Motorcycle specifications Bimota800 TESI 3D RaceCafe 2016 Satellite display

With neo-retro in the air, even an elitist manufacturer like Bimota couldn't let the trend pass without infusing it into some model. The TESI 3D, the brand's most unusual machine, was chosen to illustrate this trend. The result is as eye-catching as a Lazareth creation embedded in a preppy scooter convention. The TESI 3D RaceCafe pushes audacity to its ultimate limits.

A beefy rear end, an expressive front end bordering on the brutal, a compact, streamlined frame this café racer is a UFO in its class. Exuberance is at its peak. Particularly with its unique chassis: two heavily openworked aluminium plates form an Omega structure. At the ends are two tubular trellis swingarms. The rear end, already striking in its shape, appears almost classic in comparison with the gasworks that make up the front axle. Another tubular trellis holds a steering hub. A set of connecting rods to link it to a phantom steering column, and you've got one of the most surreal motorcycles in production. The complex linkage has forced the brake calipers to face due south. Quite a situation, to say the least, for these superb radial-mount Brembo monoblocs. Add to this a whole lot of beautiful machined parts, Öhlins suspension, a set of lightweight OZ racing rims and a polished finish, and you'll understand why Bimota charges such an exorbitant price for this machine. Go back to the front suspension for a moment and notice the eccentric connecting the arm to the shock absorber. A similar element governs the rear, with the duo allowing the height of the bike to be adjusted by plus or minus 23 mm.

Engine-wise, however, it's difficult to express any real enthusiasm. Chosen from Ducati's organ bank, the twin still looks good, but does its generation have a place in such a technical chassis? Above all, its power is totally unworthy of such a machine. The BB3 uses an S 1000 RR engine, the DB8 is stuffed with the 1198's boiler, and the brand has even demonstrated that it can go crazy with its compressor-equipped DB11 VLX. And here, on the Tesi 3D RaceCafé, the rider will have to contend with an air-cooled 803 cm3 with 2 valves per cylinder. Taking its name from the Scrambler, the engine gains a handful of horsepower, and now boasts 80 hp. But why not keep the 1100? And to think that the first Tesi could have been fitted with the 851 Superbike engine, or a version with 904 cm3 and 113 hp... Okay, I'll stop.

With a dry weight of just 165 kilos, the Tesi RC goes so far as to offer a carbon version of its swingarms as an option. That's 3 kilos lighter. And so does the price.
The Bimota Tesi 3D RaceCafe is exceptional technologically, but disappointing on the engine front. A collector's item, a whim, an expression of faith.