More than a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing split between Confederate Motorcycles and some of their previous employees. One well known name often associated with Confederate is that of designer J.T. Nesbitt, especially well known for the Wraith, a model that caught everyone a bit off guard with its very unique look and refreshing ideas about what an American motorcycle should be. The development of the Wraith has since been carried on by Confederate Motorcycles at their new home in Birmingham, Alabama and it has every indication of carrying the Confederate name forward as an American company building truly world class machines.
J.T. Nesbitt and former Confederate employee Dave Hargreaves, have since moved on and they’ve begun a new design company located in the French Quarter of New Orleans called Bienville Studios. It’s a lot of work getting a new company started and both J.T. and Dave divide their time between regular jobs and the studio. The studio helps focus their efforts and applies their talents designing motorcycles with ideas that could work well for a variety of motorcycle companies worldwide and as you look through their web site you can see some of the work they’ve been doing for the past eight months along with many concepts strictly developed as Bienville designs with nothing else in mind other than the creation of world class motorcycles in their own right.
One of their ideas that I believe has a lot of potential is the Bienville Motorbike, a modular motorcycle where the buyer has the ability to choose from five different body-styling kits, Café Racer, Touring, Dual-Sport, Bobber, and Standard. All body pieces are interchangeable which reduces production costs and yet allows maximum flexibility, even after purchase, the customer could have an entirely new motorcycle with the purchase of a new kit. Nice.
The Benelli Concept is firmly rooted in the big twin, great handling muscle bike idea we like so much around The Kneeslider. It combines a multitude of international design elements into a bike with a distinctly American flavor.
But the most interesting design from Bienville Studios is the Ghost (seen above), an inline 4 cylinder, supercharged, high speed, luxury touring machine. It will never be confused with a Japanese or European design, it has, as they describe, a fiercely American look. A weld free carbon fiber frame, LED lighting, multi link front and rear suspension; another concept that will most likely knock a few designers off balance. This bike needs to be built and I sincerely hope someone with similar thoughts can help Bienville Studios bring the concept to life.
It’s great to see industrial design is once again alive and breathing in the city of New Orleans and it’s also nice to know the design ideas of J.T. Nesbitt are flowing again. Welcome back, J.T.
Link: Bienville Studios
More designs after the jump:
Benelli Concept
Bienville Motorbike
mark says
I’d love to see the modular Motorbike concept go into production — the modular idea is nice (worked well for Triumph when production restarted in the early ’90s) — but I especially love the idea of a modern 500cc single-cylinder cafe racer. That would be a really fun bike.
Ian MacLeod says
This is great. JT, I’m glad that you’ve started out on your own, I have followed all of the design articles that I saw about the Wraith, I think it is in the tradition of some of the best of American vehicle styling/dsign.
There are a few motorcycle designers whose careers that I do and have followed, Galuzzi (Ducati Monster), Tamburini (Ducati 916, MV Augusta), Terreblanche (Ducati, he’s hit and miss, either a smoking crater or a bullseye, but it’s interesting either way), Craig Vetter (BSA Hurricane), John Britten.
Keep going, you’re doing some great work.
guitargeek says
Excellent news, hang in there! You’re a source of inspiration for a lot of us out here…
hoyt says
The ghost has plans to be kick-started? Cool. Bring back some of the operator-to-machine connection.
Will this be an American shaft drive or will there be a 90 degree gearing turn?
Johnny says
There are alot of us out here in cyberspace that are pulling for JT’s and Bienville’s success. Not only for his design prowess but because of his passion for his city. Thanks for the update, keep ’em coming!
todd says
I like the idea of a 500 thumper cafe too. Too bad that’s in no one’s plans ever again. It would take a small design team like this to be able to pull it off; certainly not honda or HD. Good luck you guys.
-todd
RATTSBIKES says
I am also enamored with a big single cafe racer or even modular bike, built around a single cylinder motor, maybe the kawasaki KLR 650cc? I think if a person could get three models from one motor, a cafe racer a supermotard, and maybe a light sport tourer? I know that all of the guys I ride with would purchase such a beast, it need not be the fastest but it has to be versetile and think of it one motor three bikes?? All a person needs is to grab the motor throw it in the other frame for the next weekend ride and away you go??
Anyone else think this idea would fly?
RATS
aaron says
regarding the single modular bike…
shut up, all of you.
(you’re giving away my secret business plan 😉 )
I like the four, the rest are ok – but is that twin really called the benneli concept? why name your bike after a chinese owned italian bike maker? why not at least pick a dead manufacturer? (parilla being my pick!)
dave says
Thanks for the kind words, guys!
I suppose I should have been more specific on the Benelli Concept page… That was drawn for Benelli… We do some work for others sometimes. The 400 is the same thing.
We’re not surprised that people like the 500 single. That’s why we drew it. The 400… cool idea as well. All of these things are ideas. We have LOTS of ’em! when you guys see something you like, say so, and maybe it’ll go further…
Anyway, JT will check in sometime today I expect, and say some things as well. Thanks for the support guys!
dave
Hugo says
What could be interesting to use for the Ghost engine is the Motoczysz engine, would make for a nice American motorcycle
Zac says
Who was that 400 designed for? I love it, its exactly the type of bike I wish I could buy that is not for sale in America.
James Ramone says
Maybe I’m the only negative voice here but in order to launch new concepts wouldn’t it help to feature professionally drawn atrwork? If you look at the Confederate modular concept drawings they are 3-D, drawn on a computer and look to have some future potential. (If the seemingly never ending stream of “new capital” keeps up.)
Also the Nesbitt “My Story” blog has a ring of openness and honesty, but I don’t know if it is something that inspires confidence in either Nesbitt or the stability of Bienville Studios.
But these comments are my own, hell I’m so ate up I even think the name Confederate alienates a good portion of potential buyers.
dave says
James…
Go look at the updates on the Ghost page… you wanted “professional”? what we do is sketch, draw, paint *then* move to digital… the problem with digital work from the beginning is cash outlay… it costs $$ to do it, and re-do it over and over. we burn thru some pencils ’round here!…
thanks for looking..
dave
James Ramone says
My apologies! Should have checked your site first. Nice digital work! Would have looked good featured here.
hoyt says
JT & Dave – best of luck
hey, how much design inspiration have you gotten out of the IMME Motorcycle from the late 40’s for the Wraith & Hellcat?
It had the exhaust routed through the swingarm, arching backbone, very light weight, & pivoting front-end with single-sider
It seems to have been a bike that introduced many new & innovative concepts
“Art of the Motorcycle – Guggenheim” has a nice spread on it….
http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/brands/imme.htm
Pete S says
The other day I was musing on my blog about a modular vehicle and I used to examples of vehicles that took design to the outside edge. The Ford MA concept and the Confederate B91 Wraith. Just now I came across this site and this specific post on the whereabouts of J.T. Nesbitt. Interesting. I don’t like the term “thinking outside the box” because it smacks of MBA style nothingness. But its great to see designers approaching a motorcycle design from a whole different perspective.
Pete S says
forgot my blogsite http://www.motoproject.blogspot.com/