BROUGH SUPERIOR 'RETURN TO THE SALT' PREVIEW

Rider Eric Patterson aboard the 1150cc Brough Superior 'Roadrunner' with new, shapely streamlining, similar in feel to the 1930s Brough record-breaker 'Leaping Lena'

The Ace Café sponsored a preview party for Brough Superior's second Bonneville invasion at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA yesterday, bringing along the pair of salt flat racers they'll be campaigning.  Jay Leno hosted the event, and unveiled a surprise - a completely new all-carbon-fiber sports machine with a Brough Superior logo!  I'll get the full story on this machine, and BS Chief Mark Upham's intentions, when I head to Bonneville next week.

Here's Mark's note on last night's event: 

"Dear Paul,

 I am sorry you were not able to come across to the party; here are a few words and pictures.

Mark McKee very kindly hosted the Ace Café/Brough Superior Party "Return to the Salt".

Unveiled was the redesigned and very radical streamlined Brough Superior  1150cc formally known as the Retro Brough, now renamed "The Roadrunner". This bike is campaigning for 4 class world titles at BUB 2013.

The 'Baby Pendine' Brough Superior, with a 750cc MkII engine

The second bike unveiled - formally known,as the 'Baby Pendine', is also fitted with a MKII engine but of only 750cc capacity. Due to its manorial type windshield, holding the coat of arms of the Brough family, it is been renamed "The Black Knight", and is campaigning for 2 categories of titles, two FIM and 4 AMA.

The revamped Brough 1150 'Roadrunner', showing the minimal streamlining allowed for specific categories of record.

 

The previously unseen Brough Superior entry into Moto2 GP racing, built by John Keogh and Paul Taylor

The 3rd motorcycle unveiled, and a great shock for many there, was the extremely radical Moto2 carbon-fiber Brough Superior. This motorcycle has a full monocoque chassis, designed by John Keogh, and was engineered by Paul Taylor of Taylor Race Engineering, USA, specifically to race in the Moto2 GP Class, and will be entered in the GP series as a wild card in 2014.

The bike is tried and tested, it was seen at Goodwood [Festival of Speed] in demonstration runs, driven by Alan Cathcart. No one knew it was a Brough Superior, since until now it is only ever been raced and tested without any Brough Superior livery. The bike was unveiled by Jay Leno.

Thank you,

Mark Upham"