Limited edition luxury: Brough Superior celebrate 10 years since French rebirth with Ultimate specials

Ultimate exotica brand Brough Superior are celebrating a decade in business with two Ultimate special editions, following the brand’s rebirth in France back in 2013.

Originally founded in Nottingham in 1919, with famous customers including T E Lawrence, the iconic luxury marque is now based in Toulouse in southern France, with around 80% of each machine said to be manufactured in the country.

Announcing the two new models on Friday 30 June at the annual Le Mans Classic car racing event, the Ultimate range will consist of special versions of the Brough Superior SS100 and Lawrence nakeds, which are both powered by Brough’s 997cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine and will be limited to just 19 units each.

Focussing in on the chromed SS100, which first joined the line-up back in 2018, the special build is highlighted by a silver stripe that runs down the side of the long, thin fuel tank – with a numbered Ultimate name badge sitting below the fuel cap. The tank itself has also does away with the three metal wrap-around straps found on the standard machine.

Alongside this aesthetic tweak, the twin-cylinder engine’s crankcases are now also made from CNC machined aluminium blocks rather than in a foundry – a production process usually reserved for the firm’s 221.9bhp AMB 001 Pro sportsbike, produced in conjunction with Aston Martin.

Although the displacement remains the same with this process, Brough say the use of the 5000 series alloy, with high magnesium content, allows the motor to be lighter, stiffer, and a little more powerful – with the Lawrence getting the same treatment.

Whilst the turbo charged AMB’s quoted power sits at over 220bhp, the standard SS100’s naturally aspirated unit is said to produce a more modest 102bhp at 9600rpm and 64lbft of torque at 7300rpm, with some increase anticipated by the machined parts.

The cases also feature a Brough Superior engraving and help to give the engine even more prominence on the largely exposed side profile of the bike.

Being based on the standard SS100, the engine sits in a machined titanium main- and subframe, with suspension provided courtesy of Fior-type aluminium forks with preload and rebound adjustment. You’ll also find a mono shock at the rear with 120mm of travel, that’s bolted into a cast swingarm again produced in aluminium.

Likely to be snaffled up by collectors fast, the SS100 Ultimate will cost around £51,200 (€59,583) and the Lawrence will be £51,500 (€59,916).

Brough Superior anniversary editions in detail

• Motoring on: The 997cc engine is an 88-degree V-twin with four valves per cylinder, mated to a six speed gearbox
• Silver stripes: Alongside the SS100, the Lawrence features a silver strip along the shoulders of its varnished fuel tank – again helping to set it apart as am Ultimate edition
• Blacked out: To help the silver on both models to stand out, much of the minimalist bodywork is finished in an understated black livery – also helping to make the motor more prominent
• Five axis machining: The new crankcases are made possible, thanks to the installation of a Hurco 5-axis CNC centre earlier this year at their Toulouse HQ
• Stopping power: Both the SS100 and Lawrence get four-piston Beringer radial calipers up front, with the former using 4 x 230mm discs and the latter receiving two 320mm rotors