Lawrence's bike

[Chill]

Lawrence of Arabia's (last) motorcycle. From the Imperial War Museum, London.

[klingon]

That's cool! (It's not cool about his crash, but it's cool to be able to see his bike.)

[Chill]

Yeah the bike itself is really big. And being all black and metallic it's pretty mean looking. I didn't know bikes back then could go so fast either

[kneescraper]

What would $170 pommie money back then be worth NZD nowadays?

[Chill]

According to the calculator on 'measuringworth.com' 170 pounds in 1932 is about 8,112 pounds today, or NZ$ 21,000

[kneescraper]

Considering it was custom built thats not a bad price...

[gijoe1313]

Now that is a work of artificing art and mechanical brilliance... :drool: I think if I had one of those now, I would be riding it all the time ... :yes: But ATGATT ... :sweatdrop

[Hitcher]

No prisoners!

[DougB]

I visited a museum owner north of Dargaville some years ago (he died last week) he had a collection of vintage bikes. I lamented that he did not have a Brough. He then led me past his line of vintage cars and tracton engines and we climbed over a scout car and a valentine tank which were parked next to the wall. Here he had hidden his Brough Superior. We talked about having a Brough day, getting it out and having a ride. Unfortunatly it never happened. I had grand ideas of being able to say to others whose vintage bikes I rode.
"This is not as good to ride as a Brough Superior"

[xwhatsit]

For once, a machine worthy of it's name. Superior! Jaysus, if I were one of those errand boys out on my rounds and I saw that frightening big black animal bearing down on me I would truly piss my pants, and not with laughter. Christ! 100mph on that? Give me the crazed militant Arabian rebels any day!

I'd love to hear it go. That would shut the debaffled KR150 from Queen St up.

[Mr. Peanut]

Christ! 100mph on that? Give me the crazed militant Arabian rebels any day!.


Very stable bike reportedly. I'd be more worried about 1932 tyre design... :S

[Blackbird]

I have a book called "The Rolls Royce of Motorcycles" given to me in my last year at school which is the definitive work about Broughs. Incredibly, they also made a flat four but it was too expensive for its time. Nothing new under the sun.

[Maha]

I thought Lawry rode a camel?.....

[kerfufflez]

According to the calculator on 'measuringworth.com' 170 pounds in 1932 is about 8,112 pounds today, or NZ$ 21,000

I tried this out as well. Not too sure what I was doing, as it gave me a few different answers, (and I ran out of time to read the website properly). One of them was to do with average earnings, and it put the worth as closer to NZ$78,000.

[Chill]

Sounds more likely, I doubt they'd make a big point out of his bike being bought for $20k

[Paul in NZ]

Interestingly the 'Brough Superiour' name was up for auction this year. I wonder when we will see a chinese 'superbike' labelled such...

[pritch]

I have posted this before but it seems appropriate here...

http://telawrence.net/telawrencenet/works/the_mint/mint_3_16.htm

[janno]

Thanks for putting up that TE Lawrence link! Blasting along at those speeds without today's helmets sounds like it was most uncomfortable

I went to a bike show over the weekend here in Brisbane, and the best bike there was one of the spectators - he rode his 1927 (I think) Indian. Pretty much a rat bike in regular use, not a show pony by any means.

It started first kick after two strokes to get the compression up, and off he chuntered. Sounded like a cross between a tractor and a Harley without an exhaust.

It looks a bag of bastards to try and get it around corners, he was navigating it very carefully through the crowd to get to the road and it looked bloody hard work. It was really noticeable just by looking at it how awkward and lumbering the handling was compared to today's bikes. Amazing what 80 years of technology will do!

I'd hate to ride that thing through heavy Brisbane city traffic but he obviously copes just fine.