Aston Martin and Brough Superior Debut AMB 001 Hyperbike Motorcycle
Does sir or madame wish to have a motorcycle to go with their Valkyrie?
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Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer is a man on a mission to turn the iconic British marque into an outfit that’s ready to deliver exactly what its customers want. And whether that’s the upcoming DBX SUV, the spine-tingling Valkyrie hypercar, or a condo in Miami with a villainous lair, he’s got an upcoming product for you. Now, with motorcycle manufacturer Brough Superior, Palmer is getting Aston Martin into the two-wheeled game with the limited-edition AMB 001.
Debuting at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, the AMB 001 is a limited-edition, track-only, hyperbike that will be built in conjunction with Brough Superior. The design brief, according to Aston Martin, was ultra-lightweight and high-performance, and based on the spec sheet, the AMB 001 hits all the right notes.
At the AMB 001’s core is a turbocharged 997cc V-twin engine, the first in Brough Superior’s history. There’s a semi-dry crankcase, a 6-speed sequential manual transmission with APTC clutch, and sends power to the rear wheel, via a proper chain. The turbocharger is a variable geometry unit that reduces lag completely. An Inconel exhaust completes the package. All in, the boosted V-twin motor puts down 180 horsepower.
As you’d imagine, putting down 180 horsepower is no easy task, especially with a dry weight of just 396 pounds. To handle the power, Aston Martin and Brough Superior engineered a CNC’d aluminum backbone which bolts directly to the engine, making it a structural component, as well as a carbon fiber rear subframe with titanium interfaces. The wheels are forged aluminum with an exclusive AMB 001 design. As for the AMB 001’s suspension, the front fork features a double-wishbone design by Fior, which was also machined out of billet aluminum. The rear gets a progressive damper system with rockers.
Stuck to all the billet aluminum, carbon fiber, and turbocharged V-twin are all-carbon-fiber body panels, all of which have been hand-painted. The Oxford Tan leather seat is hand-stitched and is meant to fit the “human form” perfectly. Given the degree to which Aston Martin and Brough Superior aimed to reduce weight, even the Aston Martin wings are ultra-lightweight and sit under the painted bodywork. They’re also the same nin-micron width stainless-steel wings that the Valkyrie use.
Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman stated, “This is what we believe a cutting-edge motorcycle should be and we are very proud to see the Aston Martin wings on a motorcycle for the first time,” adding, “In addition to applying the skills we have developed for cars such as the groundbreaking Aston Martin Valkyrie we have also been able to bring our special expertise in the traditional craft techniques to this project. The finished product is a truly beautiful motorcycle; a design and engineering work of art.”
Now comes the gut punch. Like the Valkyrie, the AMB 001 isn’t going to be cheap, nor plentiful. Only 100 motorcycles will ever be hand-assembled at the Brough Superior factory in Toulouse, France, and each will carry an MSRP of 108,000 EUR. Using today’s exchange rate, each motorcycle will cost roughly $120,000. That’s one expensive motorcycle. But then again, this motorcycle shares DNA with the multi-million dollar Valkyrie, so we’re hyped.
Aston Martin says that customers will get their first taste of the AMB 001 at the end of 2020. We can’t wait.
