New Hesketh 24 revealed

This is the first new model from British firm Hesketh Motorcycles, which will be available in a limited run of 24 examples when it goes on sale in February 2014.

The brand was recently bought by Paul Sleeman and the Hesketh 24 is a 1950cc 56-degree V-twin with 120bhp.

A company statement says: “Taking inspiration from Hesketh’s illustrious Formula 1 roots, the Hesketh 24 uses James Hunt’s F1 Grand Prix winning ‘24’ car as the basis of the bike’s styling.

“However, underneath the red, white and blue is a completely modern interpretation of a Hesketh machine with a massive 1950 cc  56 degree V-twin engine putting out around 120 bhp. The Hesketh 24 features top quality branded components such as Ohlins suspension), Beringer brakes and BST carbon fibre wheels.”

Sleeman said: “The design of the bike itself is centred around the big V-twin muscle at the heart of the bike, with overhead air intakes inside the tank above and a 22.7-litre fuel cell mounted below the engine. To stay true to some original Hesketh features the front light offers a modern half cowel and the top tank follows the distinctive Hesketh shape.

“The Hesketh 24 is a nod to the F1 success of James Hunt and the Hesketh Racing team and we tried to incorporate this is in subtle touches, such as the small Scottish and English flags on the tail as seen on the original F1 24 car and the outline of the Zandvoort circuit that offered Hunt the famous 1975 victory.”

Hesketh Motorcycles will also soon be moving from their current home in Kingswood to larger premises in Redhill, Surrey, allowing the team to concentrate on the manufacture of the Hesketh 24 and further models.

For more information visit www.heskethmotorcycles.co.uk