1928 Brough Superior Overhead 680 Project

• Present family ownership since the 1960s
• Original frame, fuel tank, and gearbox
• Non-original engine (believed to be a factory replacement)
• Dismantled and stored some time ago

With the SS80 and SS100 well established by the mid-1920s, it was decided to add a smaller and cheaper alternative to these two 1,000cc models to the Brough Superior range. JAP was already producing a 674cc sidevalve v-twin engine and this unit, redesigned to accommodate overhead valves, went into Brough's new 'Overhead 680'. First shown to the public at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1926, the 'Miniature SS100', as George Brough called it, entered production for 1927. The new middleweight Brough was an instant success and for the 1930 season was joined by a version to higher specification. First seen at the 1929 Motorcycle Show, the newcomer was dubbed 'Black Alpine 680', a reference to the lavishly equipped SS100 Alpine Grand Sports and the fact that the newcomer boasted a distinctive all-black eggshell finish. Principal mechanical difference from the standard Overhead 680 was the adoption of the patented Draper sprung frame. The introduction of a cheaper Brough styled along SS100 lines would prove to be a shrewd move on George's part: sales were healthy and over 11 years of production 547 were sold, of which it is estimated that only some 127 survive in complete condition.
This Overhead 680 has belonged to the same family since the 1960s. The Brough has been dry stored in its current dismantled condition for some time and is offered as a restoration project. The machine was inherited by the current vendor when his stepfather passed away in 2001; not being a motorcyclist, he feels now is the right time to part with the Brough.

A Brough Superior Club letter on file states that the original registration was 'DK 4792' (a Rochdale mark) and lists known owners back to 1938. The machine retains its original frame, fuel tank, and gearbox. The engine is not the original as per the Works Record Card; however, it is believed to be a factory replacement installed within a few months of the machine's initial dispatch. The current engine must have been in place by 1949, as it is recorded in the accompanying continuation logbook issued that year (describing the Brough as a 'Cycle & Sidecar'). Additional paperwork includes a current V5C and an old-style V5. It should be noted that the frame and engine numbers in the V5C have been transposed; furthermore, the V5C does not record the 'GTOY/C' engine number prefix. Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's originality, completeness and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
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