A couple of years ago, JT Nesbitt released the first drawings of a new motorcycle, looking more like a fantasy concept, it was hard to believe it would ever be built, let alone look anything like what he envisioned. Yet here we are, two years later and the Bienville Legacy Superbike, has been built, three of them, in fact, looking just like the drawings we were originally shown.
It’s not sport bike or touring bike, it’s not cruiser or cafe racer, it’s something altogether different. There’s obvious DNA from earlier Nesbitt designs, but it’s truly in a class by itself. Powered by a 185 hp naturally aspirated Motus V4 (300+ hp supercharged version optional), suspended by a single composite leaf spring, it is a bike JT Nesbitt wanted to build without restrictions and he did.
JT Nesbitt is a designer and builder with his own ideas, going against the grain and often in entirely new directions, but whatever he builds, you can be sure it won’t be commonplace and, with this build, he doesn’t disappoint.
Press release follows:
Bienville Legacy Superbike by JT Nesbitt Unveiled
Three 4-cylinder motorcycles commissioned by the American Design and Master-Craft Initiative (ADMCi) prove a new business model for innovation, allowing a world-famous designer to achieve his penultimate work.
CHICAGO – October 27, 2014 – Bienville Studios, a design and engineering shop out of New Orleans specializing in motorcycle innovation, announced today the completion of its commission with the American Design and Master-Craft Initiative (ADMCi). This work completes two years of active design and fabrication on the heels of over eight years planning and design exploration. The result is an entirely new vehicle, reinventing how motorcycles function from the ground up.
Break-through suspension design and steering integration have already earned patent coverage with applications pending in bike setup and geometry. The look of the bike itself is a superb combination of form following function, establishing a visual design language unique to JT Nesbitt and his home in New Orleans.
Nesbitt notes, “I’ve waited a long time to make a design statement like this and I’m proud to be doing it in partnership with ADMCi. It would not have been possible without the extraordinary help and life-long friendships I’m so fortunate to have in this industry.â€
Jim Jacoby, the founder and CEO of ADMCi, the sponsoring organization, adds, “As our first commission, it was crucial that the master-craftsman we engaged ‘hit it out of the park.’ There is no doubt JT’s accomplishment will advance our messages of universal design principles and the critical need for master-craftsmanship as a technological, economic, and cultural driver.â€
Links: Bienville Studios – ADMCi
motoTrooper says
Wow.
I can totally see this succeeding like a four foot tall, three hundred pound cheerleader. Probably really strong (given the engine) but I don’t think that alone is going to change my mind about superficial things like aesthetics and beauty. Maybe time to lay off the ‘fat tuesdays’ there Nesbitt.
TJ Martin says
The French idiom Jolie Laide [ ugly/beautiful ] fits this as well as every other bike JT has ever had a hand in . Which is to say .. the aesthetics are there in spades if you can get beyond the common place , overly homogenized and the very mundane .
But love it or hate it .. there is no doubt that unlike almost every other designer/custom builder/manufacture out there … JT Nesbit is all in on pushing the envelope to the extreme .
The only real question being … How long till the rest of the World finally catches up to the likes of JT ? In light of most that I read online … a very long time indeed … unfortunately . Seeing as how mediocrity has become todays ‘ cutting edge ‘
Larry Kahn says
For some reason LSD comes to mind…
Paul says
Roland Sands Design is “RSD”, not “LSD”: oh, wait, never mind.
TJ Martin says
For some reason … methinks thats been said going on about 100 times since this bike broke cover . So much for it being an original thought .
Kevin says
There are no limits on ugly and stupid in Self-Indulgence Land.
Paul Crowe says
OK, now that these initial, deep and thoughtful comments are out there, how about stepping back a bit and actually looking at what JT designed and built?
Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts quickly reject anything that doesn’t fit into their mind’s image of “motorcycle” and label it as ugly or stupid or whatever other term comes to mind, many said that about the Wraith, but it isn’t uncommon to hear similar labels applied to the latest factory offerings, too, if it isn’t the preferred brand of the observer. Really?
As noted in the article, if you’re looking for ordinary or commonplace, JT isn’t your guy, but there are a lot of design features here, some of which could be applied to other designs all by themselves, and probably will be, by other designer/builders who take the time to examine this bike closely. Those bikes will ease the observer/spectator into this new thinking one bit at a time so as not to shock, while JT just does it all at once.
There are a handful of builders who really march off in new directions, incorporating new ideas that, once seen, begin to show up elsewhere, and this bike will serve the same purpose as a source for new thinking. Is this design going to sit well with everyone? Of course not, but just because it’s not to your taste, don’t let your knee jerk too quickly, you might find yourself warming up to it as time goes on.
Tom says
The Wraith wears it’s engineering on it’s sleeve, in a clean design. A famous motorcycle designer once said that if it’s engineered right, it looks right. With the Wraith, you have to dislike the engineering solutions chosen to dislike the bike.
This, by comparison, is a mash of shapes, materials and awkwardness drowning the concepts underneath. It slides too much into the pandering of the ultra-luxury-premium-lifestyle ‘I’m Different’ crowd to appeal to me I’m afraid. Bury the engineering under ostentatious bling and it loses what makes it special.
TJ Martin says
… but seriously Tom . Did you actually read the article .. or did you simply glance over it coming to what ever conclusion fit your mood at the moment ? re; All the engineering advancements on this bike . Now take a moment .. read the article .. perhaps even do a follow up on JT’s new site .. then think about what you posted today . No offense intended by the way . Just sayin is all
Roy Fileger says
I read the article. It says “The result is an entirely new vehicle, reinventing how motorcycles function from the ground up” (maybe the wheels ride on a cushion of air) with no explanation nor graphics to lend credibility to this audacious statement. Further, it states “The look of the bike itself is a superb combination of form following function, establishing a visual design language unique to JT Nesbitt and his home in New Orleans.” I get the “look” is “unique to JT Nesbitt” but form following function? Gimme a break, which form follows what function? The “look” can only be described as “barouqe” (ornate and outlandish). That’s fine if that’s what you want. I prefer to ride something simpler, lighter and more agile or an elegant machine.
Nicolas says
Baroque, not barouqe
Doug says
TJ – what “engineering” advancements are present & forthcoming?
Motorcyclist magazine had a sketch of a sportbike with a carbon fibre leaf spring suspension that suspended both ends, so this concept is not new… Neither was the exhaust in the swing arm of the Hellcat .
Being different isn’t necessarily advancing motorcycle engineering, regardless of how stagnant mass produced bikes have been since the Vincents, [Britten’s VR1000 & Mission Motors excluded which have the engineering & aesthetics that would have been successfull in mass produced numbers.]
Aesthetics in spades as you write below? Your opinion, but the market will probably say different. If you can’t deliver both engineering & market success what have you really advanced?
TJ Martin says
Amen Paul ! In spades ! As to Tom’s response … my reply to motoTrooper sums it up quite nicely !
Richard Gozinya says
It’s certainly not my cup of tea, but it is neat to look at. Partly because there’s just so much to look at. Not so much in mass as in quantity. A lot of interesting ideas, and while, like I said before, it doesn’t really appeal to me, at least not from the perspective of something I’d want to ride, I can certainly appreciate his vision, and originality.
I’d like to see more of this sort of thing. Not so much the specific design elements, as the just going nuts, and going all out. Without people like JT, the world would be a lot less interesting.
motoTrooper says
I’ll admit to being cheeky with my comment. But then Nesbitt has to admit to being cheeky with the styling choices also. I could possibly warm to its design if it were more cohesive BUT he has so much going on visually it looks more like a cut-and-paste random assembly than a whole:
-No matter how many facets, rivets, and machining he applies to the headlight unit it will still look like a dick.
-The careless (or intentional) mixing of polished and matte surfaces seems to create visual confusion. My eyes don’t amble over the details and parts, they dart about and that’s not enjoyable to me.
-The weird mixing of pointlessly busy delicate structures with massive simple monolithic shapes also creates visual imbalance.
-The leaf spring spine, cool idea but is Nesbitt so insecure about viewers acknowledging his design prowess that he needs to paint it bright red?
-Obviously a lot of ‘surface development’ has gone into this build, the carefully rounded profiles on just about everything which then dumps down into a simple square shaped jutting chin cowl unit. It seems like they just plumb ran out of inspiration at that point.
-The stupid ankle pads (Do I really need to say anything more?) Maybe they’re hiding something even uglier.
-How many brass rivets do you need to spell ‘bespoke’?
-The proportions of the bike make the wheels look tiny. It looks like a scooter. Scooters are fine but I don’t want my motorcycle to resemble one.
-Those mirrors aren’t helping
It SEEMS to me that Nesbitt is throwing out an expensive pile and daring people to call him out. BTW I really, really liked the Wraith. If his stuff was sensibly priced I’d have been tempted to overextend myself financially for one.
Dynadog says
I enjoyed the exercise in creativity and the blank page creation that resulted in this M/C! Different indeed! Bravo!
Bob says
Not my style, but it IS style. It is obvious that lots of thought and work went into these. ‘Tis a shame that those 2 things aren’t in fashion right now. It is refreshing to see in a time of “Wrap & Braaap” / custom bike of the day nonsense vomited out daily by middle aged petticoat flouncing webmasters promoting laziness as restraint to well groomed sheep.
Where this bike is posted – and where it isn’t – says an awful lot about the motorcycle media.
JR says
There are a lot of beautifully crafted vehicles out there. This is one of them, but, like so many others, it fails the test. I simply ask: “Would I want it out there in my garage, begging me to go for a ride?” The answer in this case is definitely no. Sorry, try again.
blackbird says
Someone please explain the cooling system. Can’t see anything on their website about it, either. Thanks.
K-Moe says
It’s water-cooled, with the radiator mounted under the engine. IIRC there is a thin fan to help with airflow.
Klaus says
Innovation, design, new thinking, new direction, breakthrough, integration, form following function – that may be all well and good but when the final result doesn’t please the eye – what’s the use?
To me it looks as if the engine is a big, strong magnet and all kinds of parts are sticking to it, and someone threw a horse saddle on top of it.
Seriously, would you ride this 185 hp bike?
That it even comes with 300 hp doesn’t impress me; it just adds to the feeling that the whole thing doesn’t make sense.
This emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.
mk says
Does it have a radiator in there somewhere?
Have to agree, shapes don’t work together in most spots. I prefer something much more engineered as “a package” and not just an artist’s dream. Look at the external frame (around the gas tank/airbox) as an example. Egonomics looks like a long wheelbase and very high seat height.
For the good, it’s shinny, and colorful, and good carbon layup, and muffler/swing arm looks very good.
Nicolas says
Creativity, craftmanship and execution are word class. Most likely in a world of its own.
This may or may not (most likely not) be everybody’s taste, but that’s not the point.
Excellent. Let’s hope this man keeps on exploring and building.
Tanshanomi says
I don’t the busyness of a lot of the details, and I can’t see myself ever wanting it, but it’s interesting, and the workmanship seems impressive. And unlike a lot of custom bikes today, it seems reasonably functional and practical to ride.
Not my bag, but bravo for having a fresh vision and successfully turning it into metal!
Giolli Joker says
It is definitely interesting, but I won’t judge it until there will be an unbiased road test, especially regarding the performance of the innovative “suspension” that so far to me looks like a modern interpretation of springs between saddle and frame…
The aesthetic design is appealing when you focus on some details (e.g. front-light+dashboard “tube”) but the full picture screams overdone to me… the first thought that came into my mind was “a motorcycle made by Spyker”.
Doug says
“… you might find yourself warming up to it as time goes on.”
Never.
Overhyped. Again.
Over Datop says
The individual parts are outstanding. A nice change from the usual Harley. Sure it’s a work of art and it would be nice to view it close up.
Paulinator says
This is the result when a mechanical bull flies off its gimbal and rear-ends a milk pail. Sorry.
J. Bennet says
I love it! So much interesting experimentation going on there. I am very interested in the fact that all 4 “blades” (2 fork blades, 2 swingarm blades) are all the same part. That is clever design. The leaf spring chassis is unique to me, somebody will prove me wrong, but I’ve never seen anything like it. I bet it is tunable to different riders with thickness. The saddle is ingenious (if not a bit strange in color)- what the hell is the modern motorcycle seat about anyway? Guys riding horses and camels for thousands of years optimized the seating position and it works great. I love when somebody thinks outside the box and tries new stuff. GO JT!