+- Austinsevenfriends (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum)
+-- Forum: Austin Seven Friends Forum (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Forum chat... (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Thread: Brough Superior (/showthread.php?tid=2673)
Pages:
1
2
RE: Brough Superior - Tony Press - 20-04-2019
The 'Austin Seven Companion' has a good article on the four cylinder Austin Seven engine 'Brough Superior Four' by G Gordon May 1969 starting on page 14.
It seems the original radiator design shown in the cutaway above was changed to a more open set up with a round tank and water pump following cooling problems.
They were apparently built from 1933 using a standard Seven engines bored to 800cc.
As shown the other earlier four cylinder Broughs were not fitted with Austin Seven engines.
Wikipedia has an entry broadly agreeing with this -
"George Brough considered the four-cylinder engine ideal for a motorcycle, given its smooth running and potential for greater horsepower than a single or twin-cylinder engine of the same capacity. Brough Superior had already revealed two prototype 4-cylinder machines before 1932, using an air-cooled sidevalve V-4 built in-house (1927), and an air-cooled inline sidevalve 4 developed by Motosacoche (1928).[3] While these prototypes were never built in series, they generated tremendous attention at shows and in the press . In 1930, George Brough considered using an engine already in production, in this case the well-developed Austin 4-cylinder sidevalve, water-cooled motor of 747cc. Brough increased the engine displacement by a 50 cc to 797 cc and added a light alloy 'sports' cylinder head for more horsepower. George Brough claimed a significant increase in the Austin's power output, but, as The Motor Cycle magazine observed, this was a luxury motorcycle intended for use with a sidecar, not a sports machine"
RE: Brough Superior - Steve Hainsworth - 20-04-2019
The Austin - engined Brough-Superior that Simon refers to was purchased by my then Boss Len Southward on one of his frequent trips to England. I do remember it being un-crated in our staff car-park and witnessed its first trials about the factory.
This would have been in the late 1970s.
I was given the chance to ride it and found it a bit of a handful with the gear-change under the seat.
My memory is that Len paid 1500 pounds for it which was a lot of money then ( more than 2 years of apprentices wages ).
It is definitely one of the original bikes made and is still in excellent condition.
Worth lots more than 2 years apprentice wages now I fear !
RE: Brough Superior - Tony Press - 21-04-2019
I would very much doubt the £150,000 bike below is even vaguely related to the genuine Brough Superior 4 Cylinder Austin Seven engined bike.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1089545