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At Auction | 1920s Brough Superiors (the "Rolls-Royce of motorcycles")
A Continuous Lean ^ | 10/8/15 | Jared Paul Stern

Posted on 10/10/2015 4:17:48 PM PDT by LibWhacker

At Auction | 1920s Brough Superiors Oct 8th, 2015 | Categories: Jared Paul Stern, Motorcycles | by Jared Paul Stern

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“It is a miracle that all this docile strength waits behind one tiny lever for the pleasure of my hand,” T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) wrote of his Brough Superior in the 1920s. Built by hand in Nottingham, England from 1919–1940, the “Rolls-Royce of motorcycles” became an instant legend thanks to the likes of Lawrence, who owned eight of them. Extremely fast, exclusive and expensive, no two of the custom-built bikes were exactly alike. At its Stafford, UK sale at The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on October 18 Bonhams will be offering some exceptionally rare examples of the magnificent machines, including some project and dismantled bikes, carefully assembled and preserved over the past 40 years, a number of them flown 9,000 miles from a private collection in Australia.

lawrence

Highlights include several examples of the SS100, the most famous Superior model launched in 1924, each of which was guaranteed to be capable of at least 100 mph though a record speed of over 169 mph was later set. A 1926 Brough Superior 980cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport, originally designed to honor founder George Brough’s triumph at the legendary Alpine Trial, dismantled and offered for restoration, is expected to bring in up to about $250,000. And a 1936 Earls Court Motorcycle Show 990cc SS100, one of the rarest and most expensive motorcycles in the world, is likely to fetch up to about $375,000, which would be a record result for a British bike. The Brough Superior brand was relaunched in 2013 but modern models are mere shadows of the original.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: auction; brough; motorcycle; superiors
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To: HandyDandy

Might be that. Or a generator?


41 posted on 10/11/2015 7:50:26 AM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

That’s an even better guess. Definitely seems to be connected to the front of the crankshaft (by whatever is under that cover). Maybe there’s a chain under that cover that drives a generator. I wouldn’t put it past Lucas.


42 posted on 10/11/2015 10:23:17 AM PDT by HandyDandy (Don't make-up stuff. It just wastes everybody's time.)
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To: HandyDandy

Ok, my final answer: it is a dynamo. Part of the Special Lucas Dynamo Lighting Set. Powerful enough to run the illuminated speedometer and other lights, plus, the “Alto Horn”. (I read it in the advertizment). So, you were closer.


43 posted on 10/11/2015 10:53:19 AM PDT by HandyDandy (Don't make-up stuff. It just wastes everybody's time.)
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To: MileHi

See post #43


44 posted on 10/11/2015 11:49:43 AM PDT by HandyDandy (Don't make-up stuff. It just wastes everybody's time.)
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To: HandyDandy

My sportster had a generator mounted like that. It ran from a gear in the left side case rather than an external drive like the bike in question. A pretty temperamental system. My Super Glide and FLH had alternators, a much better system.


45 posted on 10/11/2015 2:47:37 PM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

Yes. I can almost imagine that if you were riding with the lights on and hit the horn, the bike probably lost 1 or 2 mph.


46 posted on 10/11/2015 4:53:52 PM PDT by HandyDandy (Don't make-up stuff. It just wastes everybody's time.)
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To: MileHi
"What is being driven on the lower front frame?"

Generator for the lights would be my guess.

SS1

47 posted on 10/11/2015 11:46:29 PM PDT by Spitzensparkin1 (Arrest and deport all illegal aliens. Americans demand those jobback! Whoorah, Arizona!)
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To: martin_fierro

Rolls Royce? So, the bike has electric system problems?


48 posted on 10/13/2015 6:02:52 PM PDT by Sensei Ern (FUBO! and John Bonehead and Mitch McConman, too!)
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