Hesketh Zero DS - Specifications & Review

Company History

Born from a Formula 1 patron’s passion, Hesketh Motorcycles aimed to build a luxurious British grand tourer in the early 1980s, centered on a big air-cooled V-twin with dignified manners and long-legged gearing. The V1000 project celebrated craftsmanship—quality castings, handsome frames, and traditional ergonomics—but early reliability and heat issues collided with a brutal economic climate. Production halted, then resumed in tiny numbers under new stewardship, gradually resolving weaknesses and leaning into bespoke finishes. In the boutique era of the 2000s–2010s, Hesketh reemerged as a commission builder: hand-stitched saddles, etched badges, and engines tuned for generous midrange rather than peak bhp. Volumes remained intentionally tiny; the appeal was exclusivity and the idea of a stately, analog British roadster handmade for its owner. Historically, Hesketh’s significance is cultural—proof that Britain’s gentleman-racer romance could be expressed in a road bike, even if economics limited scale. For collectors, a well-sorted Hesketh is rolling clubroom charm: metal with provenance, idiosyncrasies, and a sense that a motorcycle can be a conversation as much as a machine.