Bimota Tesi 3D cool

[China Greg]

[howdy,..China Greg has returned!]
I saw photos of the new Bimota Tesi 3D. After I have complained (endlessly) about how nothing is new or interesting... WOW.. there it is! Center-hub steering, REALLY engine-stressed frame... gorgeous trellis swing-arm.. under-seat exhaust.. actually a really beautiful design.
It won't affect Bandit models much, I imagine.. but boy, I'm happy to see that SOME manufacturer out there has some nutz.
Anyone got $25K they can lend me til Wednesday?

[DANG... how do you get a photo tagged on here...? Anyone do it for me?]

[rkfire]

Holy crap, after badmouthing several other new bikes and consepts for their styling, you like this thing?

It's the ugliest bike I've seen in quite a while. Bimota has done the hub center thing before, so did Yamaha, neither sold well.

[mademiriam]

I agree with the point that it's nice to see something different out for a change. So many bikes seem horribly similar to all the others. One of the reasons i've always liked looking at Buells (like those beautiful rim mounted rotors).
Would love to take this for a spin!

It certainly has the market cornered in the 'odd' department.

[PitterB4]

I agree that's a bit odd looking although it may grow on me.  Between the lack of forks and the fact that the motor seems so far back, it looks a bit like a teeter-totter from the side.  It definitely needs more front fender or something up there...  Very interesting, though.

[China Greg]

Yes, as a matter of fact I DO like the styling on it.
Whether or not it will SELL or not is a moot point for me, as I could never afford the friggin' thing anyway. I don't think Bimota has EVER had great sales success, but I may be wrong.

If anyone is interested, you might want to check the Bimota USA website.. they've got a few other models... including one sort of standard-looking sportbike called a DB7 I think it was, that has a pretty layout.

I've always pipe-dreamed that Suzuki would make a red, trellis-framed Bandit...somehow looking kind of like a Monster S4 or something. Hey.. it's a free country, innit?

PS... Thanks M for posting the photo for me!

[Red01]

I've always pipe-dreamed that Suzuki would make a red, trellis-framed Bandit...somehow looking kind of like a Monster S4 or something. Hey.. it's a free country, innit?

Not quite a trellis, but IMHO, the original Bandits come pretty close to that look - and pre-date the Monster, so who copied who? 

[Have Blue]

Strangely enough, I like it!  I'm not sure which end is the front though.  LOL

[solman]

I have seen the bike in person a few times.  One of the dealers here in Phoenix has one for sale.  It goes fo $35k and there are only a small amount of them in the states.  I want one so bad and they are an awesome bike.

[China Greg]

Wow, Red... I never saw (or noticed) that red-tube-framed Bandit before (I assume it's a 400)
Pretty good... and yes, closer to my "dream" Bandit concept! Now we gotta take that, and move back closer to lighter-weight and drag-bars and 1/4 fairings... heh heh.. like mine!

As for the Bimota, I'm not pimping the dang things..  I happened to see that Tesi in some expensive Euro mag somewhere and it caught my interest as being a cool design excersize, at least. This in an era when new formats in the bike marketplace seem pretty scarce.. (and yes, I know center-hub steering has been tried before).

PS  ..that side-shot photo doesn't really do it total justice, but okay.. thanks, M.

[Red01]

Wow, Red... I never saw (or noticed) that red-tube-framed Bandit before (I assume it's a 400)
Pretty good... and yes, closer to my "dream" Bandit concept! Now we gotta take that, and move back closer to lighter-weight and drag-bars and 1/4 fairings... heh heh.. like mine!

Yes, that's a 400 Bandit (the 250's look the same).  And if you prefer the clip-ons and 1/4 fairings, there were these versions (but not in the USA):







The original B6/12 concept drawings showed a bike with a frame like the B4, but somewhere between concept and production, the engine as a stressed member idea was dropped for the double downtube cradle.  Too bad - the frame design one of the cool features of the original Bandits, IMHO.

As for the new Tesi, I think it's a cool looking bike, but with the price tag, I'm disappointed it got the lower performance DS motor instead of one of the water-pumpers.
Ya, that's the reason I'm not buying one.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

[China Greg]

WOW. Those 400's look GREAT, and very close to what I've dreamed the 1200 could be like! Thanks a lot... I'm astounded.

I wonder what kept Zuk from making that style?  My feelings (I suppose all too well known now) are that the Bandit started out well.. and has sort of "degenerated" farther and farther towards the "Touring" side. Man, I'd love it if Hamamatsu would twist-up a B12 in that configuration!
Demographics Be Damned. I WANT one!
 

[solman]

I heard that it is air cooled because of the lack of space for a radiator.

[PitterB4]

The B4 was easy enough to do with drag bars or clipons...  (shameless opportunity to post a pic of my baby  )



I think I actually had Suburban Machinery bars designed for the SV on it in that pic but used clipons most of the time.  I do love the trellis frame.  It was a really pretty bike.

[China Greg]

Nice bike, Rob!

Oxford, PA? Wow... great roads in S.E. PA and the Delaware Valley. I remember riding my GS750 out Rte 894 towards Oxford/Elkton/etc. on acid, back in my U Delaware days... late 70's. 
Those were the Daze. I think.... uhh...

[PitterB4]

Nice bike, Rob!

Oxford, PA? Wow... great roads in S.E. PA and the Delaware Valley. I remember riding my GS750 out Rte 894 towards Oxford/Elkton/etc. on acid, back in my U Delaware days... late 70's. 
Those were the Daze. I think.... uhh...

Ha, ha!  I'm about 15 mins from U of D.  I think you mean 896 (that acid will get you every time!).  There are some good roads... if you don't mind all the horse crap.  Damned amish!