Configurable-crankshaft Magnolia 4: A cornucopia of mechanical intrigue

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.

The Magnolia's suspension system uses hydro-pneumatic shock absorbers on each individual girder blade with an additional one under the seat. These air spring units offer 5 inches of wheel travel, front and rear, with the sprung saddle adding another three inches. The 2015 Bienville Legacy and the 2022 Curtiss One (both Nesbitt-designed) also featured identical front and rear suspension members.
The Magnolia’s suspension system uses hydro-pneumatic shock absorbers on each individual girder blade with an additional one under the seat. These air spring units offer 5 inches of wheel travel, front and rear, with the sprung saddle adding another three inches. The 2015 Bienville Legacy and the 2022 Curtiss One (both Nesbitt-designed) also featured identical front and rear suspension members.

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.

JT Nesbitt designs tend to lure you in. You begin looking at one point on the design and soon you are immersed in every aspect of why each part was designed that way, and if you think about it long enough you understand why ... and then you move to the next bit and so on ... each bike is a highly functional mechanical fascination and an example of visually intoxicating design at its best.
JT Nesbitt designs tend to lure you in. You begin looking at one point on the design and soon you are immersed in every aspect of why each part was designed that way, and if you think about it long enough you understand why … and then you move to the next bit and so on … each bike is a highly functional mechanical fascination and an example of visually intoxicating design at its best.

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.

The Magnolia 4 is a 1750cc three-speed modern interpretation of the inline-4 design that once dominated luxury motorcycling in America with brands such as Ace, Pierce, Cleveland, Henderson and Indian producing the finest examples.
The Magnolia 4 is a 1750cc three-speed modern interpretation of the inline-4 design that once dominated luxury motorcycling in America with brands such as Ace, Pierce, Cleveland, Henderson and Indian producing the finest examples.

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.

The Magnolia 4 is an enduring love letter to all things mechanical
The Magnolia 4 is an enduring love letter to all things mechanical

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.

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