Riding In 3-D
RIDING IN 3-D
Is this the bike that will save Bimota? Again?
BLAKE CONNER
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
IT’S A WONDER ANYTHING GETS ACCOMplished in Italy. The laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle-espresso breaks, cigarette breaks and looong lunches-doesn’t lend itself to feverish productivity. It also seems unfair to plant a motorcycle factory, as Bimota has done, Despite the distractions, Bimota is back in business, slowly churning out its hand-built, two-wheeled exotica in stark contrast to the buzzing production lines of Aprilia up the road in Noale or Ducati in Bologna.
To say that the company has gone through a turbulent decade would be a huge understatement. Bimota was all but dead and buried just four years ago, until current owner, wealthy Italian businessman Roberto Comini-general manager for GB Ingredients, a huge multinational company that sells yeast and baking ingredients worldwide-came along. He is the small bike-maker’s knight in shining armor. His sympathetic view of the company is the only reason that Tesis, Delirios and DB5s have been designed and built, and the only reason the company continues to evolve today.
My own journey with the new Tesi 3D began back in April of ’07. Having spent a lot of time on the previousgeneration 2D (CW, November, 2006), I was dying to get a taste of its completely redesigned replacement. When the opportunity to tour the Bimota factory and ride one out of headquarters’ gates came along, I was all over it.
Highlight of the week was that I’d be one of the first journalists in the world to throw a leg over the 3D at the recently reconfigured Misano circuit. Additionally, face-to-face time with Chairman Comini was scheduled.
When I arrived in Rimini, 3D test bikes had yet to emerge from a secret downstairs workshop, so I was shepherded on an extensive tour of the facility. The walls of the factory don’t need to talk to tell the tale of this company, which started building motorcycles back in 1973. Just step into the parts department located in the basement where row after row of parts are neatly organized for Bimotas ranging from early HB 1 s all the way through to current models. Original frames, wheels, dash assemblies and bodywork are all ready to be shipped to owners in the process of restoring older models or just looking for hard-tofind replacement parts.
Early in the week, in the absence of Mr. Comini, I noticed a general lack of urgency at the factory. But once he stepped into the building, things spun up quickly. This is the man who can save Bimota, I thought to myself, and when I sat down to discuss the company’s future with him, I walked away with the impression that it’s in good hands. He appears in it for the long haul, too.
“I have three children and wanted to develop something to support them in the future,” he said.
As for the way forward?
“Bimota needs to be Bimota,” Comini said. “The market is changing and the Japanese have pushed the quality level to new heights. Bimota needs to be different, with high quality, low quantities, and remain a niche market to stay competitive.”
Ideally, he would like Bimota to produce 1000 bikes a year split between five models: “Bimota has to have a future of innovation to stand out in the marketplace. Our clients aren’t worried about price. They just want something that is hand-built.”
Unfortunately, shortly after Comini left town for a business meeting, Bimota once again ground to a crawl, much to the dismay of the U.S. importer Jean Marc Rousseau and National Sales Manager Shane Turpin, who accompanied me to Italy. Riding the Tesi on its home soil evaporated into thin air with the chairman gone. Not a single bike was ready to ride prior to my departure.
Fast forward four months. I met Turpin at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, and finally got a chance to sample the 3D. After the embarrassing missed opportunity in Italy, I was assured that I would ride the first Tesi on U.S. soil. Not only did Bimota come through on that promise, they sent serial #000000. How cool is that?!
The previous 2D had a couple of glaring faults, including a complete lack of suspension compliance and a very limited range of steering lock. These issues made riding the bike on the street difficult at times. Additionally, the 2D’s front shock placement was in the way of the rider’s left knee, giving all who rode the bike a nice bruise there.
Completely redesigned by Andrea Acquaviva-a former protégé of original Tesi creator Pier Luigi Marconi-the 3D has addressed all of the previous bike’s shortcomings.
Key to making the 3D friendlier was a reworking of the Tesi front end. Steering lock has been increased, going from a 17-degree sweep to 21, improving maneuverability. Gone, too, is the large side-mount cantilever shock and in its place is an Extreme Tech-built, dual-chamber, pull-piston damper tucked neatly out of the way under the right engine case. Preload is handled by the air chamber, compression and rebound damping by oil in the other.
In contrast to the 2D, the new front swingarm uses fewer links (ours had optional carbon-fiber rods) with more precise joints, eliminating slop. Steering links now reside completely on the left side and no longer pass through the frame, greatly simplifying the system.
Riding on Miller’s West Loop, I was amazed by how much more responsive the front end was compared to the 2D. Not only did steering input feel direct and predictable, suspension action was supple and the whole setup provided good feedback. It even gives a hint of dive on the brakes, making it feel more akin to a traditional telescopic fork.
When people see a Tesi for the first time, the inevitable questions include: Does it work and why not use a normal fork? In the past, I was only able to give a weak explanation, because I’d never experienced first-hand the true benefits of isolating suspension action from brake dive. I can now say without doubt that the new Tesi front end delivers on its promise of being a viable alternative to the tele-fork. Most impressive was how hard the 3D could brake into Miller’s bumpy Black Rock hairpin. It sucked up ripples with total composure and didn’t put any noticeable traction-altering stress on the Continental ContiRaceAttack front tire.
The only negative attribute that I had to get used to was that the bike stands up and understeers significantly when trail-braked heavily into corners. Given the Tesi’s considerable level of adjustment up front (18 to 21 degrees of rake and 3.9 to 4.6 inches of trail), it’s possible that this could be tuned out. Without the luxury of extended setup time, I just got all my braking done early.
Not only was the front end redesigned but the entire chassis was substantially changed. The billet-aluminum, omega-shaped frame forms the central structure with the DB6-derived, chrome-moly and billet swingarm pivoting in the omega and rear engine cases. The Extreme Tech rear shock, a linkless design, is fully adjustable and much plusher than the 2D’s piece. Braking is handled by a pair of Brembo 320mm floating rotors squeezed by radial-mount, four-piston calipers of the same make. A Brembo 220mm disc and caliper reside out back.
A key difference between previous Tesis and the 3D is the riding position. This bike has tall bars and a small fairing, making it feel more streetfighter than sportbike. Another distinction is that the bike feels tiny. Maybe too much so.
Not only is it very narrow but the cockpit is confining and doesn’t offer the rider much wiggle room in the 32-inch-high seat. On track, however, once I became accustomed to the short reach to the bars and high rearsets, I felt quite comfortable. Six-footers may not agree.
Powering the bike is the same 1078cc Dual-Spark engine found in the Ducati Hypermotard and Multistrada. If you read our tests on the aforementioned bikes, you already know how fond we are of this powerplant. In Bimota’s lightweight chassis, this torque monster provided very entertaining thrust out of comers, and I never wished for anything more. Okay, maybe a little! Many may question the use of an air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder engine in a $35,900 exotic but the 3D wasn’t meant to be a Superbike and could never be this light and lithe with radiators and water pumping through those big jugs.
Currently, the DB5, DB6 and Tesi 3D all share the 1100 twin-plug engine, but when asked about future options, Comini had this to say: “In the past, Bimota used multiple brands of engines. We have to have a motor strong in the heart and are still considering using other options-and it doesn’t have to be Italian.” Maybe this explains the KTM Super Duke parked in Bimota’s R&D department!
Although the engine itself is identical to that of stock Ducatis, Bimota’s own airbox, exhaust system, ECU and fuel-injection maps are developed in-house. At Miller’s near5000-foot elevation, the bike felt a little bit softer than our sea-level Hypermotard testbike in terms of pure grunt, but the fuel delivery was spot-on. Those looking for the jingle and jangle of dry clutch plates will be disappointed as the 1100DS uses a wet, non-slipper clutch. But feel from the hydraulically actuated unit is excellent, providing smooth launches street or track.
When we had the 2D in our hands back in ’06, all of us were fascinated by the bike’s plethora of aluminum eyecandy, but as a whole it was a bit fugly. No more. Designer Enrico Borghesan’s angular, chiseled styling is reminiscent of a Stealth Fighter and has brought the 3D up to date with the rest of the Bimota family. In fact, the exhaust, swingarm and entire rear end are stolen from the DB6 Delirio as is the much-improved instrument console. The 3D looks polished and well-finished compared to the cobbled-together 2D.
The Tesi 3D may be the playboy's ultimate toy, but this version of the 20-year-old front-suspension concept clearly delivers on the promise of a functional alternative to the good ol' fork. If you are looking for something exotic that stands out from the crowd, or just can't seem to get enough attention on your run-of-the-mill repli-racer, the Tesi will solve your problems. Although I would have been hard to convince, empty-handed back in Rimini, some things really are better with time, and in this case the 3D was well worth the wait.
