#BroughSuperior

It’s exactly ten years on since the born-again Brough Superior brand’s first all-new model, a modern take on the legendary SS100 launched 100 years ago this year as the world’s first street-legal Superbike, was unveiled at the 2013 EICMA Milan Show.

OK, even in our hand-laid, calf-leather-clad, carbon fiber chairs, we’re getting pretty punchy here in the EICMA Coverage Center inside the spacious MO Tower on the West Coast VerticalScope Campus. Not even the staff sushi chef and bespoke MO coffee blend can get more than a raised eyebrow from us MOrons at this point, but after two days of sifting through trainloads of press releases for our reader base throughout the solar system, we think we have found a winner! What you have below is a press release that is so horrific that we actually took the time to talk about it. While a couple of Italian releases, with their floral English translations, came close to winning, the ratio of words to actual information of Aston Martin/Brough Superior AMB 001 Pro press release tipped the vacuum-sealed, vibration-isolated, laser-etched titanium scales that we use to consider these awards.

Do you remember how boring and mundane going to a museum was as a kid? It was practically torture, but any excuse to get out of school was better than the alternative. It’s funny how things change as you get older. You start to appreciate and become more interested by the way things were, how previous generations lived compared to what we’ve grown accustomed to now. Shit, you could actually learn something.

Loyal MO readers will, no doubt, remember that Brough Superior had a three-month-old prototype of its SS100 on display at the  2013 EICMA show. Well, a lot has happened in the last year. Namely, Thierry Henriette, owner of Brough Superior Motorcycles SAS, says the SS100’s development has advanced to the point that he’s openly talking about assembly plant tours and product test rides. MO’s Editorial Director, Sean Alexander reports from Brough’s Eicma display that these latest prototypes are seriously impressive up-close and in the metal.

When Paul Taylor grants you permission to ride his super exclusive (meaning there’s only one) carbon fiber Moto2 race bike, it’s not something you turn down. While I’ve been fortunate enough to ride almost all of the latest and greatest production sportbikes around, there’s still nothing like riding a motorcycle specifically built for lapping a race track as quickly as possible. Production sportbikes are engineered with the track in mind, but with street compromises, because really, the vast majority of owners are likely to never bring their bikes to the track.

We now come to the upper echelon of our holiday gift guide, for those who are just rolling in cash and are willing to spend it on a loved one who’s the hardest of hardcore motorcycle enthusiasts. We’ve looked at gift ideas for different budgets up to $1,000, but what if you want to give something even more extravagant, and have the means to do so?

The introduction of the Moto2 class into the world championship in 2010 was met with mixed emotions. Moto2 spelled the end for the beloved 250cc two-strokes, but it also opened up a new world for engineering innovation. Based around a spec Honda CBR600RR engine, the essence of the class was to have brilliant minds develop a chassis around it to lap a racetrack the quickest. Instead of hunting for horsepower, emphasis would be placed on engineering excellence and rider talent to win races.