Tesi 1d Racer
TESI 1D RACER
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
WHEN BETTER SPORTBIKES ARE BUILT, BIMOTA WILL BUILD THEM
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU'D seen everything, here's Pierluigi Marconi, chief designer at tiny Bimota, with his Tesi ID, an avantgarde design which just might be the machine to reshuffle motorcycle priorities everywhere.
Bimota’s oft-stated commitment to the hub-center philosophy has produced a bike—debuted at the Cologne Show—which appears likely to be the first such series-production streetbike of the modern era. And it seems likely that the Tesi 1 D’s arrival could break the ice as far as frontsuspension development from other manufacturers is concerned.
But is the Tesi 1 D—which uses a 851 engine rather than a Japanese Four as so many previous Bimotas have—really so much better than a conventional design? To find out. I accepted Marconi’s invitation to ride the prototype 851-powered Tesi ID racer on which all the development work for the new roadbike has been carried out. And the answer is, unquestionably, yes.
questionably, yes.
For starters, the Tesi is much lower and more compact than the standard Ducati 851 from which it takes its powerplant. The Tesi feels, and behaves, more like a 600. But forget its size. All that Bimota dealers will have to do to sell this bike to people with the ready cash is to get them on it. The Tesi will do the rest. Low-speed steering is just as good as that of any conventional, large-capacity sportbike, maybe better than some. Next, with a wheelbase of just 54.3, the Tesi is short and “flickable” in a way the 85 1 has never been. But you can only flick a bike if it steers properly, and that the Tesi does. In spite of the wide, 3.5-inch front rim and the four different linkage points in the mechanical-steering assembly, the Tesi not only seems light and easy to ride, but also steers in an amazingly positive manner, with lots of feel to the steering. It is stable, precise and easy to lay from side to side.
However, the one area where the Bimota is superior to anything else I’ve ridden is under braking. If you can ignore what your brain is telling you is the safe shutoff/braking point for a given corner, and stay on the power for longer than seems wise or possible, the Tesi will reward you with undreamed-of stopping and cornering power. This is because the front suspension keeps working to optimal effect, even when cranked over in the turn with the brakes on, thanks to the hub-center design. Once you’ve reprogrammed your mind to do so, it’s possible to brake ultra-hard and ultra-late, and peel off into the apex still gripping the brake lever for all it’s worth, without the suspension freezing, the forks deflecting or the bike understeering. Definitely requires a rethink of the old riding technique. Worth keeping in mind, however, is that braking as hard as the Tesi will allow you to results in the back wheel lifting off the deck very easily.
If Bimota is true to its plans, the first Tesi will be the 500cc V-Twin GP racer, carrying Bimota’s own twostroke engine. Then we’ll see the Dueati-powered Tesi 1D streetbike put into production. It’s been a long time coming, but the blueprint for the bike of the future is here. The Tesi streetbike should mark an important new stage in the evolution of the motorcycle. All that remains to be seen is how quickly the Japanese will seek to emulate it.
—Alan Cathcart
