Bargain-hunters aren’t likely to be shopping at Bimota but those with money to spare will be pleased to hear that the firm has finally announced the full specifications and price of its hub-steered, supercharged Tesi H2.
How much? In Italy, the bike costs €64,000 including VAT at 22%. While we’ve got a fractionally lower 20% VAT rate here, once import costs are included that’s still likely to equate to at least £60,000.
Not long ago, that might not have seemed unreasonable. After all, this is a limited-production, supercharged superbike, making 228hp (170kW) or 238hp (178kW) once ram-air is accounted for. But apart from its hub-steered chassis the Tesi’s specs are virtually identical to those for the £26,000 Kawasaki Ninja H2 that donates its engine. So depending on your perspective, either the Kawasaki is a storming bargain or the Bimota is very, very costly.
While the Bimota’s full specs have only just been announced, we got sight of them way back in February. The new announcement confirms the figures we had then and adds a few more details.
The only surprise is that Bimota is claiming a dry weight of 207kg. A bike’s wet weight including a tank of fuel is normally around 20-25kg more than its dry mass, suggesting the Tesi would come in at around 227-232kg. In comparison, a Kawasaki Ninja H2’s wet weight, ready to ride, is 238kg.
Our earlier figures, which came from the Tesi’s official type-approval documents, put the wet weight at 214kg, which is more in line with what we’d expect from a bike with the Tesi’s exotic construction and carbon bodywork.
All the other dimensions are within a few mm of the Kawasaki H2’s, with identical width, 11mm less length, a 10mm shorter wheelbase and 30mm more height. Only the hub-centre steering provides a big change, with a super-steep rake of 21.3 degrees and a long, 117mm trail, compared to more conventional 24.5 degree and 103mm figures for the Kawasaki.
As well as the price and specs, Bimota has released a handful of pictures of the bike in production form, revealing a change in graphics compared to last year’s show model and a few tweaks in terms of the finishes on components. However, the overall look hasn’t changed much.
To work out whether it’s worth forking out the extra £34k for the Tesi H2 over a Ninja H2, here’s a full spec comparison of the two models:
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Model name:
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Tesi H2
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Ninja H2
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Frame type:
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Aluminum alloy plates billet machined, with rear swingarm mounting plate
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Trellis, high-tensile steel with rear swingarm mounting plate
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Engine type / Valve system:
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4 stroke, 4-cyl, DOHC, W/C, supercharged / DOHC 4 valve
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4 stroke, 4-cyl, DOHC, W/C, supercharged / DOHC 4 valve
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Displacement:
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998 cm³
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998 cm³
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Bore x Stroke:
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76.0 mm × 55.0 mm
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76.0 mm × 55.0 mm
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Compression ratio:
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8.5 : 1
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8.5 : 1
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Max. power:
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170 kW (231 PS) / 11,500 rpm (with Ram Air 178 kW (242 PS) /11,500 rpm)
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170 kW (231 PS) / 11,500 rpm (with Ram Air 178 kW (242 PS) /11,500 rpm)
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Max. torque:
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141 Nm (104 ftlbs) / 11,000 rpm
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141 Nm (104 ftlbs) / 11,000 rpm
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Fuel system
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DFI®: 50 mm throttle bodies (4) with dual injection, Euro 4
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DFI®: 50 mm throttle bodies (4) with dual injection, Euro 4
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Fuel capacity:
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17 lt.
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17 lt.
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Transmission:
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6 speed, return, dog-ring, constant mesh
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6 speed, return, dog-ring, constant mesh
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Clutch type:
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Wet, multi-disc
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Wet, multi-disc
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Lubrication system:
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Forced Lubrication (wet sump)
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Forced Lubrication (wet sump)
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Engine oil capacity:
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5.0 lt.
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5.0 lt.
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Overall length:
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2074 mm
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2085 mm
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Overall width:
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770 mm
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770 mm
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Overall height:
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1155 mm
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1125 mm
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Wheelbase:
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1445 mm
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1455 mm
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Ground clearance:
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140 mm
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130 mm
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Seat height:
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840 mm (+/- 10 mm)
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825 mm
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Rake angle / Trail:
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21.3° / 117 mm
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24.5° / 103 mm
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Front Suspension:
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Billet aluminum alloy swingarm
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43 mm inverted fork with rebound and compression damping, spring preload adjustability and top-out springs
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Wheel travel:
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100 mm
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120 mm
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Rear Suspension:
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Billet aluminum alloy swingarm
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Uni-Trak, Öhlins TTX36 gas-charged shock with piggyback reservoir, compression damping, rebound damping, preload adjustability and top-out spring
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Rear wheel travel:
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130 mm
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135 mm
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Front tire size:
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120 / 70Z R17
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120 / 70Z R17
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Rear tire size:
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200 / 55Z R17
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200 / 55Z R17
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Front dual:
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Disc 330 mm
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Disc 330 mm
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Rear single:
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Disc 220 mm
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Disc 250 mm
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Dry weight:
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207 kg
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not quoted (wet weight 238 kg)
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Suggested retail price (in Italy):
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EUR 64.000 incl. VAT 22% (Italy)
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EUR 29.700 incl. VAT 22% (Italy)
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Start of sales:
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October 2020
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On sale now
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