It’s a long, long way from the Confederate Wraith – the bike that together with some tidying-up of the Hellcat established JT Nesbitt’s design credentials on the world stage – and if I’m totally honest, I’m still getting my head round it, but the Bienville Legacy using a Motus ‘Baby Block’ V4 motor has taken him into a whole new realm. And it’s coming to Goodwood, to the Festival of Speed on 25-28th June 2015, to take on the hill climb.
“Born from Bienville Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana, the JT Nesbitt-designed Legacy has been in development for over three years and is widely acknowledged as one of the finest examples of two-wheeled design ever produced.
“The Legacy advances motorcycle design with patented suspension leveraging one composite leaf-spring with the engine mounted at its centre. Carbon-composite blades allow for rake and trail adjustment for the first time on a production motorcycle.
“Three concept models have been produced to-date, establishing an exquisite bill of materials in titanium, carbon fibre, leather, and mahogany. Powered by the American-made 1650cc Motus V4 engine, production models will be supercharged and provide up to 300bhp.
You will possibly recognise the composite Girder fork up front, but the rest is typically JT pushing the boundaries as he did with the Wraith, where he re-imagined motorcycle technology coming from aircraft roots rather than a bicycle with an engine in the middle. Make of it what you will, but the imagination and the quality of the execution is staggering.