Hesketh Motorcycles

Lord Hesketh planned to revive the British Motorcycle Industry, owner of the Hesketh Formula One Grand Prix team he wanted to use those skills and facilities to do so. The motorcycle was designed at his Easton Neston Estate using a Weslake engine V-Twin V-1000. This was the first British built bike to have double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. After looking for and finding no one to manufacture his design he formed Hesketh Motorcycles plc. and built a factory for the purpose in Daventry. 

Unfortunately the motorcycle was unreliable, had a high riding position, were heavy and had a overheating rear cylinder issue. After building only 139 bikes the company went into receivership.

In 1983 Lord Hesketh  created a new company called Hesleydon Ltd to build a redesigned V1000 with a full fairing for export. The new motorcycle was called the Vampire., but still suffering from many of it's predecessors problems the company closed after only building 40 of the motorcycles in 1984.

Mick Broom an engineer involved with the original design continued, with Lord Heskeths support to continue a team to support, maintain, and make modifications for the motorcycles of original customers. Later this became Broom Development Engineering. This group created improvements and resolved the overheating problem. They began producing the V1000 long distance tour bike and produced 12 a year, along with the Vulcan and Vortan (Concept bikes).

Mick Broom sold the Mark in 2010. 

In early 2014 New owners have announced the plans to release the Hesketh 24. 

Lord Hesketh with The Late Formula One World Champion James Hunt (in car)