A POTENT blend of Italian style and racing heritage combined with Japanese mechanical wizardry and power has landed at The Ramp, the motorcycle arm of the Mansell Collection.
The First Tower dealership is now the Island’s supplier of Bimota machines, and is taking orders for both the ground-breaking Tesi H2 and the soon-to-be-launched KB4.
The Tesi is all about quality and so doesn’t come cheap, but these bikes will be tailored to customers’ exacting specifications. They are expected to retail for around £60,000.
The brand, with a heritage steeped in competition, produces motorcycles with a unique specification using high-tech components and design technology, now approved for street use.
Bimota first released production models of the radical and innovative Tesi H2 on
1 October last year to rave reviews.
It was the latest chapter in the exciting story of the revival of Italy’s most traditional and much-admired premium motorcycle brand.
The Tesi H2 is a revolutionary motorcycle which incorporates advanced engineering and chassis elements first seen on the Tesi 1D including Bimota’s iconic hub-steering technology coupled with Kawasaki’s high performance supercharged engine first seen in the Ninja H2.
The machine is marketed under the brand tagline Revolution Continues and Bimota says it is constantly pursuing innovation.
Pierluigi Marconi, designer of Tesi H2, said: ‘Finally, my dream becomes reality. Bimota’s innovative Tesi philosophy has been dramatically enhanced with Kawasaki’s high quality, performance and legendary engineering quality.
‘In addition to various electronic control technologies brought by Kawasaki, the Tesi H2 has a compact chassis that is composed of aluminium parts newly designed by Bimota.
‘The weight of the machine is centred on the engine while the outstanding spread of power is delivered by the supercharged four-cylinder Ninja engine. Hub centre steering – which is a feature of Tesi H2 – naturally suppresses the pitching of the motorcycle allowing riders to experience stable, controllable riding.’
Manufacturing of the Tesi H2 takes place at Bimota’s famous Rimini factory in Italy with a planned limited edition of 250 units, each with a unique serial number plate.
At the Tesi’s launch, Hiroshi Ito, from Kawasaki Japan, said: ‘The story began three years ago. A small investment bank approached us inquiring if we were interested in an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. The company name was veiled, but when I checked the documents I instantly noticed, Oh it’s Bimota! Yes, that Bimota.
‘For motorcycle enthusiasts of my age, Bimota was legendary – motorcycles that we used to dream of with incredible chassis, jewel-like parts and an unaffordable price tag.’
He added: ‘I immediately flew to Milan and met Signor Marco, chief executive of Bimota. He was so excited about his racing activity on Bimota, I thought, “this project will be a success” because he is a real motorcycle enthusiast. Later, I had the chance to spend almost the whole day with Bimota’s legendary designer Pierluigi Marconi.
‘We forgot all about the time when we talked. “Combining this engine and thatchassis… adding these parts… we can make a great bike,” he said. I was convinced our project will make a great success and we can make new history.’
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