Brough Superior SS100

Infobox Motorcycle
name= Brough Superior SS 100


aka=
manufacturer=flagicon|UK Brough
parent_company=
production=1924 to 1940
predecessor=
successor=
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engine=998cc air cooled OHV 50 degree V-twin
wheelbase=
length=
width=
height=
seat height=
power= 45 bhp @ 5000 rpm
dry weight=180kg (369ib)
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fuel_economy=
transmission=

The Brough Superior SS 100 was designed and built by George Brough in Nottingham UK in 1924. Although every bike was designed to meet specific customer requirements (even the handlebars were individually shaped ["cite book | last = Kemp | first = Andrew | title = Classic British Bikes | publisher = Bookmart Ltd | date = 2001 | pages = p. 69 | isbn = 1-86147-058-4 ] ) 69 SS100’s were produced in 1925 and at £170 were advertised by Brough (without permission) as the 'Rolls Royce of Motorcycles' [ [http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/home.htm Brough Owners Club accessed 2008-05-05] ] and all bikes had a guarantee that they were capable of 100 miles an hour (160 km/h).The SS100 (Super Sports) was the first custom motorcycle with components chosen from many different suppliers. The first engine (from 1924 to 1936) was the twin cam KTOR JAP (made by J. A. Prestwich) V twin (upgraded to a Matchless engine from 1936. Gearboxes were the 4 stud 3 speed from Sturmey Archer [ [http://motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/oldbike/tob7_99.htm accessed 2008-05-05] ] . Brough developed the features of the Harley Davidson forks and produced his own version (made by the Castle Fork and Accessory Company) to combine light weight with strength that was to become a feature of the SS100 handling. "cite book | last = Simms | first = Colin | title = Brough Superior SS100 | publisher = Haynes publishing group | date = 1984 | isbn = 0-85429-364-7 ]

Development

The "Alpine Grand Sport" was launched at the 1925 Motorcycle Show and was an SS100 with a full touring specification. In the same year Brough produced a 110 mile an hour (177 km/h) "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 50bhp (37 kW) produced by the Jap engine [ [http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/home.htm Brough Owners Club accessed 2008-05-05] ] . In 1928 Brough introduced rear suspension and in 1934 the Alpine Grand Sport gained a seventy-five horsepower (56 kW) overhead valve Jap engine known as "two of everything" as it had two magnetos and two oil pumps [ [http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/brands/brough_superior_titangh.htm Cybermotorcycle Brough Superior accessed 2008-05-05] ] . A foot gear change was introduced in 1935 and a four-speed Norton gearbox in 1936. Development on all Brough Superior's was stopped when World War 2 meant that the factory had to be turned over to war work [ [http://cyclechaos.com/wiki/Brough_Superior Cycle Chaos Brough Superior accessed 2008-05-05] ] .

On the 27th of April 2008 at the Stafford Motorcycle show UK 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] ]

World Records

The SS100 engineering was developed through competition and wins in over 50 events in the early 1920’s and H. 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 130 mph (210 km/h) for the kilometre on the SS100 and in 1928 Brough broke his own record with 130.6 mph (210.2 km/h). In 1932 Ronald Storey achieved 81,08 for the standing half-mile at Brighton and in 1939 Noel Pope secured an all time Brooklands track record lap time of 124.51 mph (200.38 km/h) on an SS100.

T. E. Lawrence

T. E. Lawrence (known as Lawrence of Arabia) bought one of the first SS100’s in 1925 having previously owned three Brough SS 80’s [ [http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/home.htm Brough Owners Club accessed 2008-05-05] ] . Lawrence had a fatal crash on the Brough SS100 on a narrow road near his cottage near Wareham. 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 [Paul Harvey, "The Rest of the Story", KGO 810AM, August/September 2006.] He was not wearing a helmet and suffered serious head injuries which left him in a coma and 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 since. [ [http://www.neurosurgery-online.com/pt/re/neurosurg/abstract.00006123-200201000-00026.htm;jsessionid=LjXXhLWV91Gj2H4GlTrvw2pbgDqDFHTmB0h0WsgfvpzLQpXr3QxY!-341159882!181195629!8091!-1 Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Hugh Cairns, and the Origin of Motorcycle Helmets (accessed 2008-05-09)] ]

Lawrence's last SS100 (Registration GW 2275) was built in 1932 and was on loan to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire, UK [ [http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/pages/news/tel_brough/tel_brough.htm Brough Superior Club accessed 2008-05-05] ] . It is currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

References

ee also

* Brough Superior

Links

* [http://www.broughsuperiorclub.com/home.htm Brough Superior Owners Club]
* [http://vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Brough%20Bikes/Brough%20Superior%20index.htm Gallery of Brough Superiors]
* [http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=320419595&channel=32445265 Video of Brough owners club meeting]