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VOL. 52 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 18, 2015 P133 compliance, and clean, unclut- tered aestheticscompare the Fior front fork to a Bimota Tesi's twin-swingarm front end, for ex- ample. The wishbone fork also potentially offers immediate and subtle adjustment of all chassis geometrytrail, head angle, wheelbase, ride height and weight distribution – as well as easier fine-tuning of suspension settings than is possible on even the most sophisticated telescop- ic fork. Add in the enhanced stiffness-to-weight ratio of a wishbone front end compared to a tele fork, and you can appreci- ate the reasons for the fanatical belief which Fior possessed in the worth of his design – a de- sign which BMW engineers later recognised, and Henriette has incorporated successfully in the new Brough Superior. You can experience these benefits very quickly on the Brough, not only because of the good ride quality, but also by the way it quickly becomes second nature to trail-brake late and hard into a turn without fear of the fork freezing. That flyscreen-witness feature tells you that the sus- pension's still working to damp out the irregularities in the road surface, but you don't really feel it because the shock is dialed in so well. Moreover, Henriette has dialed in just sufficient front-end diveas you canin the system to give someone unfamiliar with alternative front ends the sense that the bike is actually slowing when you squeeze the front- brake lever. And it does slow down well, as those Beringer brakes are fabulous, with an immediate but not excessive response when you squeeze the front-brake lever. The brake engages in a way that isn't at all snatchy, in spite of seeming like overkill with having four discs up front. They're easy to modulate, yet ultra-effective. I'm a believer, because their reduced mass surely plays a part in the new Brough's sweet steering—it's pinpoint-sharp in spite of that long wheelbase—via the reduced gyroscopic effect of those small- diameter discs. For a bike right at the start of its on-road development cycle, there's no doubt about it, the new Brough Superior SS100 was born well. Sure, there are all the usual minor wrinkles to iron out before delivering bikes to customers, like the difficulty in finding neutral, or the awkward starter button, or the way the lower of the two exhausts will burn your right foot – it needs a guard, however un-aesthetic that may be. But Thierry Henriette and his Boxer Design team have produced a bike in record short time whose considerable visual presence is matched by its overall capability and the enjoyment you get from riding it. They can be very proud of their work in ensuring the legend of Brough Superior lives again, thanks to an ultra-effective Entente Cordiale that's produced one of the most individual and pleasing modern-day motorcycles that money can buy. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S BROUGH SUPERIOR SS100 ENGINE: ................... Watercooled, DOHC, 88-degree V-twin four-stroke, 4 valves per cylinder, and composite chain/gear cam drive DIMENSIONS: .......................94 x 71.8mm DISPLACEMENT: ..............................997cc CLAIMED POWER: .. 127 bhp @ 7800 rpm CLAIMED TORQUE: 120 Nm @ 6400 rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: .........................11:1 FUEL/IGNITION SYSTEM: ........ Electronic fuel injection with Synerject ECU and 2 x 50mm Synerject throttle bodies, each with a single injector GEARBOX: ........................Six-speed CIMA CLUTCH: Multiplate oil-bath Adler clutch with hydraulic operation CHASSIS: Machined titanium frame with fabricated titanium subframe FRONT SUSPENSION: ............Fior-type, cast-aluminium wishbone fork with twin articulated titanium triangular links, and Öhlins monoshock adjustable for preload and rebound damping with 120mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: ...Cast-aluminium swingarm pivoting in engine crankcas- es, with Öhlins monoshock adjustable for preload and rebound damping and progressive rate link with 130mm travel RAKE: ....................................23.4 degrees Trail: ..94mm trail via 38mm fork offset WHEELBASE: ................................. 60.6 in. Weight distribution: .....410 lbs. dry split 50/50 FRONT BRAKES: ..................... 4 x 230mm Beringer 4D stainless steel discs with 2 x four-piston Beringer radial calipers REAR BRAKES: ........1 x 230mm Beringer 4D stainless steel disc with 1 x 2-piston Beringer caliper FRONT TIRES/WHEELS: ............... 120/70- 18 in. Dunlop on 3.50 in. CNC-machined forged aluminium wheel REAR TIRES/WHEELS: ....... 160/60-18 in. Dunlop on 4.25 in. CNC machined forged aluminium wheel SEAT HEIGHT: ...............32.7 in. (31.9 in.) MANUFACTURER: ........................... Brough Superior Motorcycles, Toulouse, France www.broughsuperiormotorcycles.com