references to primary sources . please improve this by adding secondary or tertiary sources . august 2013 learn how and when to remove this template message hesketh motorcycles industry motorcycle manufacture successor broom engineering hesketh motorcycles 2013 limited 1 founded 1982 founder alexander fermor hesketh 3rd baron hesketh headquarters redhill united kingdom area served global key people lord hesketh owner mick broom owner paul sleeman current owner products hesketh v1000 hesketh vampire hesketh 24 website www.heskethmotorcycles.co.uk 1982 hesketh v1000 with astralite wheels 2 3 4 hesketh motorcycles is a british motorcycle manufacturer initially based in daventry and easton neston northamptonshire england . the company was formed by alexander 3rd lord hesketh to develop a prototype in 1980 . after two variations of his business rapidly failed from 1984 onwards the marque was maintained and improved by broom engineering based at turweston aerodrome on the northamptonshire border with buckinghamshire england . the most recent incarnation of the marque from 2013 is based in kingswood surrey england . contents 1 background 2 broom development engineering 2.1 silverstone 3 resuscitation of the brand 4 hesketh 24 5 models 6 references 7 external links background edit the project was inspired by lord hesketh who planned to revive the failing british motorcycle industry and at the time had a background of f1 racing being the last private team to win a formula one grand prix with james hunt at the wheel . lord hesketh wanted to use the skills and facilities built up in that pursuit to greater effect and production of a quality motorcycle was born . the hesketh motorcycle was developed on the easton neston estate with the prototype running in the spring of 1980 using a special weslake engine . the v twin v1000 based loosely on the marketing panache of the vincent motorcycle but looking much like a contemporary ducati 860gt offered all sorts of advances ; for example it was the first british bike with four valves per cylinder and twin overhead camshafts although commonplace in japanese machines . after two years of development the project was announced to the press and partners were sought for the manufacturing . however none were forthcoming and so lord hesketh formed hesketh motorcycles plc. in 1982 a modern purpose built factory was set up to manufacture the hesketh v1000 motorcycles in daventry . however there were numerous problems . the bikes were heavy made worse by a high riding style ; and unreliable 5 with numerous manufacturing problems adding to an overheating rear cylinder due to lack of air flow . the resultant bad press combined with an underdeveloped bike lack of cash and a collapsing market meant that after the production of 139 bikes the company went into receivership . cagiva visited the daventry facility in september 1982 with a view to absorbing the hesketh into their range of machines . sales director luigi giacometti reported to motor cycle news that they were disappointed to learn that all the components were sourced from outside suppliers that there were no manufacturing facilities excepting a few trollies and that the receiver wanted 150 000 pounds sterling for only a pile of papers and drawings . the very rare 1984 hesketh vampire he was sure they could cure the hesketh mechanical problems but cagiva withdrew their interest after hesketh marketing chief peter gaydon appeared in a tv interview stating he feared a drop in quality and that the marque would end up as a spaghetti special under cagiva . 2 the triumph motorcycles co operative looked at buying the rights to the machine as they lacked a new model beyond the aged triumph bonneville . a v1000 machine even appeared with a triumph badge on its tank but triumph also lacked funding to buy and develop the machine . citation needed in 1983 lord hesketh formed a new company called hesleydon ltd to manufacture a revamped v1000 with a full fairing called the vampire . however although the company had produced a motorcycle with export potential in mind the vampire retained too many of the v1000 s faults 5 and only 40 were produced before the company closed again in 1984 . broom development engineering edit mick broom was the development engineer test rider as part of the original development team of the hesketh marque and was based with the team in the old laundry at easton neston . when the original hesketh motorcycles plc company went into receivership broom was part of a team funded by lord hesketh which supported the owners of the original machines offering maintenance and modifications to the bikes sold . this funded team eventually became hesleydon ltd who obtained the necessary certification to sell overseas and went on to develop the vampire after requests for a touring version of the v1000 . combined with the general down turn in motorcycle market the high cost of the parts and the inability to raise finance to implement volume production assembly methods hesleydon ceased trading and broom continued to support and develop the bike alongside development work for other motorcycle factories and clients broom development engineering . based in the same outbuildings where the development of the v1000 had begun broom and his team began improvement of the v1000 into a reliable gentleman s long distance tourer . this included the resolution of the overheating through increased oil flow to cool the rear cylinder . broom produced up to 12 motorcycles per annum additionally developing the vulcan and vortan concept machines . silverstone edit in 2006 having been forced to leave easton neston after its sale by lord hesketh to leon max and max s intention to turn the stable block into a call centre for his max store clothing brand broom engineering relocated to turweston aerodrome near silverstone circuit . however just before the move and at the point where most items were in packing crates a robbery occurred with total value of 40 000 including irreplaceable records tools and bikes . this slowed progress on the intended small scale production at the new location . resuscitation of the brand edit this section does not cite any sources . please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . january 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message under new ownership and management since mick broom sold the marque in 2010 hesketh motorcycles ltd plan to establish a british motorcycle company through the production of new models over the years . in early 2014 hesketh motorcycles announced the upcoming release of the hesketh 24 that would be the first all new hesketh model to be produced in some thirty years . citation needed hesketh 24 edit this section does not cite any sources . please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . january 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message hesketh works rider demonstrating the pre production hesketh 24 at goodwood festival of speed 2014 designed and developed by paul sleeman hesketh motorcycles owner and chief engineer this proposed new machine named after the number on james hunt s 1975 f1 car will be a limited edition with only 24 built and on sale internationally . the heart of this new model is the american s & s x wedge engine a high torque 1 917 cc 117 cu in air cooled v twin with a proven power train chosen for reliability and reputation . citation needed the x wedge is also the engine used for the recent morgan three wheelers . british tuners harris performance engines will modify the engine to suit the hesketh 24 buyers preferences offering stage engine tuning to produce at least three different power options . citation needed the hesketh 24 bodywork is in the colours of james hunt s 1970s hesketh f1 car with graphics designed and produced by former bsb rider and 2011 british superbike champion tommy hill . each of the limited edition hesketh 24 models will feature an 18 carat gold plaque on the fuel tank with its unique serial production number . citation needed models edit name year size number made v1000 1982 1000 cc 130 vampire 1983 1000 cc 50 vortan 1985 1100 cc 1 vulcan 1990 1200 cc 1 kingswood v1000 2012 1000 cc 5 hesketh 24 2014 1917 cc 24 the hesketh vulcan built in 1990 was made as a prototype only . the hesketh 24 will be a limited edition with only 24 envisaged . v1000 v twin gentleman s tourer . the original machine came with a nickel plated reynolds 531 frame . vampire touring based version of the v1000 with fairing and optional panniers . vortan bored out 1100 cc sports version of the v1000 with highly modified chassis . vulcan a v1000 en10 with a series of modifications including a bored out 1200 cc engine . hesketh 24 in production limited edition with 1917 cc s & s engine named after james hunt s 1975 f1 car . citation needed references edit companies house business name change from hesketh motorcycles limited in july 2013 retrieved 2014 10 06 a b motor cycle news 22 september 1982 p. 9 advert . astralite wheels dawson harmsworth 401 403 penistone road sheffield . accessed and added 2015 03 07 cite error invalid ref tag ; name mcn defined multiple times with different content see the help page . astralite wheels by rennstar retrieved 2015 03 07 astralite wheels hesketh owners club retrieved 2015 03 07 a b tragatsch erwin 2000 . the new illustrated encyclopedia of motorcycles . london quantum publishing . p. 560 . isbn 1861603428 . external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to hesketh motorcycles . hesketh motorcycles . archived from the original on 2012 07 20 . at broom engineering hesketh motorcycles redhill surrey v t e british motorcycle manufacturers manufacturing in the united kingdom current ajs ariel ccm cheney greeves hesketh megelli m tisse norton triumph wasp defunct abc 1919 1923 abingdon akd 1903 1925 advance 1905 1947 aer 1937 1940 ajw 1928 1976 ajs motorcycles ltd 1909 2000 alldays & onions 1903 1915 ambassador 1946 1964 ariel 1902 1970 armstrong 1980 1987 ascot pullin 1928 1930 amc 1937 1966 baker 1927 1930 bat 1902 1926 baughan 1920 1936 beardmore precision 1914 1930 blackburne 1913 1922 bradbury 1902 1924 brough 1908 1926 brough superior 1919 1940 bsa 1919 1972 calthorpe 1909 1939 chater lea 1900 1936 clyno 1909 1923 corgi 1946 1954 cotton 1918 1980 coventry eagle 1901 1939 coventry victor 1919 1936 dmw 1945 1971 dot 1908 1978 douglas 1907 1957 dunelt 1919 1935 duzmo 1919 1923 emc 1947 1977 excelsior 1896 1964 francis barnett 1919 1966 greeves 1953 1976 haden 1912 1924 hazlewoods limited 1895 1923 healey 1971 1977 hesketh 1981 1988 humber 1898 1930 hrd 1922 1928 ivy 1911 1934 james 1902 1966 jap 1903 1939 levis 1911 1939 martinsyde 1919 1923 matchless 1899 1966 1988 90 mcevoy 1926 1929 montgomery 1902 1939 ner a car 1921 1926 new hudson 1903 1958 new imperial 1901 1939 norman 1935 1963 norton villiers 1966 1972 norton villiers triumph 1972 1978 nut 1912 1933 oec 1901 1954 ok supreme 1882 1940 p & p 1922 1930 premier 1908 1921 panther 1904 1967 quasar 1975 1982 quadrant 1901 1928 raleigh 1899 1967 rex acme 1899 1933 rickman 1960 1975 rover 1902 1924 royal enfield 1893 1971 ruby 1909 1932 rudge 1911 1946 scott 1908 1965 silk 1976 1979 singer 1900 1915 sprite 1964 1974 sun 1911 1961 triumph 1885 1983 tandon 1947 59 sunbeam 1912 1964 velocette 1904 1971 villiers 1898 1966 vincent hrd 1928 1959 wilkinson 1911 1916 wooler 1909 1954 zenith 1905 1950 retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title hesketh motorcycles & oldid 744460159 categories defunct motorcycle manufacturers of the united kingdombritish brandsvehicle manufacturing companies established in 1981hidden categories pages with reference