Bimota Tesi H2 gets a step closer

THE tie-up between legendary Italian builder Bimota and Japanese giant Kawasaki is soon to be bearing fruit, as the Bimota Tesi H2 goes through the final stages of prototype testing.

Since the Tesi H2 mic-dropped its way onto the stage at the EICMA show in Milan last November, the entire motorcycle industry has been keen to get the inside scoop on when the machine could potentially land.

Any doubt that the bike was a serious and valid attempt by the two parties to create a viable product was quickly quashed when the bike was spotted at undergoing some real-world ‘testing’ towards the end of December.

Further good news comes from the Bimota social media platforms, as they have been sharing pictures of nearly completed bikes including the third prototype which will undergo comparison testing.

A large chunk of the time taken to develop the bike will be getting the Bimota trademark front swing arm correct. Done well the system can separate braking and cornering forces, reducing dive and increasing agility. Done wrong and the front end can feel vague and lacking in feedback.

We can also confirm that the delivery date for the new bike is expected in June this year, with the asking price for Italian customers being €62,000 or around £51,000.

The latest machine from the newly revived firm, see the Tesi H2 uses the engine and gearbox from the Kawasaki H2. Its supercharged inline four-cylinder engine can produce over 240bhp including ram-air induction. In November last year, Kawasaki announced that it was becoming a part-owner of Bimota at the EICMA show in Milan last year, with the Japanese manufacturer now owning 49% of the firm.