The Italian Bimota is a brand of motorcycles that are out of reach for most of us. This, of course, makes them highly desirable for most of us. Getting a first look at the all-new ’08 Tesi 3D at the Barber Museum on Friday was definitely the highlight of my week. Every now and then I happen to be there at the right time, and get a glimpse of something spectacular. Two months ago I saw Barber’s technicians tear apart the #7 Britten V1000. Sorry, forgot my camera that day.
The latest addition to the collection, the new Tesi 3D arrived Friday and was uncrated just a few hours before I saw it. It will immediately go on display, probably next to Barber’s original Tesi1D prototype. Its new permanent home will make a nice homage to Pierluigi Marconi’s “thesis” project, and it will never be run. Incidentally, if you ask an Italian, “Tesi” is pronounced “tay-z”. I stand corrected!
Since the floor plan is so open at the Barber, I spotted the machine even before I could get near it. And as I got closer and closer, it was almost certainly glowing. I swear I heard a few angels echoing in the background. With floors so clean you could lick them, the bike looked right at home.
This Tesi, apparently number 15 out of only 29 numbered bikes to be built, weighs in at 370lbs. It’s powered by the Ducati 1100DS motor used in the Multistrada and Hypermotard. And, although it feels tiny between your legs, I mean really tiny, it fits like a glove. Most bikes are far too wide in that area. Even with its 31.5” seat height, the skinny waist let my feet stay flat on the ground. And that’s with the bike still on the rear stand!
I must have gawked at it for over an hour. I thought to myself, this may be the closest I’ll ever be so I better make the most of it. I was truly impressed with how “finished” the bike looked, complete with charcoal canisters, California emissions stickers, and safety reflectors. This is a well engineered production bike. Even with the controversial front end, I still want one.
This brings me to that controversial front end: the hub-center steered swing arm front suspension which Bimota has been perfecting since the late 80’s. And, like the 1920’s Ner-a-Car, hub-center steering on a bike is nothing new. It works. This version looks amazingly simple up close. It even looks like they’ve added a few degrees to the rake since the Tesi 2D. The 3-piece billet alloy, hub/caliper mount has a large diameter to allow maximum wheel pivot on the center king pin. The carbon fiber linkage rods were a nice touch, too.
The front end is suspended by a nicely integrated, pull-rod, air/hydraulic monoshock. This should give the forged aluminum wheel over 4in of travel, with tie-rods keeping the king pin at a constant angle through its travel. You won’t feel any dive during braking on this setup. Anti-dive is inherent to swing arm front suspensions because the brake force transfers in a more direct line to the chassis Center of Gravity.
Probably one of the nicest design features of the new Tesi 3D, is the way it combines tubular steel with billet aluminum. In particular, I like how the converging lines of the rear swing arm terminate at the beautifully machined alloy axle stays. First shown on Bimota’s DB5, this style of assembly is truly innovative and beautiful at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds, in my mind: simple welded steel trellis mated to high-precision, light weight alloy drop-outs.
I can only imagine what it would feel like to ride this remarkable design. Within view of a pristine asphalt track only 100 yards from where I’m standing, this was starting to feel like some sort of torture. All I could do was close my eyes, make some annoying revving sounds with my mouth, and imagine flicking the thing around the track. At around $36k, it seems like a bargain for the level of engineering and craftsmanship you get. I think the Bimota name alone could warrant a higher price. I mean, do you know anyone who owns one? I’ll leave you with a few more pictures:
All photos: Brian Case
Tanshanomi says
That’s one very, very cool motorcycle.
All those welded red tubes a bare castings and allen heads and bodywork angles come together to make one hell of a technical and visual feast.
I’m normally pretty critical of radical motorcycle designs (to which my prior rants will attest) but I’ve got to hand it to Bimota. They’ve never created a design I didn’t really, really like, even if I needed a little time to warm up to it. With the 3D, for example, I thought way the super-wide tail section sprouted “wings” immediately behind the seat looked pretty goofy at first glance, but then I realized that that was helping hide the bulk of the mufflers, which are a necessary visual mass somewhere on the bike, and under the seat is no less objectionable than anywhere else they might go. See? Given enough time, my perceptions will catch up to those of Bimota’s designers. Now THIS is a two-wheeled sex robot!
Matt in NC says
It’s gorgeous. Maybe they got it right this time, but I’ll be looking for real world reviews.
taxman says
that IS an impressive bike. but it’s hard for me to fall in love with something i couldn’t possibly afford. any chance some company could build a copy of this with less expensive parts to get the cost down to a level where the average joe can buy one?
Matt in NC says
Ooooh, any more shots of the Lotus in the background?
todd says
Really it’s a bargain. I tend to think that Used bikes and the occasional new bike are great deals but this isn’t that much money.
If you took $36,000 car shopping, you’d get a Honda Accord Hybrid or maybe a 2WD Toyota 4-runner (would that be a 2-runner?). How about a Hyundai Minivan? People think nothing of plopping that kind of green for those things. Why is the Lamborgini of motorcycles considered out of reach at only $36,000? I guess it’s more about convincing the significant other you need to spend the money on something other than a family car. OK, a Honda S2000 might be negotiated down to $36,000. I see those all over the place, even young kids driving them.
OK, I’ll never buy one, specifically because of the cost. Heck, even if it cost $8000 I wouldn’t buy it because the cost. It can’t really be 36 times a better motorcycle than what I’ve got into my R75/5.
It’s neat, no doubt, and I definitely think it’s worth every penny.
-todd
Mayakovski says
HAHAHAHAHAHA;
Looks like my old mechano and erector sets.
Great engineering, but that is one unattractive motorcycle.
ROHORN says
Plenty of detail to stare at!
It is actually functional!!
The uninformed don’t get it!!!
Won’t get mistaken for anything else!!!!
Perfect.
hoyt says
Brian –
cool article. Thanks…one question:
The use of aluminum and steel (or magnesium)have been used by Bimota, MV Augusta, Laverda prototype, etc. for a couple of years, but I haven’t found a tech explanation for this type of construction.
Aside from looking cool & weight savings what are other advantages? Does this setup provide desired flex and stiffness as compared to an all aluminum swingarm or all steel swingarm?
Brian says
hoyt-
Good question. I don’t really know. But desired flex and stiffness could be designed into any material, right?
Andy says
It could be purely due to ease of manufacture. aluminium parts although cast in production are usally prototyped via cnc first. smaller parts are easier to machine and can be assembled into a larger structure. Steel frame tubes are still popular because the size to strength ratio is much higher than aluminium.
hoyt says
Ease of construction could be a reason, but, looking at the Tesi swingarm, it doesn’t look easy to manufacture even if every aluminum piece was CNC’d. There is a lot of intricate welding in that swingarm.
Look at the MV Augusta frame – it has the aluminum side plates with Magnesium or Steel trellis frame connection similar to other Bimota models. The factory employee has to bolt these peices together, as opposed to a Ducati factory employee taking an all steel frame and assembling it to the bike. Either the MV Augusta employee assembles the frame or the frame supplier does.
(the latest Monster looks like it is using the side plates too)
Has any moto reporter asked Bimotoa why they went from the aluminum front swingarm on the 2D to the steel swingarm on the 3D?
I would find this type of information more interesting to read than the tiresome spec sheet recitals every month in much of the printed moto journalism. “…bike x is .01 seconds faster in the quarter mile than bike z.” These neglible, unnoticed, boring facts are always headlined in all sorts of different fonts & letter-sizes with exclamation points: “COMPARO!” “SHOOTOUT!” “Track weapon”
Cheese ball! Douche Bag!
You’d notice the .01 difference, right?
Brian says
It’s probably a combination of ease of manufacture and design aesthetic.
flying kiwi says
they had the old tesi at goodwood,it is radical design and looks and sounds good but its too nice and expensive to be on the road, i doubt we’ll see one other than a showroom.(anymore on the britten they rebuilt)?
Gus gus says
nice but too expensive, thank you…
Hugo says
I think the front was done in steel to complement the look of the rear swingarm. The hybrid frame has the advantage that if you want to modifify the swingarm set-up it is easier to fabricate a new CNC part then to weld a new frame. Also to built in flex can be done by using different wall thickness for the tubes (which apparantly Ducati does in MotoGP altough apparantly the frame of the 800GP bikes has nothing to do with the street version) I personally don’t like the way the front fairing “hangs” over the front wheel; it loses it visual connecting with the front wheel and looks like somebody who’s neck is too long 😉
jp says
Money’s no object, I haven’t any! I love unconventional bikes, and this is just one more Bimota to drool over. Now if I could find some high-res shots to make posters of…
Brian says
You’re probably right Hugo. They already had the rear swingarm, carried over from the DB5, and that would have looked weird with an aluminum front swingarm. But, why did they do it on the DB5 then? Cost? Design?
I see your point on the front overhang, for which the rear section balances out. But with out conventional forks up front, it is bound to look weird. With the hand grips remaining where they are, chopping off the small front section ahead of the grips and removing the rear tail section behind the seat would drastically change the look of the bike. There’s always more than one way to skin el gatto. 🙂
Hugo says
Yes, I agree without forks it looks different and you can see they wanted a very lightweight look to the bike. But somehow the distance is optically to far. I would have put the radiator a little more forward (if possible) and let the sidefairing “connect” more to the front wheel which would probably be better for aerodynamics anyway…another thing I find strange is that the front fork has its optical mass below the swingarm which looks a little odd; for sure construction which looks similar to the rear would have a better look
Hugo says
And the hybrid frame for sure isn’t cheaper then a normal trellis swingarm/fork/etc so my guess is it’s an aestethics thing 😉
hoyt says
I like trellis framework very much, but on swingarms the trellis work always looked a bit too busy for me (e.g. Tesi, Ecosse Heretic).
The Tesi 2D also has a very smooth round front fender with no edges (contrary to the 3D front fender). The round shape of the front fender on the 2D is accented by the absence of fork legs. I dig it. The absence of trellis work in the aluminum swingarm doesn’t detract the eye from the round fender either.
Here is a black Tesi 3D displayed in Milan. Enough carbon fiber?
Also check out the fantastic DB7 swingarm and frame. That bike in a solid color paint job would be incredible. Also notable were: blue powder-coated Moto Morini and Ghezzi-Brian motard…
http://picasaweb.google.com/bigtwinsportbike/ItaliaExotica/photo#5130364935398072322
Brian says
Thanks for the pics hoyt! the DB7 is fantastic. The Tesi I shot was 100% carbon too, it was just painted. I like the unpainted version myself. You see that Aprilia??
Hugo says
Especially for Brian 🙂
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/aprilia-fv2-1200/big_eicma07_1.jpg
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/aprilia-fv2-1200/big_eicma07_2.jpg
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/aprilia-fv2-1200/big_eicma07_25.jpg
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/aprilia-fv2-1200/big_eicma07_3.jpg
http://static.blogo.it/motoblog/aprilia-fv2-1200/big_eicma07_26.jpg
Altough what I don’t understand is it weighs 160kg’s with almost everything being made out of carbon fibre; the Ducati 1098R weighs 5 kg’s more…
Hugo says
And a lot of Bimota pictures:
http://www.motoblog.it/galleria/bimota-db7-foto-ufficiali-e-dalleicma
(click to enlarge)
C.P.T.L. says
Yes, cool article and nice photos, thank you.
$36K seems like a steal for that.
For a moment it reminded me of the Confederate Renovatio, at least around the frame / engine.
Are the frame and engine integrated? I’d like to see it stripped down.
Is the front end controversial just because it’s unique or is there something odd or difficult about the way it handles?
The anti-dive characteristics, the weight down low… seems highly desirable.
Brian says
Very cool Hugo!! Thanks!!
ROHORN says
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/07/05/vyrus-985-c3-swingarm-front-end-motorcycle/
Brian says
Yeah the Vyrus was at the museum also, and it is quite different from the Tesi in person. It’s beautiful, and I have a lot of respect for the guys who made it. They even made a pocketbike version, which is now hanging on the wall.
Brian says
found some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/casemoto/BarberVintage2007/photo?authkey=dLCCc8A09f4#5131131344710617090
http://picasaweb.google.com/casemoto/BarberVintage2007/photo?authkey=dLCCc8A09f4#5131131379070355474
Geoff says
I took one out for a 20 mile test from my dealer today! Sweet ride!
F Hall says
Brainy design and imagination… Now I am thinking how I can create not a replica, but similarity on my machining ability behind my wifes back… 🙂 Hope she doesn’t visit the work shop and wonder what I am buying all this material for. Great piece of work and worth the buck too.
miguel says
Nice but witch bike was designed 1st the bimota or the vyrus, and why is the vyrus so much more expensive.
Geoff says
Have travelled 3500k’s on this work of art Bimota tesi 3D, it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at as well as ride, coachwork is impeccable and flawless, attention by onlookers is phenominal, finally, ONLY THE ROMANS COULD HAVE DONE IT.!!!!!!!!
Phil H says
Geoff,
Which number do you have? I have #19 and can’t wait to take delivery…