Was anyone at this show, yesterday (Saturday)? And if so, does anyone have any interesting feedback? I was there and thought I might see a few of you guys wheeling bits of military bikes around. In the event, I saw only one "military bike" which was actually a Tiger Cub painted in camouflage colours, and no one that I recognised.

I'm particularly interested in anyone with views on changing prices, either up or down.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

i was there with my son, all i know that it was packed. i didant find any WD parts i was looking for, strangely enough i was also looking for tiger cub parts. i was also looking for another WD project. i came across a couple of WDM20 frames and a complete bsa WDB40 thats about it.
there was also an early bsa v twin, it wasant complete and looking all bodged together and there was bad welding on the frame, i didant bother asking how much...

email (option): mrsbfuller@hotmail.co.uk

Yes I was there with Lex and other mates. I saw John O'Brien and quite a few of the NOBS. I bought a few consumables and an original 8" Lucas defusser glass. I also saw the sad looking V twin. But otherwise nothing exciting. Did anyone else see that strange new Brough of Mark Uphams? Or the Brough engined 'Norton superior' racer? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron, I had an interview with Mark Upham for a trade magazine and got a signed copy of his Brough book for my trouble - which was actually no trouble at all. The new Brough is 49,500 euros, plus VAT (for the UK), plus delivery, plus any extras. In all, a typical customer will probably be paying around 60,000 - 70,000 euros.

Eric Patterson, who runs the Kempton jumble, has bought the first UK bike. But the bike is still in development, and you can see where there are a few obvious problems, (notably the drive chain run which fouls the frame).

So far, Mark Upham says that he's had over 160 orders for the bike. Now run the numbers and see how much that is worth.

He's an approachable guy, incidentally. Friendly. Agreeable. Chatty. Whatever you might think of the bike, it's one hell of an achievement.

Here's a link to Sump where there are more details, pictures, plus a cutaway engine graphic.

http://www.sumpmagazine.com/classicbikenews/news-november-2013.htm#Uphams%20Brough%20project%20unveiled

(Apologies if anyone was just trying that link. It was broken, but it's now sorted)

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Yes, I was there too, saw the Brough, and it looks better in the flesh than on pictures I think. Will post soms pictures when back, on the ferry to Ireland now! For the rest I found some stuff at Kempton, but nothing super exiting, met up with a lot of other forum embers though, thanks for the mulled wine and mince pies chaps!! Cheers, Lex

I think the 'new' Brough is horrible and a poor piece of design...The engine doesn't have the narrow angle layout of the originals so is visually quite different and was actually used just because it was available..it wasn't designed for the job.

Styling wise it strikes me as suffering from an identity crisis, being, to my eye, an uncomfortable mix of modern and traditional styling...If I had 70,000 Euros to blow in on a bike it certainly wouldn't be that one...

I agree Mark Upham and his backers have done well up to this point but personally feel they have produced an ugly bike with confused styling with their attempt at a 'modern' Brough...Ian

The new Brough Superior looks to me like a custom street fighter that someone has knocked up out in their shed using available parts (not like the originals at all then!) I'd love to see Broughs back on the road and be a big success again, the Rolls Royce of Motorcycles, but I think this one lacks the easy style and impact of the originals and as Ian says, 70,000 Euros could buy you a lot of bike and for me, it wouldn't be this one, but I'm sure there will be lots of people who think otherwise and I hope it sells well. Will we ever see one on the road though, or will they all be cosseted by collectors and investors?

Has one actually run, looking at the way the rear chain runs on top of the suspension arm it looks doubtful. Don't much like the very wide V engine either. I wouldn't be buying one, so what I think doesn't matter in the great scheme of things.

email (option): iandot clare1at virgin dotnet

You're never going to be the King of England either Ian (nor me) but that needn't stop you having a view on the Monarchy... ...Ian

Me & Baza57 were there, only thing I got for me WM20 was some paint, got a really, and I mean REALLY, cheap set of silencers for me Moto Guzzi..

Then went for a mooch around that show, and see that Brough..! BLIMEY, only used this word on a motorcycle once before, and I LOVE all bikes. But after seeing that I'll have to use it AGAIN, HIDEOUS..! There, I've said it, so that's two bikes I've seen this year that I think are HIDEOUS, the new Guzzi 1400 California, and now that Brough thing...

And WHY call it a Brough..? Isn't George Brough DEAD..? Why do they do that, why not simply call it by whoever made it, or give it a name, so it's COMPLETELY New. Something like, the Hideous Brain Dead, a bike for the hard of thinking..

If anyone's interested, this will answer a lot of the questions. We've just put a large feature up on Sump regarding the new Brough. Some details images too.

http://www.sumpmagazine.com/classicbikenews/december-2013/brough-superior-ss100-uk-launch.htm

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

The 'Sump' article was an interesting read...

Unfortunately the more I see of this bike the less I like it..French engine, built in France, bizarre styling and no real connection in any meaningful way with the Brough Superior company, country of origin or designs...(And I don't believe the engine was built specifically for this project..NOBODY would have deliberately designed an 88 degree V Twin for a modern Brough remake!!!)

Badge engineering at its finest for the wealthy 'fashionista'....

I'd put it in the same category as the Honda engined American 'Vincent' relaunch (now happily dead in the water)...and the pending and laughable Ariel relaunch...also with a Honda engine by coincidence...

We won't mention the BSA Gold SR 500...Oh, I did...That was the Yamaha engined 'BSA Gold Star' (sacrilege)...Also, happily, now defunct...

Yes, I know we now live in a global marketplace (where the word 'problem' doesn't exist) but...call me old fashioned...I think if you're going to relaunch an iconic British make you should...well...start with a British manufactured engine at least, not just a name you bought.

This could really have been created anywhere by any 'design house' that took the time to think about it....Pass me that Ducati engine and a Rudge transfer...I can feel a relaunch coming on... ...Ian

I would try to redress the balance slightly by saying that the bike does't seem to be a parts bin special in the conventional sense. Most of the machine is obviously excellently engineered from top quality materials, the forks are a work of art, but put it all together in that package and it just doesn't seem to work at all and the less said about that engine the better. I wonder what George Brough would make of it?

At least the weight, if correct, looks sensible at 395lbs...Most modern manufacturers have forgotten the virtues of low weight in a motorcycle design ...Ian

After buying a new tyre for my red hunter (the old one was down to .5mm and only 50 years old) Shaun and me crossed the road to "the Jubilee" and tucked into gammon egg n chips,washed down with a pint of London Pride, a perfc end to a good day
P.S That Brough remake was awfull! even a V max is better looking