Motorcycle specifications Bimota1100 TESI 3D 2012 On the handlebars of another dimension

some manufacturers are guided by a single imperative: performance. Others by design, some by originality. Bimota takes a different approach: exclusivity. Perhaps sometimes too much so, which has led the factory to tone down the eccentricity of its Tesi concept. The 3rd generation of this machine, baptized Tesi 3D, evolves further in its concept while harmonizing the stylistic trait. It has to be said that the 2D version was... surprising.

Let's recall Bimota's Tesi concept. Using a swinging arm for the front axle, it dispenses with the need for a fork. The system, which separates the suspension and steering functions, uses a set of links and a steering hub. The specifics of this technique are explained in detail in the data sheet for the first Tesi, the 1991 Model 1D. While the principle has remained the same since the 1D, there have been some remarkable developments on the 3D. Both the front and rear swingarms are made of a trellis structure of steel tubes connected to aluminum plates. This construction made its debut on the DB5. Engineers have also optimized braking to include a radial mounting system for the front calipers.
The frame's centerpiece remains the 2 aluminum plates that make up the Omega frame, here less openwork than on the 2D. The frame holds Ducati's latest twin desmo, the 1100 DS used on the Multistrada, captive. Bimota has adapted the injection system to make the engine's behavior more in tune with the Tesi's personality. However, for the exorbitant price of this machine, the decent thing to do would have been to put in something stronger, like a 996 or a 998. The Tesi 1D of 15 years ago had the Desmoquattro of the 851.

Let's leave aside these mechanical considerations and focus on the very essence of the Tesi: the exception. A motorcycle unlike any other, where every part seems to have been designed to unsettle us mortals. The design is smoother and more homogeneous than the 2D model. The front looks sportier and less proto; the rear has its roots in the DB5. More than an alternative to conventional sports cars, the Tesi 3D is above all a wonderful pretext for creating a modern sculpture that brings together Bimota's passion. There are countless beautiful pieces, and eccentricity extends to the edges of the mirrors. The 10 cm high triangular bubble sums up all the artifice: style takes precedence.

Wiser, more powerful, the Tesi 3D is also less expensive than its predecessor. At €29,000 a pop, it remains an object for aesthetes.