The Richard Mille x Brough Superior RMB01 is a Rolling Work of Art

Richard Mille has long been involved in the world of Formula One, continuing to sponsor both Ferrari and McLaren, as well as a few of their drivers over the years, from Felipe Massa to Charles Leclerc. While the Swiss watchmaker has put its name on the livery of several racing machines over the years, it has never collaborated on producing an actual vehicle. Until now. Enter: the Brough Superior RMB01, a hand-built racing bike made in partnership with the historic manufacturer. 

Handmade in Brough Superior’s Toulouse workshops, the RMB01 features various Richard Mille-inspired details. Based on the same engine used across Brough Superior’s range, it comes with an entirely bespoke bodywork, said to be drawn from Board Trackers, which first raced on wooden tracks in the US in the early 1910s. Richard Mille himself worked closely with the CEO of Brough, Thierry Henriette, over a period of eighteen months. A total of twelve different designs were suggested, but it was the Board Tracker silhouette that stuck. With its slim, sculpted tank, minimalist seat and skeletonised design, it’s a direct reference to Richard Mille’s signature aesthetic. 

Brough Superior employed materials that have become synonymous with Richard Mille: forged carbon fibre was used for the frame, while titanium and billet aluminium can be found throughout. Many of the engine parts were cut from solid blocks of aluminium, while the alloys feature a unique split cage design in homage to RM’s tourbillons.

While it’s tempting to just jump on and go, the RMB01 is a track-only machine, and thus not legal to coast down the public roads in around the Brough Superior factory in Toulouse. I can ride the brand’s SS100 though, which is a modern update on the original SS100, first released over a hundred years ago in 1924. With classic styling and an aggressive riding position, the new SS100 is a commanding bike itself. Its look and feel recalls earlier models than the RMB01. Its V-twin engine has 102 bhp in standard tune, lending the machine a serious performance on road, with a gurgling roar that propels you forward with dramatic urgency. A big part of the Brough’s appeal is its look, an aspect of motorcycling culture I’m very much into. For my own, I opt for Goldtop’s trusty 1959 leather jacket, vintage Levi’s denim and Solovair boots as a tribute to the bike’s vintage appeal.

Riding back into the workshop’s car park, the RMB01 is on display. The engine, which has been tuned to produce 130 bhp, fires up, the bespoke racing exhaust producing a savage note. It is a rolling work of art, just as beautiful to look at as it is exciting to listen to. When you look closely, you start to appreciate the little details: the dials, developed by Richard Mille, are fully mechanical; the seat features a layer of woven leather stitched down on top of the padded leather beneath it, and the carbon frame wraps satisfyingly around the tank, exposing the beautifully finished V-twin. While not entirely necessary, these details are a big part of what makes the RMB01 such a special machine. With only 150 produced, costs start from €200,000.