How Jimmy Nitz created Motorbreath, Sticky Icky OG selected the defining #15 phenotype and one clone helped shape a generation of fuel-heavy cannabis genetics.
Who Originally Bred Motorbreath?
In the early 2010s, Jimmy Nitz of Pisces Genetics created Motorbreath by crossing Chemdog D × SFV OG Kush.
The SFV OG material was associated with Swerve of Cali Connection.
The combination brought together the chemical funk of Chemdog with the structure and fuel-heavy character of OG Kush.
Motorbreath would eventually become one of the recognizable names in the gas-focused cannabis landscape.
The Early Forum Years
Motorbreath began circulating during an era when cannabis breeders used online forums to document their work and discuss new releases.
By late 2010, the line was appearing on discussion boards as limited feminized seed stock.
Pisces Genetics discussed producing additional feminized Motorbreath seeds.
A later 2013 release reportedly contained only 48 packs, illustrating how limited some of the early distributions were.
So, Where Did #15 Come From?
The famous Motorbreath #15 was not the original genetic cross.
It was a particular plant selected from the broader Motorbreath line.
A grower known as Sticky Icky OG conducted a phenotype hunt and identified #15 as the standout.
Some retellings describe the hunt as involving around 20 seeds, although the precise number is less important than the distinction between the original breeding and the later selection.
Jimmy Nitz created Motorbreath. Sticky Icky OG selected Motorbreath #15.
Why Was #15 the Keeper?
The original line produced a range of expressions.
According to Sticky’s descriptions, one phenotype leaned strongly toward SFV OG, with sweeter, fruitier and candy-like Kush characteristics.
But that was not what he wanted.
He was searching for something dirtier, heavier and more fuel-dominant.
#15 delivered the rotten, chemical OG funk that became associated with the selection.
Motorbreath Wasn’t Always One Flavor
The surviving accounts also show that Motorbreath had considerable variation.
Some plants expressed sweeter or fruitier OG characteristics.
Others leaned toward deeper Chem funk, exhaust and fuel.
Sticky later described another selection, Motorbreath #6, as particularly funky.
This matters because Motorbreath was originally a seed line, not one genetically identical plant.
Different seeds could produce different expressions.
From Seed Release to Clone-Only Fame
The original Motorbreath circulated through feminized seed releases.
Motorbreath #15 became the specific clone that carried the name furthest.
By the late 2010s, the cut was moving between California cultivation rooms through personal connections.
As the clone became more widely recognized, some people began using the names Motorbreath and Motorbreath #15 interchangeably.
But their histories are not identical.
The Connection to Biscotti and Gushers
Motorbreath #15 also became associated with later breeding work involving Gelato 41.
According to the account provided, Dandango used Motorbreath #15 pollen obtained through his friend Sway, who has since passed away, on Sherbinski’s Gelato 41.
Around 2014–2015, the growers reportedly germinated approximately 100 seeds in red cups.
Two standout selections became associated with Biscotti and Gushers, names later connected with Connected Cannabis.
The account places Motorbreath #15 within the ancestry of influential modern hybrids.
The Name Matched the Smell
Motorbreath was never a subtle name.
Its identity centered on exhaust, chemical funk, burnt oil and greasy OG aromas.
The appeal came from its intensity rather than a colorful appearance or dessert-inspired branding.
For growers and consumers looking for heavy fuel profiles, the name communicated exactly what to expect.
Legacy
Motorbreath #15 demonstrates why breeding a strain and selecting an elite phenotype are separate achievements.
Jimmy Nitz made the original Chemdog D and SFV OG Kush cross.
Sticky Icky OG found the particular expression that became famous as #15.
That clone later moved through cultivation circles and contributed to additional breeding projects.
The breeder created the line. The phenotype hunt created the legend.
Sources:
Cannabis Business Times, Chemistry (Motorbreath 15 × Headbanger), March 24, 2021. Explicitly credits Jimmy Nitz with the cross and Sticky Icky OG with selecting #15.
Leafly, Motorbreath 15 strain profile. Documents the commonly reported Chemdog and SFV OG genetic background.
NuggNotes original caption, August 8, 2026. Source for detailed forum chronology and the reported Gelato 41 breeding account.
0 comments