Insane supercharged Bimota Tesi H2 production starts
Hub-steering Bimota Tesi H2 available in Europe from October 1
Following months of social media teasing, Bimota have confirmed the full spec of their supercharged Tesi H2, and it’s a bit of a monster. Initially slated for a 250-unit run, each with its own number plaque, the bike was made available online from Wednesday, September 9 and sports a darker livery than the prototype, as well as an all-black alternative. Ten bikes are allocated to the UK. Introduced at the 2019 Milan show, it’s the first productionready machine from the smalltime manufacturer since Kawasaki purchased a 49.9% share of the company last year, and uses the claimed 228bhp supercharged 998cc four-cylinder engine from the Japanese firm’s Ninja H2. Weighing 207kg dry, it does away with the Kawasaki’s conventional fork and trellis frame setup in favour of hub centre steering. Although radically different to look at, the dual billet-alloy swingarm design promises advantages such as keeping braking forces away from the suspension, allowing you to trail brake deeper into a bend – a similar ethos to the telelever setup on a BMW R1250GS. Catering for the dual arms are two manually adjustable Öhlins TTX shocks housed within the rear swingarm, with remote preload adjusters. Bimota also say the ride height is adjustable by 20mm (★/10mm) without altering the frame geometry and that the peg position can also be tweaked for comfort. Away from the springs, the Tesi H2 has been treated to a full suite of Kawasaki electronics, including a two-way quickshifter, ninestage traction control, an Öhlins electronic steering damper, a Bosch IMU, launch control and more. Helping in the corners are a set of forged wheels, with powerful Brembo Stylema calipers up front biting 330mm semi-floating discs. The bonkers machine was initially set for launch in July 2020 – however, production at the Italian factory was pushed back by a month-long Covid-19 lockdown. The first bikes will be available for European customers from October 1, priced at €64,000 (approx. £59,400), before expanding to a global market.