ideal, not down to a price”.
The same is true of this modern recreation, and riding it does not disappoint. The inspiration of the original, peerless SS100, combined with the vision and drive for perfection of one of the world’s foremost motorcycle designers, has resulted in a spectacular superbike that more than lives up to its illustrious name.