This is a Mad Max-style 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 that was built by motorcycle designer J.T. Nesbitt of Bienville Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This bike was built in the style of the motorcycle ridden by Bubba Zanetti in the iconic 1979 film Mad Max as part of a year-long project. It’s now being offered for sale directly from the builder to fund his next project – the first American inline-four production motorcycle in many decades.
Fast Facts – A Mad Max-Style Kawasaki KZ1000
- This custom 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 was built by J.T. Nesbitt of Bienville Studios in New Orleans, inspired by Bubba Zanetti’s motorcycle from the 1979 film “Mad Max.” The year-long project aimed to recreate the iconic post-apocalyptic bike and is now being offered for sale to fund Nesbitt’s next venture.
- “Mad Max” is set in a dystopian near-future Australia, following police officer Max Rockatansky as he seeks revenge against a violent motorcycle gang. The film’s gritty portrayal of a collapsing society, high-speed action sequences, and Mel Gibson’s performance made it a major commercial success, spawning a franchise of five films to date.
- J.T. Nesbitt, formerly a designer for Confederate Motorcycles, rebuilt this KZ1000 taking inspiration from the film. The project involved sourcing an original Air-Tech fiberglass fairing and tail section, installing a custom seat and headlight, and applying a dark blue and silver satin paint scheme to match the film bike’s appearance.
- Mechanical work included rebuilding the forks and carburetors, overhauling the brake system, and installing new components like a Dyna S electronic ignition module and Hagon shock absorbers. The bike is now offered for sale on Bring a Trailer with 20,000 miles on the odometer, including documentation and spare parts.
The Mad Max Film – 1979
Mad Max is set in a near-future Australia where society is on the brink of collapse due to energy shortages and lawlessness. Max Rockatansky is a police officer (called a Main Force Patrol officer) trying to maintain order in the chaotic world around him.
Above Video: This is the original theatrical trailer for Mad Max (1979) starring Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, and Hugh Keays-Byrne. You can briefly see Bubba Zanetti’s Kawasaki KZ1000, it features much more prominently in the film than the trailer.
As gang violence escalates, Max becomes increasingly disillusioned with his job and considers quitting. However, when a vicious motorcycle gang led by the Toecutter murders Max’s wife and infant son, he’s driven to seek revenge.
Fueled by grief and anger, Max takes his police interceptor vehicle and pursues the gang across the desolate Australian Outback. The film culminates in a series of intense vehicular chases and confrontations as Max hunts down and eliminates the gang members one by one.
The movie is notable for its gritty portrayal of a dystopian future, its high-speed action sequences, and the iconic performance of Mel Gibson as Max. “Mad Max” was a major commercial success, spawning a franchise and influencing the post-apocalyptic genre in film.
In total, there have now been five Mad Max films made, including the original Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Mad Max: Fury Road, and the most recent, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Interestingly, Mad Max would set a Guinness World Record as the most profitable film in history. From its relatively small budget of $400,000 it would rake in over $100 million at the global box office, a return on investment rarely seen in the world of cinema.
Here we see the Mad max character Bubba Zanetti on his famously customized Kawasaki KZ1000 in the center of the frame. The vehicles in Mad Max each become characters almost on par with their human counterparts. Image courtesy of Kennedy Miller Productions.
The Mad Max-Style 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 Shown Here
JT Nesbitt is a well-known name in motorcycle circles, he was formerly a reporter for Iron Horse magazine before landing a design job with Confederate Motorcycles in New Orleans. He would design two of the most iconic Confederate models – the Wraith and G2 Hellcat.
More recently he founded Bienville Studios where he creates commissioned vehicles including the Magnolia Special automobile that we covered previously, and the Bienville Legacy motorcycle among many others.
The motorcycle you see in this article is one of his newest creations, and he’s now offering it for sale to help fund the creation of his next completely bespoke motorcycle, the Magnolia 4, which will be the first American inline-four production motorcycle in decades.
JT’s rebuild of this 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 was comprehensive, it required sourcing an original Air-Tech fiberglass front fairing and tail section, as well as a Gustafsson windscreen to match. The bike was also fitted with a custom black vinyl solo seat, a single chrome-rimmed headlight, and it was then taken off to the paint shop for a new dark blue and silver satin color scheme.
Mechanical work completed as part of the build included rebuilding the fork and four Mikuni carburetors, overhauling the brake system, installing a Dyna S electronic ignition module and Hagon shocks, and replacing the petcock, intake boot, tires, and more.
This Mad Max-Style Kawasaki KZ1000 from JT Nesbitt is now being sold to help fund a worthy project – the design and development of an all-new American inline-four motorcycle.
The bike is now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of New Orleans, Louisiana directly from the ownership of JT Nesbitt. It comes with an owner’s manual, parts receipts, photos of the build, spare and removed parts, and a clean Louisiana title in the seller’s name.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here. The biker currently has 20,000 miles on the odometer, approximately 500 of which have been added under JT’s ownership.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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