Brough Superior SS 100 MKII 2019 — Specifications

Some names are not spoken, they are savored. Brough Superior resonates like an aristocratic promise, that of an era when British motorcycle manufacturing forged machines with the same exacting standards as a Savile Row tailor. Georges Brough understood before anyone else that a motorcycle could be an object of absolute desire, produced in small series, refined to the point of obsession, adopted by legendary figures. T.E. Lawrence owned several and ultimately died on one of them. A destiny that says everything about the intensity these machines embodied.

The resurrection of the brand, bought in 2008 by Mark Upham, could easily have become a nostalgic pastiche. It is not. The SS100 MKII is born in the workshops of Boxer Design, a French company by Thierry Henriette whose track record—VB1, FB Mondial Nuda, collaborations with Honda and Suzuki—is enough to dispel any skepticism. The result is a machine that references its ancestor without ever imitating it. The round headlight does not play the vintage card to soften the purists; it houses a sophisticated LED optic. The eighteen-inch wheels with their eighteen spokes evoke the spokes of yesteryear in form, but not in technology. Brough looks back to move forward, which is quite different.

The heart of the matter is this 88-degree V-twin developed in collaboration with Akira, another French company. Liquid cooling, dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, electronic injection: all modern protocols are respected, but the whole ensemble contemplates itself as a sculpture. Every piece machined from solid gives the impression that a goldsmith supervised the assembly. In standard configuration, the engine delivers 100 horsepower at 9,800 rpm and 89.2 Nm at 7,450 rpm. Honest figures for a 997 cm3 engine, nothing more. A Ducati Panigale does much better on paper, but comparing the two is like putting a kitchen knife and a ceremonial dagger side by side. It’s not the same cutlery. For customers who want to push the mechanics to the limit on the track, an alternative ECU boosts power to 130 horsepower from 8,000 rpm, with torque climbing proportionally. One minor drawback in this picture: overly visible cooling hoses that clash with the rest of the finish.

The tubular trellis frame made of titanium is probably one of the rarest arguments on the current market. With the engine as a stressed member, the tubes remain discreet and allow the mechanics to expose themselves without modesty. The front suspension abandons any conventional fork in favor of a Fior-type system, with double magnesium-aluminum triangles and a central Öhlins shock absorber that works without suffering from brake dive. The rear follows the same logic, an aluminum-magnesium swingarm benefiting from double reinforcement and a dedicated Öhlins. For 186 kg dry weight and a top speed announced at 200 km/h, the whole ensemble is coherent.

The brakes deserve a paragraph of their own. Beringer and its 4D system replace the expected Brembo. Two 230 mm discs per caliper at the front, each pinched by four pistons on three pads, with reduced gyroscopic inertia and contained weight. The visual result subtly evokes the drums of yesteryear. At the rear, a single disc of the same diameter is elegantly concealed within the swingarm. A bold choice that confirms that every technical decision on this machine has been made with intention.

Production limited to 300 units, price displayed at €63,800, three finishes available—Traditional with its black, gold and silver accents, Full Black for the entirety in darkness, Titanium to let the raw material speak. This is not a motorcycle you buy to go to work. It is a piece you treat yourself to because you have decided that mechanical beauty deserves this price. The target audience recognizes itself without difficulty: discerning collectors, history enthusiasts and connoisseurs of rolling jewelry who don’t want a Ducati Superleggera or an MV Agusta Superveloce, but something unique in its category. The SS100 MKII has no direct competitor, and that is probably its greatest luxury.