Another Level

You take an idea and then add bits here and there to make it even better. Only, in this case, doing that is far from straightforward.

- Alan Cathcart

All examples of the born-again Brough built so far have been the SS100 sportbike, whose retro styling clearly marks it out as a descendant of the pre-war SS100, the world’s first Superbike.

This, we know.

But until now, what nobody knew was how Step Two of the modern Brough story would pan out. Unveiled at the EICMA Milan Show last November, the Pendine Sand Racer is a new Brough, as new as they come. And in the cold light of day it’s as different from the SS100 as... well, not chalk (but) let’s say Wensleydale from Cheddar.

The name is instant homage – back in the 1920s the Pendine (named after the seven mile stretch of south coast Wales) name was used on all Brough’s customer racebikes, made on a bespoke basis for wealthy customers and certified to be capable of over 110mph as opposed to the mere ‘ton’ of the road-legal SS100.

And no, these two Broughs aren’t the same save for a cosmetic twist here and there... think of this to the SS100 as the Ducati Monster of the Panigale. Yes, that different.

Let’s start with the exhausts. On the Pendine these have been switched over to the leftside of the bike, compared to the quite different, more functional-looking SS100’s pair of standalone pipes on the right.

The Pendine’s other significant differences compared to the SS100 include different-diameter wheels compared to the retro-style pair of 18-inchers on the sportbike, though steering geometry remains unchanged. On the Pendine, these ultra-lightweight CNC-machined 16-spoke forged aluminium items feature a 19-inch front shod with a skinny 120/70R19 Continental ContiAttack 2 on its 3.50in wheel, and a 170/60 cover on the 17-inch rear’s 4.50in rim.