Lawrence's bike

**Chill** · 15th July 2007, 09:09

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

**klingon** · 15th July 2007, 10:25

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

**Chill** · 15th July 2007, 11:29

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** · 15th July 2007, 12:41

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

**Chill** · 15th July 2007, 13:28

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

**kneescraper** · 15th July 2007, 14:07

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

**gijoe1313** · 15th July 2007, 14:10

Now that is a work of artificing art and mechanical brilliance...

I think if I had one of those now, I would be riding it all the time ...

But ATGATT ...

**Hitcher** · 15th July 2007, 14:13

No prisoners!

**DougB** · 15th July 2007, 17:52

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** · 15th July 2007, 21:35

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** · 16th July 2007, 00:01

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

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** · 16th July 2007, 07:00

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** · 16th July 2007, 07:19

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

**kerfufflez** · 16th July 2007, 12:49

Originally Posted by Chill

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.