The AMB 001 turbo bike, the uber-exclusive love-child of Aston Martin and Brough Superior, is no longer just a concept; they’ve built 30 of them, and delivered them to customers all over the world.
When the AMB 001 was unveiled back in November 2019, it was one of those things that I never actually expected to see in the wild. And in all fairness, thanks to the fact that they’re only actually building 100 models, I’m probably still not going to see one in the wild. But they do exist. And by the sounds of it, they’re pretty bloody trick.
The 997cc V-twin is a Brough-built motor which, with it’s turbocharger, makes 183hp. We haven’t seen any official torque figures yet, but I’d expect them to be pretty healthy.
And the motor is bolted to a brand new, mega-lightweight carbon fibre monocoque chassis, meaning the whole bike weighs just 185kg. That’s really close to a 1:1 power to weight ratio, so this thing’s going to be fast, certainly in litre sportsbike territory.
Supercar to Superbike
Apparently they’ve taken inspo from Aston Martin’s modern supercar line-up, but it looks to me like someone in the design office has been watching too many sci-fi films. It doesn’t look like an actual motorbike that people would genuinely buy to ride on a track, does it? And if you did want to ride it on track, with (by the looks of it) zero wind protection, I can imagine you’d have a sore neck before long.
As you’d expect, there’s loads of shiny chrome bits, and it’s dripping with carbon fibre. As you’d also expect, it’s not cheap. I suppose it is an Aston Martin, after all. It’ll cost you €90,000 (about £83,000) if you fancy one. You’ll also need to be quick, because they’ve already sold 90 of them (out of 100).
Brough boss
Brough Superior President, Thierry Henriette said:
“We are happy to have met our performance targets, with a power output of 183hp and a dry weight of 185kg. AMB 001 is an original track bike that stirs the senses and delivers on performance. It impresses with its permanently available engine torque, power that can be felt from the first rotation of the throttle. It reassures with its powerful braking and a stable chassis, which allows late braking. The characteristic whistle of the turbo completes the unique presence of this extraordinary motorcycle.”
Interested?
3 responses
I know that I am supposed to be amazed and in awe of this creation, but just like another 1500hp supercar, it leaves me cold and vaguely depressed.
It looks like a child drew it up, with the same concessions to practicality, or even use, that would be derided in a custom bike. I presume it is track-use only, thus saving the manufacturer from any messy details, regarding noise and emissions, that actual motorcycle manufacturers have to contend with. Manufacturers who produce ranges of superb, reliable, supremely rideable machines, fit for track and road alike.
Seems to me that Aston have missed a trick with this. They could have produced a version with no engine or gearbox internals to save weight, thus making it easier to move around the lounge when hoovering.
Let’s see a stock one finish the Bol d’Or. I might be more impressed and inclined to believe it has any relevance to motorcycling.
Rant over.
Martin Gooch
Looked at some pics of the finished bikes and I love it. The phone screen dash thing is the only thing I don’t care for but the rest of it is killer.
Its great that it exists but there’s something not quite right with the design? Its like the fairing doesn’t seem to work with the exposed detailing of the engine, seems a bit confused? In a way it reminds me of the Lotus bike but the Lotus managed to get it right, the minimal full fairing was a masterpiece of design. Cheers