Bienville debut £228k bike at FOS

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will host the global public debut of the outlandish Bienville Legacy – set to be one of the most powerful four-cylinder production motorcycles ever created – this June 25-28.

Born from Bienville Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana, the JT Nesbitt-designed Legacy has been in development for over three years, with patented suspension leveraging one composite leaf-spring with the engine mounted at its centre, while carbon-composite blades allow for rake and trail adjustment. The same patented eccentrics also allow adjustment of seat height, chain tension, headlight and speedometer position and more. When production bikes arrive, they’re expected to cost in the region of £228,500 ($350,000).

Three concept models have been produced to-date, all powered by the American-made 1650cc Motus V4 engine, which will be supercharged to provide up to 300bhp. The Legacy will be ridden up the iconic 1.16-mile Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb by Jim Jacoby and Scott Miller, founders of the ADMCi Foundation which has supported the Legacy project from its inception.

The Legacy is just the latest addition to a two-wheeled entry that includes MotoGP legends Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Giacomo Agostini, Freddie Spencer, John Surtees, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, and Scott Redding, plus a celebration of Yamaha Motor Company’s 60th anniversary, featuring an astonishing array of bikes from the Japanese manufacturer.

Ticket information is available from the Goodwood Festival of Speed website, or via the Goodwood Ticket Office on 01243 755055.