The recent announcement that the Tesi 3D will be sold by Bimota in the United States this Fall is of interest for a few reasons. First of all, if you happen to be as old as I am (50) and you read motorcycle magazines as a kid, the Bimota name itself almost sends tingles down your spine. Exotic, lightweight chassis developed to house engines manufactured by others (Suzuki comes to mind from my youth) was the ultimate in exotica in this industry a few decades ago.
In some ways, things are much more difficult for Bimota today. Huge weight loss versus “off the shelf” machinery is almost impossible to achieve these days, and technology more advanced than “run of the mill spec” is also an elusive goal for any small manufacturer.
The Tesi 3D uses the unique front suspension and Hub-steering developed by Bimota. The steel trellis swingarms (both front and rear) are new, and the front suspension, although similar in concept, now uses a “pull-rod mechanism” arranged with a lower center of gravity.
The main frame is constructed of machined alloy — a Bimota tradition.
With carbon body parts and forged alloy wheels, along with the Bimota exclusivity, expect the price to be a king’s ransom. Different and exclusive for sure, the unique Bimota chassis here houses a Ducati 1100 dual spark engine (which actually displaces 1079cc).
