Hesketh Vampire ABikeReborn
Hesketh Motorcycles failed very quickly, but the bigVees refused to lie down. Frank Westworth listens warilytoa fine fellowwho resurrected aVampire, and then rides the result…
Cast your mind back acouple years to when Iintroduced youtoKeith Rowles, afne fellow, and his utterlyglorious Hesketh V1000. Heskeths are not machines achap stumbles across every day. They areinfact decentlyunusual motorcycles, built in Britain for averyshort time among severalfanfares,hype,and much media scrutiny. Neither fanfares, hype nor media scrutinysell motorcycles verywell unless themotorcycle is actually worth buying, and this machine wasboth fawedand pricey… not aconventionally winning combination.
It soon died. This usually happens. Less usually, it wasreborn, initiallyas that same V1000, gentlyre-engineered throughoutthe company’ssee-sawing fortunes, and then as the fully-faired Vampiretourer, as seen here. Hitting the road aboardboth of Keith’sHeskeths was acompletely memorable experience,not leastbecause it wasawhole galloping load of funtoride,unlike acouple of other examples of that rare breed to pass through my clutches over the years.
Here’sathing for you: Proud Owners often utter oneoftwo closing remarks as we part companyafter I’ve been privileged enough to borrow their bikes. Theyoften suggest that Ireturn fora proper ride when it’sfxed. Less often, theysuggest that Ireturn to ride their next awesome motorcycle just as soon as it’sready, or restored, or revitalised, or –asinthis case –resurrected. Then… well, gentle reader, Igenerallynever hear from them again. Wisdom comes in manyforms, some more hard-earned than others.
However. Sometime later,Keith reappeared. WouldI,hewonderedinnocently, like to spend some road time with his Hesketh Vampire? Would I? Would I?
Ithink Imay have ridden aHesketh Vampirebefore this one.But I’m not entirelycertain. And no,this is not some bizarre form of showing off (‘look at me;I ride loads of bikes; aren’tIjust so ace?’) –it’smainlybecause some machines simply do not stickinthe memory. And Ithink I rode aVampire when theywerecurrent, and Ithink Irode aBMW RT twin on the same day, but I’m not entirelycertain.
Photos by FrankWestworth and Keith Rowles
Iwill not forgetriding thisparticular Vampireinahurry. Youcan makeyour ownVampirejokes about once bitten and so forth if youfeel the need. Because… in the same waythat Keith’snakedV1000 wasmemorable because it hadbeen so excellentlyprepared and ransowell,his Vampiremade the same impression. It is an excellent motorcycle which,slightly perversely, makes its faws easier to identify andconsider
If youwant alittle historyand alittle technical discussion of the Hesketh, I’d recommend that yougrabyourselfacopy of the Brooklands Road Test Book dedicated to them. In this case,ratherthan amarque history,I intend to shareKeith Rowles’ own journeythrough acquisition, resurrection, rebuildand riding, as well as offering some riding thoughts of my own. So,over to Keith, whowas actually lookingfor a Vampireinthe frst place.
“My Hesketh Quest (sounds more interesting than it was) beganin2003 with
asearch fora Vampire. Not just anyold Vampire, but agold (salmon pink)one.After what seemed like months of looking, I gave up and plumped for anice redV1000, the one whichhas appeared in these pagesbefore.
“It wasn’tlong beforeIfound agrey Vampire. It had only 4000 miles on the clock,was onits second owner,had not run for almost nine years, and had been owned by the same chap for 14 years. In the last nine years it had coveredonly10miles, probablytoand from the MoT station.
The price seemed okayconsidering the mileage,but Hesketh owners all knowthat alaid-up Hesketh is not agood Hesketh, especiallyifthe carbshaven’tbeen drained. The price we agreed wasdependent upon me getting the bike running and uponits real condition.
“First impressions were reallynot that good. The paintwork wasdulland dusty, much of the chrome wasrusty,the engine wasveryoily, andthe carbs were full of muck.I decided Iwasn’tgoing to buy it. I
“Proud Owners often utter one of twoclosing remarksaswepart company after I’vebeen privi leged enough to borrow theirbikes. They often suggest that I return fora proper ride when it’s fixed. Less often, theysuggest that Ireturn to ride their next awesome motorcycle just as soon asi t’s ready,orrestored…”
The John Mockett-designed Vampirefairingisvisuallystriking. It’s effectiveenough, too
looked over it again, thoughtfully(as you do)and decided (again) that the cost of the work to getthe bike to the standardI wanted wastoo much.I told the seller what Ithought but offeredtoget it going for him anywayifIcould.
“The carburettor foat bowls were removedand the crud scraped out.The batterywas dead, but fortunatelyI’d brought my own. As Iplayedwith the bike, trying to looklikeI knewwhatIwas doing, the seller askedwhatIwouldpay to take it away.It’susuallymesaying this!
“After ashort while, incredibly, the bike wasrunning. Not perfectly,you understand, but it wasactuallyrunning. We discussed the price again and shookonit.”
Isn’tthissooften the way? The head demands that we walk away from abike, but the heart insists that somewhereinside the rumbling ruin therelurks adreamy machine.But to uncoverthatmachine, very often alot of work is required. This is particularlytrue of unusualmachines like the Hesketh.Although theirengineering is conventional enough, they were never fullydeveloped,and even after thefactory wasdistant history, that slow process of development continued. Thisdevelopment wasaccomplished by MickBroom,without whom there would be awhole lot less happyHesketh riders than thereactually are. His EN10 engine conversioniscrucial, for example.And, as he’dbeendownthis road before, KeithturnedtoMick.
“Although thebike showedsigns of the basic EN10 package,I wanted acomplete engine overhaul. Mickwas snowedunder with work. As I’dthought, therewas no chance of acomplete overhaul, but he thought he could possibly manage something less. We agreed that the Vampire would getacheckover, replacement front forks and anew mapped electronic ignition.
“Mickwas inundated with Heskeths so Iknewitwouldbeawhile beforeIgot the bike back.Eachweek I’dcallbut it was still in the queue.InDecemberI called Mickagain and offered to come and help under his guidance.A date wasagreed.A friend kindlyoffered to come up andgive additional support and help
“The forks were replaced, the timing side wasstripped off, brake lines replaced, front
brakes changed to Brembo Gold Lines, and severalother small jobs were completed. The next day, Mick gotdowntoftting the newmapped ignition. Unfortunately, although almost complete,itwas impossible tofnish by the end of the day. I set off home withoutthe bike but with an agreement that I’dreturnearlyinJanuary to pickitup.
“In January, we were backatMick’s Turweston premises. After completing some minor work, we left at about 3pm with theVampire in tow. In the back of
my mind wasaslight concern, though, regarding anoise I’dheardwhen the engine wasunder load. Sounded like an intake roar butitshouldn’thavebeen there…
“I promised myselfthat the Vampirewould be on theroad by the end of March.Overthe next fewweeks, Icompleted all the small but numerous jobs Icame up against. The tyres were replaced and Gold Line brakes changed backtoblackBrembos to getthrough aquick MoT.The GoldLines needed beddingin properlyand were worse thanpoor.Can’tbed in the brakes in the garage!
Air-cooled engines need to be kept cool if they’retobeoil-tight and reliable. The Vampirefairing is cleverly designed to channel those soothing breezesaround the hot heads
The rear pot is oi l-cooled, and it needs to be
“Atthe end of March Iwas readytostart up.Batterycharged, sparksokay, fresh fuel and so on... pressed the button… nothing. Pressed again. Aclickfromthe relay, then smoke from under theseat. Mmm… something wronghere.
“Up went the seat (quickly) and off came the batteryterminals. Icould see smoke from the wiring loom and amelted wire all around the harness. Mickidentifedthe problemimmediately. Abad earthatthe batterytoframe mounting. The offending wirewas replaced and the harness rebound in situ.
“Two weeks later,try again. Startedup fne.I pushed it outside and then rode back into the garage.The same noise I’dheard at Mick’s wasevident under load. Again, close inspection revealed yetanother problem… therearhead gasket wasblowing.
“My friend Robert wasbrilliant.After twolong days at his house, the rear head wasremoved, gasket repaired, andthe sockresealed. The front sockwas also removedand sealed. It’snot an easy job, Ihavetosay,but okayifyou knowwhat you’redoing. Some special tools areuseful/ essential, though.
“On Saturday, May9,I took theVampire for its MoT,then off to getthe road tax. My wife Elaine and Ithen tookitout for the day.”
What is it theysay about the course of true love?And in case youwerewondering, the ‘sock’Keith refers to is the oil-sealing arrangement for the cylinder heads and the drive to the overhead cams.
As youshould be abletotellfrom our photographs, the Vampire is afully equipped touring version of thebasic Hesketh motorcycle.The fairing was designed by John Mockett, who styled the original machine,and who went on to style newTriumphsfor John Bloor’sHinckley operation. Like the rest of the machine,the fairing is athing of wonder– conventional in function but alittle unusualinform.
When I’dborrowed Keith’sV1000, he’d roared off across the countryside aboard my NortonCommander,and in fact at the time we considered setting his Vampire (his potential future Vampire, that is) against Norton’sbig tourer. Predictably, when we actually got together,I turned out on another rotaryNorton, anontouring version, for no good reason that I can remember,and Keith rode that gently while Icaned about the sceneryaboardhis impressively rapid Vampire. Moreofthat a little later
Iasked Keith howhefound his own Vampire. “Nothing like the V1000. Gearing seems much higher.The fairing makes the whole bike feel different and moreplanted on the road.”Whichsums it up very neatly. It reallydoes ride nothing like the V1000; it does not ride just like aV1000 with a fairing; the experience is very different.
Iamveryfamiliar with riding motorcyclesequipped with big touring fairings, butevenso, Iwas surprised at thevisual impression of great bulk. Iuse my wordsherecarefully–this is a‘visual impression.’Once youare moving and have lifted up your feet, the bike rides lightlyenough.
But the getting moving is not as simple as it sounds. BSA Gold Stars have a reputation for being cursed with ultra-high gearing, but Iwas completelyunprepared for my almost inability to pull away without embarrassment. Let me explain…
Manyriders, me included, expected the Hesketh’s992cc V-twin engine to pull like aHarley-Davidson. It does notdothis. In fact, itpulls like the Harleycruiserclone Japanese V-twin engines –like Yamaha’sbigger Virago,for example. Like those contemporaryengines, this one is arevver. It likes big twists of the grip.It does notenjoyplonking along at tickover It is neither aBrough Superior nora Vincent twin, and it does not let youforget this. Forexample,the equivalent Harley
“It had only4000 mi les on the clock, wason itssecond owner,had not run foralmost nine years, and hadbeen owned by the same chap for14years.”
contemporarytothe Vampirewas probably the FXRT.Itdeveloped its peak torque at 3600rpm; the Vampireat5400rpm.Itiseasy to forgetthat the Hesketh engine generates masses of torque; 78lb.ft, as opposed to the 67lb.ft from that 1338cc H-D.But it delivers it at much higher revs.
Many riders, me included, found this entertaining in the basic V1000, but the gearing of the Vampireissomuchhigher than that of the standardV1000 that it took me by surprise everysingle time Ipulled away.I neveractuallystalled the Vampire, but Ialmost fell off it in the middle of heavy midsummer Bidefordtraffc… which would have been aVeryBad Thing.
TryasImight, and Ihavereadmore features on the Hesketh than anysane individual should admit to,I cannot fnd adefnitive statement about the exact
gearing sets used, but theyreally do not comemuchtaller than this for road use. When Proud Owner Keith wassafelyout of the mirrors of his ownVampire,I wound it on in frst. Do youreally need to be able to exceed the A-road speed limitinthe frst of fveratios? On atouring motorcycle?
Those questions dulyasked, part of the answeristhat A-road cruising is relaxed beyond sofadom. Cruising at 65-75mph keeps the engine’srevswell away from its power andtorque maxima, whichmeansthatyou need to downshifttoboost performance; noroll-on top gear machine,thisone.Ifyou reallywant to stretchthe Vampire’swings, if overtaken at main road speedsbyan upstart on some HinckleyPretender Twin, for example,then youneed to changedowntwo or even three gears. The reward forthis is thatthe Vampirereallydoes fy.
Keith waskeen to point out his bike’s oil leak. It has an oil leak. Just the one He wasgoing to fx it.I wouldn’t bother I’dleave it, and ride alot more, because this bike is so packed with character and unusual characteristicsthat itwouldtake thousands of miles to gain true familiarity Whichisanother featureithas in common with Norton’srotary motorcycles, my own go-to rides for acouple of decades. This is actuallyaproblem theyhaveincommon, in fact. Because ashort spin on either bike does not sell themachinetoyou. If you’ve clambered hot-bot from the seat of,say,a Harleytourer,ora bigBMW equivalent, or especiallyfromsomething likeaHonda Gold Wing, then youare going to be baffed, bewildered and bemused by LordHesketh’s mightymile-muncher.Which does not assistinthe sales department.
Backtothe bike.Onceyou have become alittle familiar with the elevated gearing
andhaveunderstoodthat the big Vee’s peak powerofa claimed 82bhp is delivered at 6000rpm –that’sright, just 600rpm above the max torque point –then youcan apply that understanding to your riding. Ifear thatyou would need to ownthe machine to be able to putinsuffcient miles to achieve complete understanding and familiarity; this is the very opposite of auniversal motorcycle,fromany nation.
The engine starts readily. It idles easily, too,whichisafeatureofdisproportionate importance to Norton rotaryriders –as Iwas backthen. It is even decently mechanicallyquiet for abikeofits generation. I’ve read severalreports from testers who commented on the awesome clatter of the big twin, but despite –or maybe because of –the voluminous fairing, this example wasdecentlyrestrained for an air-cooled, all-alloyengine
Gears select ponderouslybut accurately. Neutral is easy to uncover, andthereis onlythe one of them. And the handling is… interesting. The wheelbase is close to fve feet, and the centreofmass is quite high, so youget no prizes if youalreadyguessed that it steersveryaccuratelybut prefers to have its corners set up for its restrained attentionrather than being fung into them as though it’ssome sporting tool from the far east. But the frame is very good indeed, and youcan laythe bikedownavery long way.
The brakes matchthe weight and performance perfectly, in avery1980s Brembo fashion.But what performance is on offer,exactly?
Iamnot in the habit of thrashing other folks’ motorcycles, particularlywhen they’reinhot pursuit aboardmyown bike, but Ican reveal that fourofthe available
The panniers areKrauser items, fami liar to touring riders everywhere
fvegears will pull beyond the motorway speed limit, and that my friend, thelate Dave Minton,when he wastesting anew Vampire, clocked averyrelaxed 120mph. I’m surehewas riding on atrack,ofcourse
And the riding package is as effcient as it is striking. The fairingisverygood at defecting the wind.I doubt that it is brilliant at keeping the rider’slegsdry in the persistent rain, but the upper fairingis very smooth, let down formebyturbulence over the screen. Hesketh offered several screen heights, though, so that maywell be fxable
As well as the standardclocks, the Vampire’srider gets aclock(aproperVDO analogue timepiece) and atemperature gauge. Hesketh’sengines can apparently getall hot’n’bothered, so the be-faired version gets athermometer to provide rider reassurance.I asked Keith about it. Apparently, this particular one records the temperatureofthe rear cylinderhead. That’snice.Wewonderedwhat Proud Rider is supposed to do if the temperaturerises into the unsafe zone but failed to agree an answer.
Then we rode alot more. The further we rode,the better Iliked LordHesketh’s big twin. Apartfromthe stupidlyhighfrst gear,that is. It is very smooth. It is very fast. It is rapid, rather than quick, anditis very comfortable. The seat is high, at
SPECIFICATION: HESKETH VAMPIRE FACT PACK
ENGINE: Air-cooled,90-degree V-twin;95mm boreby70mm stroke,giving 992cc. Forged steel crankshaft,rollermain bearings; steel connecting rods with splitbig ends housing Vandervell copper-lead shell type bearings.Aluminium jacketsonironcylinderbarrels; aluminium cylinderheads. Four valves percylinder, eachactuated throughbucket tappets from an overheadcamshaft: 3/8in pitch rollerchaindrivetocamshaftswith slippertypeadjustable tensioners. CARBURATION: TwoDellorto PFH carburettors with 36mm chokes.Air filters with replaceable paperelements IGNITION: Fullyprogrammable electronic system,single 12mm plug per cylinder.
LUBRICATION: Semi wetsump with positive feed to thebig ends, camshafts, gearbox,clutch andprimary drive; oil-cooled rear cylinder, disposable filter. PRIMARY DRIVE:
Single helical gears giving areduction of 1.81 to 1. CLUTCH: Wetmultiplate, 152mmdiameter. Hydraulic actuation. GEARBOX: Five-speed constantmesh in unitwith engine. Reduction gears to output shaft which iscoaxial with the swingarm. Ratios 3.71;2.748;2.061;1.662and 1.334to1.Finaldrive5/8in by 3/8in sealed rollerchain. FRONT SUSPENSION: 43mm tubes with custom yokes, machined from solid aero specification billets, with full preloadand damping adjustment. REAR SUSPENSION: Marzocchi with two-way damping. BRAKES: Fullyfloating 310mm-diameter twin discs on thefront;single 270mmdisconthe rear WHEELS/TYRES: 18inx2.5infront,with 17inx 3.5in rear ELECTRICS: 12V.Lucas RM2415amp alternator,Lucas starter motor withthree stagereduction to crankshaft.24amphour battery INSTRUMENTS: Camshaftdriven tachometer,speedometer,total and tripmiles recorders, quartz clock, warning lights forgenerator,neutral, main beam andindicators DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase 1510mm; overall length 2235mm; handlebar width 712mm; seatheight838mm; ground clearance140mm; dry weight244kg; fuelcapacityincluding reserve23litres.
32 inches, and the bike isn’tparticularly narrow,somyown 29-inchinside legwas onlymostlyokaywith tiptoeing about at parking speeds. The clutchisunremarkably hydraulic in operation and apparently boasts alot of Ducati components.
And it reallyisamachine to attract those admiring gazes whichweall claimto ignorebut enjoyinsecret. While we were wobbling aboutposing the bike for its pics on Bidefordquay, aseriouslytattooed barechested youth approached and remarked that he’dnever seen one in the metal but had always been aHesketh admirer.Quite took us by surprise showthatevenm misjudgefolk by
cost of agood one –onlyyou can tell what youthink anybike is worth to you– andthe availability of spares and expert knowledge. But the owners’ club is agood club,packed with knowing folk,and afount of the most profound Hesketh understanding.
The Hesketh Va problems as am serious mileage
a Hesketh admirer Quite surprise, which goes to show that even motorcyclists can misjudge folk their appearance… Vampire’s only real a machine for covering centre around the
all he wants, as unusual, which always helps bashful of Try to ride yourself, watch those myths
BeforeIpassed the bike backtoProud Owner Keith for the fnal bit of our time together,I should confess that had I not been suchafan of Norton’swhirly wonders… why, then Ithink Iwould have been forced to mortgagethe cat and go Vampirehunting. It offered everything the sports-touring rider needs, and almost well as being seriously halwayshelps the less riders. Trytoride one and just watchthose ths fade as the miles mount. Uncanny, it is…
The knob with the arrow adjusts theheadlamp aim
The seat lifts away foreasyaccess andevenboasts ahydraulic strut forits support. That’s pretty posh, that is
Proud Owner Keith, surrounded by giant rusty machinery.Sitting on aHesketh, of course…
