Brough Superior SS100

File:Brough Superior SS 100 Alpine Grand Sports.jpg

After the initial introduction of the SS100, the Alpine Grand Sports, an SS100 with a full touring specification. was launched at the 1925 Motorcycle Show. In the same year Brough Superior produced a {{convert|110|mph|abbr=on}}{{cn|date=April 2018}} Pendine Racing Model (named after the Pendine Sands where Malcolm Campbell set a number of world speed records) with increased ground clearance.

Every owner was encouraged by Brough to suggest their own ideas for developing the SS100, which meant that almost all his motorcycles were uniquely hand-built and the design continually evolving. The Sturmey-Archer gearbox was upgraded in 1929 for a three speed "super heavyweight" box to cope better with the {{convert|50|bhp|abbr=on}} produced by the JA Prestwich Industries (JAP) engine.{{Better source|date=April 2018}}

In 1928 Brough introduced rear suspension and in 1934 the Alpine Grand Sports gained a {{convert|75|hp|abbr=on}} overhead valve JAP engine known as two of everything as it had two magnetos and two oil pumps.{{cite web|url=http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/brands/brough_superior_titangh.htm|title=Brough Superior Motorcycles|last=ManxNorton.com|website=Classic Motorcycles by Sheldon's Emu}}

A foot gear-change was introduced in 1935 and a four-speed Norton gearbox in 1936. Development on all Brough Superiors was stopped during the Second World War, when the factory was turned over to war work.

The SS100 engineering was developed through competition and wins in over 50 events in the early 1920s, and Bert le Vack, who worked with Brough on development, was the holder of seven world records. In 1927 George Brough and Freddie Dixon both achieved a record {{convert|130|mph|abbr=on}} for the kilometre on the SS100 and in 1928 Brough broke his own record with {{convert|130.6|mph|km/h|1|abbr=on}}. In 1932 Ronald Storey achieved 81.08 mph for the standing half-mile at Brighton and in 1939 Noel Pope secured an all time Brooklands track record lap time of {{convert|124.51|mph|abbr=on}} on an SS100.

On 27 April 2008, at the Stafford Motorcycle show, the auctioneers Bonhams sold a 1934 Brough Superior SS100 for £166,500 – a world record and the highest price ever paid for a British motorcycle at auction.[http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=HeadlineDetails&iHeadlineNo=3532 Bonhams Press release accessed 2008-05-07] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506052628/http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=HeadlineDetails&iHeadlineNo=3532 |date=6 May 2008 }} A new World Record for any motorcycle sold at auction was set on 22 October 2010, when a 1929 Brough Superior SS100 was sold at the Haynes International Motor Museum. The bike achieved £286,000.{{cite news | url=https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2010/october/oct2510-brough-sells-for-286000-/ | title=Brough sells for record £286,000 | date=25 October 2010 | first=Joe | last=Shearer | work=Motor Cycle News | access-date=13 April 2018 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.classicbikeguide.com/news/h-h-brough-sets-world-record |title=H&H; Brough sets world record - Classic Bike Guide Magazine |access-date=2010-11-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708163119/http://www.classicbikeguide.com/news/h-h-brough-sets-world-record |archive-date=2011-07-08 }}

File:Lawrence of Arabia Brough Superior gif.gif on a Brough Superior SS100]]

T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, bought one of the first SS100s in 1925 having previously owned three Brough SS80s.{{Better source|date=April 2018}} The crash that would end Lawrence's life came while riding another SS100, on a narrow road near his cottage near Wareham in 1935. The accident occurred because a dip in the road obstructed his view of two boys on bicycles. Swerving to avoid them, Lawrence lost control and was thrown over the handlebars.{{Better source|date=April 2018}}Paul Harvey, The Rest of the Story, KGO 810AM, August/September 2006. He was not wearing a helmet and suffered serious head injuries that left him in a coma; he died after six days in hospital. One of the doctors attending him was the neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns. He consequently began a long study of what he saw as the unnecessary loss of life by motorcycle dispatch riders through head injuries and his research led to the use of crash helmets by both military and civilian motorcyclists. As a consequence of treating Lawrence, Sir Hugh Cairns ultimately saved the lives of many motorcyclists.{{cite journal|pmid=11844248 |date=2002 |last1=Maartens |first1=N. F. |last2=Wills |first2=A. D. |last3=Adams |first3=C. B. |title=Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Hugh Cairns, and the origin of motorcycle helmets |journal=Neurosurgery |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=176-9; discussion 179-80 |doi=10.1097/00006123-200201000-00026 |s2cid=28233149 }}

Lawrence's last SS100 (Registration GW 2275) was built in 1932 and is privately owned but has been on loan to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire{{Better source|date=April 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/pages/news/tel_brough/tel_brough.htm|title=Brough Superior Club accessed 2008-05-05|access-date=5 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003220310/http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/pages/news/tel_brough/tel_brough.htm|archive-date=3 October 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} and the Imperial War Museum in London.{{cite book|last=Wasef|first=Basem|title=Legendary Motorcycles|date=15 October 2007 |publisher=Motorbooks Publishing|isbn=978-0-7603-3070-8|pages=95–99}}

In 2013 the Brough Superior company unveiled plans to build a new SS100 as a 90th anniversary tribute to the most famous Brough Superior model. The first new SS100s were delivered in 2015 and each was made to order.{{cite web | url=http://www.broughsuperiormotorcycles.com/the-ss100/the-new-ss100.html | title=The 2015 SS100 | publisher=Brough Superior | access-date=19 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019215657/http://www.broughsuperiormotorcycles.com/the-ss100/the-new-ss100.html | archive-date=19 October 2016 | url-status=dead }}

The new SS100 has a {{cvt|997|cc}} DOHC 88° V-twin engine developed and built with French specialists Akira Engineering of Bayonne that produces {{Convert|120|hp|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.cycleworld.com/2017-brough-superior-ss100-road-test-motorcycle-review//|last=d'Orleans |first=Paul |title=Road Testing The 2017 Brough Superior SS100| publisher=Cycle World|access-date=27 January 2017|date=19 October 2016 }} Produced at Henriette's Boxer Design factory in Toulouse, France, the new SS100 is hand built.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/motorcycles/brough-superior-the-rolls-royce-of-motorcycles-reborn/ | title=Telegraph review of new SS100 | newspaper=Telegraph | date=8 August 2016 | access-date=19 October 2016| last1=Brown | first1=Roland }} The chassis is an expensive mix of magnesium, titanium, and aluminium with carbon-fiber wheels and a double-wishbone front fork. The brakes are Behringer from the aircraft industry with four-disc front brakes, motorcycling's first.

• List of fastest production motorcycles

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Brough Superior SS100}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170305012742/http://www.broughsuperiormotorcycles.com/fileadmin/user_upload/media/Brochure.pdf New SS100 Brochure (pdf)]

{{s-start}}

{{s-ach|rec}}

{{s-bef|before=Cyclone V-twin}}

{{s-ttl|title=Fastest production motorcycle|years=1925–1949}}

{{s-aft|after=Vincent Black Shadow}}

{{s-end}}

SS100

Category:Motorcycles introduced in the 1920s