Fit For A Lord! The Forgotten Classic British Motorcycle 

If only I was born a Lord instead of devastatingly handsome I would have started an unsuccessful British Motorcycle company too Thanks for the history lesson Phil.

Mick Broom was R&D man and test rider for Hesketh. Broom Devolopment Engineering owned the Hesketh name, made and repaired bikes and operated out of the old stables at Easton Neston for years. I recall Mick telling me that he rode a V1000 around MIRA at about 140mph. The reason the production bikes didn't do this speed was due to a new European noise limit imposed before it was in production. The Hesketh was too noisy, so they had to set about strangling it. IIRC Meriden Triumphs were also too noisy, but they were already in production so they were exempt. The Hesketh had to comply and was 'detuned' to meet the new noise regulations. There is also the rumour that Hesketh were 'inspired' by Japanese shaft drives, some say the bike was going to be a shaftie until BMW sued Yamaha for infringement of patent, so it quickly became a chain drive. Regardless of what the bumf the commentator is reading says, Hesketh V1000's were fitted with Dell Orto carbs, not AMAL. I was told that Hesketh wanted the bike to be All English, but the suppliers would only supply in large quantities, so Brembo brakes, Honda clocks, Marzocchi forks and rear shocks were fitted because they could buy these in smaller quantities. People have queued up to tell me what a pile of poo my Hesketh is. "How long did you have yours? is my usual question. The usual answer is: "I've never owned one, nor have I ever ridden one, but everyone knows....." It's always interesting that people can be so against a bike that they have never ridden simply by reading something about it in a magazine, or 'My mate Dave told me and he should know....' What the V1000 is good at is touring. 70mph @3,500rpm and she'll do that all day without any problems whatsoever. I did it with fully loaded Krauser panniers, a top rack with tent, camping gear and my wife on the pillion. Rider and pillion were both very comfortable. Mine has been over the continent a few times quite happily and very comfortably. Someone will soon be along to tell me that I am wrong (that usually happens) but it does seem that buying a Hesketh meant you might get a good one or a not so good one. Mine is a good one since the gearbox is just fine, it has never leaked oil nor had any of the problems that other bikes have had. Magazines in those days praised bikes made by companies that spent a lot on advertising with Lord EMAP, double praise so if it was faster than last years model (and don't mention the rubber frame and ornamental brakes), and decried everything else. This is all in my cynical opinion of course, but I have at least I own one, have ridden miles on it and my opinion is based on empirical knowledge, which trumps everything else.

As a Motorcycle Mechanic I had the dubious pleasure of riding one, as the The Kawasaki dealer I worked for thought he could make some money out of them. I can still hear that "Clunky" box and feel the engine vibration today !!

" The Forgotten Classic" You're making me feel old. I remember the Hesketh when it was new. Not to ride, just wondered/lusted at in the mags as a spotty yoof. I bought Bike for the same reasons as you (first stop always Ogri). Best wishes from... Another forgotten British classic

Thanks Wobbly Phil - another fantastic video! Friend of mine actually scraped together enough pennies to buy one when they came out. We were all in deep awe. Lost touch decades ago - hope he still has it! There was a press photo done of a Triumph-badged Hesketh in front of the Meriden plant ... oh what might have been. Of course now there's another bike on my 'want' list along with the CBX and Jota. And as for Ogri - we all know that's why we bought Bike magazine, as the publishers found out when they nearly went out of business because they - briefly - decided they couldn't afford the services of Mr. Sample!

I remember around 1983, Steve Rhodes Motorcycles in Bradford broke up a brand new Hesketh V1000 for parts, Rhodes himself said that he could make more money selling it as parts than he could selling it as a complete motorcycle. After it was stripped I remember seeing the Hesketh's beautiful nickel plated frame on the floor of Rhodes parts department.

Dont change anything Phils (just read another comment)This is fuggin perfect

Many years ago I was at Gus Kuhn Motorcycles and there was a silver Hesketh V1000 in the showroom, I was highly tempted to purchase it as the price was good and the bike looked fantastic but eventually reason overcame emotion and I bought a 750 Commando instead which I never regretted for an instant as that Commando was an utterly brilliant machine!. However, I still find myself thinking about that Hesketh to this day and wondering if it would have worked out..

Thanks for this. First time I'd thought of the Hesketh in many years. Always wanted one but then reports started coming out about reliability, top heavy, gearboxes with "character" and clattery motors. So in my first dive into "superbikes" I bought an Italian bike with all the same characteristics; a 180 Jota. But loved that big old triple and the 180 was the first of several of Breganze's finest I owned. Still wish the Hesketh had succeeded though and I'd had one.

Good on the Baron - he gave us a story as well as a handsome motorcycle.

I'm still wanting a Spagthorp and now a family crest thing with a chicken head as an emblem. Definitely a must have. I'll bet that horder Leno has 3 of each in a fallout shelter somewhere.

Another enjoyable episode. In 1980 I was but a spotty teenager riding an FS1E. Dread to think what print publications I had stashed then The lord certainly knew how to spend money! Don't think I've seen one of those bikes on the road

In 1980 I went to Australia for 25yrs, & within a yr & a half I had bought a 1982 Laverda Jota, lovely machine, came back here ( Wales) in 2005, & a couple of years ago I bought a Harley-Davidson Fatboy lo Special, the ' flying brick ' as I call it, always used to buy Bike magazine, they had great road tests , all the best 👍

Good video. I remember drooling over those in the magazines.

Thanks for reminding us.

Used to see a Red one by us most Days of the working week, going back years now, always remember the Growl out of her.....SUPERB, Style Wise honestly, they looked Good.🇬🇧

I'm a simple man, I see a Hesketh I click

The Astralite wheels were quite innovative. I used to make motorcycle luggage racks ("Custom Carriers") in a kind of similar fashion & yes, I did make one for a Hesketh - anodised black to match the wheels.

Your still doing something right....I had all bike mags....the adverts were like yesterday....Malcom on the bus were the fella couldnt find his change..one of tge funniest things ever.Motorcycle Mechanics my dad used to buy...cyclemag HD adverts wow. Hesketh I sussed were shite pretty much from the start.So excited when they appeared. They couldnt get the oil pressure right. Paul Sample Genius

As a 'Murcan who remebers them I'm odd, but I never rode it, just admired the beauty, in a dank warehouse in SF, CA a long time ago....

Just what the British Motorcycle industry needed...RIP. Not as if it wasn't obvious what was.....

Saw 2 parked next to each other at a pub meet years ago never seen one since.

Serviced one as a young man working at St Luke's motorcycles in Southport .

There’s one comes to our local bike night, takes place on the road where I live!

Brilliant motorcycle I sadly sold mine in the spring after many years…smooth and nice riding machines and reliable !! Sold as just too large for me now …don’t elect the rubbish about gearbox it’s similar to a BMW of the era…just take it gently

Cool bike! If you'd like to see more classics, watch the great Hammer horror film, Pychomania. Biker witches and their cool pact and creepy stone circle. Enjoyed the video! TKS.

so cool, carry on.

Great video man Thanks

Hesketh, most British motorcycles were easily affordable, the Hesketh was priced like a Vincent Black Shadow,the british failed to keep pace with technical developments like electric start and disk brakes,and maybe liquid cooling,plus it was difficult to find a dealership that dealt with British Motorcycles.

Went to see an M20 for sale over in Chichester around 1982. There was a bike bike with a sheet over it in the garage with the beeza. What’s that we asked? A black hesketh. The only one o ever saw. Probably had a fckd gearbox though. The m20 was too much money so my mate didn’t get it, but ended up with a running one ,more local , for £150.

If my memory can be trusted were Weslake involved in the engine design? Never seen one on the road, only in museums. But enough of that, let's get back to Ogri!

Not sure if my memory is playing up but wasn't Cosworth involved in the engine design? I seem to recall that Hesketh Engineering was refurbishing DFV engines.

Its an odd crest, is it not? A cockerel as a brand logo?

IIRC the engine was based on a CCM 500 x'er. It was a high end parts bin special. More of a lash up than a contemporary Brough or Vincent.

the proper form of address of a baron is 'Your Grace', I believe.

OMG, thanks for reminding me, I was a shareholder (in a small way), oh well we all tried??

They were beautiful but the press slaughtered it over the gearbox.

On the irreverence of Bike Magazine which was also my favourite at the time… Anyone remember the infamous “Honda Goldwank” road test that lost them Honda’s advertising for..I dunno…a while!

Why you'd have the Hesketh coat of arms on the tank facing backwards is beyond me.

A very good friend of mine, based in Johannesburg, but now, sadly, deceased, owned the only Hesketh on the African continent. What happened to it after he died, I have no idea.

Don't mind me, I'm just here to feed the algorithm...

I was a bike test rider back in the early 80s. Worked for MC Enthusiast magazine among others. I came accross one of these awful bikes when they were road testing a couple of pre production bikes. Oil leakage and blown fuses were the least of the problems with them. Sounded like a bag of nails on tick over. The riders weren't that impressed with the handling either. People bought shares, Lord H

Very Ducati inspired. Tank looks like a BMW . Brilliant design but not the right delivery.

I wondered where my (14yo) got a tattoo machine from... :D

ACE CASTINGS RUGBY. When I worked there we did the original castings, and as a foot note Puma drag racing parts for Pete Davis.

Damn the moment I saw Lucas electricals , i knew the bike must be damp squib with lots of problems. All i could hear in my mind was 'Lucas , The prince of darkness'🤣 And it surely was . I am not British but i have seen some documentaries on the rise and fall of British motorcycling industry hence i am familiar with Lucas electricals 😂. Anyway if Lord Hesketh had emoloyed some Motorcycle engineers with need to succeed then he would have made this into a success. And Back in those days japanese Mikuni carbs were popular in sports bikes . He could have used them. But he was a proud stubborn Brit with misunderstood notion about what works and what doesn't work . That's why it didn't work despite his best of intentions.

Well I have owned one of these bikes, the last run of upgraded bikes had the EN-10 Package, EN-10 was the worst 10 faults fixed. These are identifiable by the oil feed banjo at the top R/H rear of the cam covers. Mine was red with black wheels. The exhaust note sounds terrible, mufflers need to be opened up. Certainly look good. What next time will tell.

I managed to test ride one and found it okay but it ran out of puff on inclines. Not what I expected of a V twin.

It's weird. For all of its sophistication, cams, valves, and displacement it simply didn't perform. Motorcycle testers at that day remarked on its total lack of low-end torque and disappointing acceleration for its displacement. Beautiful bike, though.

I could never understand why it had a very long single chain to drive both cylinder banks of this Weslake influenced engine

But it does look stunning.............at least

I seem to remember the motorcycle critics moaning about a gearbox full of neutral's

Its not forgotten like his formula one team and driver to be world champion James Hunt

The idea of reviving a vintage British motorcycle brand which was notorious for an expensive and faulty machine seems even more brilliant than the Brexit.

I nearly bought one!.. Instead I bought a Ducati 900ss.. They were about the same price at the time.. The Ducati was a pile of crap.. mostly build quality issues. So I wish I had bought the Hesketh instead..

Last I heard they were powered by a Harley motor.

Heskeths were a great concept but seriously flawed in execution.

Well. like so many before, he tried.

Did he source his engines from Ducati, or just steal their plans...

CRAP ENGINE DESIGNER NEVER TOLD PISTON SUPPLIER THAT ENGINE ROTATOES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HUGE ISSUE OF PISTON SLAP FROM BRAND NEW.

Your just never gonna catch up to Hesketh are you. He'll always be 5 years older than you, won't he.

There was absolutely nothing Classic about the Hesketh,...if you stand it next to a Ducati 900SS or a Moto Guzzi 850 leMan that were manufactured in the same period...

I wish you'd do a natural commentary instead of this text to speech style.

Name may reappear on a Chinese Bike.

I always viewed Vtwins as old school mediocre bikes and still do. Most of them are overweight, clunky poor handling machines.

Horrible bikes, I had the misfortune of riding one back in the day I'm sure the gearbox came from a tractor.

The Hesketh had a rotten gearbox and the engine rotated backwards. Daft as.

Lose the background music.