For those of a certain age, the Hesketh name is synonymous with eccentricity and expensive handbuilt motorcycles.

Lord Hesketh had been a Formula One team owner in the 1970s. His flamboyant and patriotic team was probably most famous for launching the career of James Hunt, who won the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix before moving to McLaren, where he would go on to win the following year’s world championship.

The 1980s saw petrolhead Hesketh turn his hand to motorcycle manufacturing. The V1000 was a high end machine, heralded by some as the bike to save the ailing British motorcycle industry, but it was underinvested and never made it to volume production.

Despite having an engine designed by the famed Harry Weslake, whose career had started out working on Rolls Royce Merlin engines and who had gone on to tune some of the fastest production saloons (not to mention designing his own Formula One engine and a world title winning speedway motor) the bike proved underdeveloped and less than 200 were made.

Several comebacks have been tried for Hesketh over the years. Just over a decade ago current owner Paul Sleeman took over the rights to the brand and released a limited run of 24 Heskeths, known as the Hesketh 24, powered by a booming 1917cc S&S V-twin engine from America.

Now, eight years after the 24, Sleeman is teasing a new model which he says will be the most affordable Hesketh ever. Called the Heresy, it looks like it will be a 450cc single and will go up alongside the likes of the British Langen as a lightweight, exclusive, hand built machine. Pictures on the Hesketh Facebook page show an air-cooled single wrapped in a steel trellis frame, with suspension from K-tech and lots of Union Flags. 

Reports suggest a price tag of around £14,000, but expect all to be revealed soon…