JT Nesbitt has already created a string of iconic motorcycles at his own Bienville Studios and previously at Curtiss Motorcycles (nee Confederate), with his latest 12-only US$200,000-a-pop Magnolia 4 aiming to reimagine the traditional American inline 4.
Look closely, because not much is as it seems.
Motorcycle journalists love JT Nesbitt – his designs are ready made modern classics out of the box, and they challenge on every visual and notional level other than that they work.
New Atlas Editorial Director Loz Blain told Nesbitt's story up to 2014 in a feature entitled The 300+ horsepower Bienville Legacy and the return of American master craftsmanship.
The Magnolia 4 is quite unlike anything that Nesbitt has previously created, being a tribute to and a derivation of the past.
The 1750cc air- and oil-cooled SOHC 2-valve engine seems simple enough at first blush, but the rationale behind a three-speed transmission and centrifugal clutch might need some explaining, and the decision to make the bike kick-start-only is another spec you might question until you hear why it was done that way, or see the mechanism designed for the task.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this motorcycle is that the entire design brief for the it and the rationale behind Nesbitt's decisions and designs have all been published as a PDF that you can download here.
There is no need for a spoiler alert because we're not going to get into the details. When you have the designer explaining a very unconventional motorcycle in writing with illustrations, you get more of the essence of the motorcycle than we might hope to convey.
From the configurable crankshaft to the not-your-average drum brakes and Nesbitt's take on and execution of motorcycle ergonomics, the design brief is a cornucopia of mechanical intrigue and I can't say I remember any motorcycle or car being released this way to the public previously.
If you think the introductory page is interesting, the design brief spells it all out.
Definitely worth a read if you are mechanically inclined, and as a circa $200,000 limited edition work of art, it ticks all the boxes.
How many investments can you have this much fun with?
As we "go to press", nine of the 12 production spots are still available.
