Whether you like the Kawasaki-Bimota Tesi H2 showcased at EICMA or not, you have to admit that the prospect of the Japanese giant working hand in hand with the Italian firm has something exciting. Team Green low key bought shares in the small Rimini manufacturer and the Tesi H2 was their first collaboration. The first of what we hope will be many more.
The Revival:
According to the folks over at Young Machine, the Tesi H2 is just a beginning. They have a knack for creating really impressive renders and their latest project gives the next Kawasaki-Bimota bike a face.
This time, rather than Kawasaki’s supercharged one-liter engine powering an equally radical sportbike, the Japanese Website has imagined a KB4-inspired bike underlined by the Kawasaki Ninja 1000’s four-pot mill. The formerly independent manufacturer has produced the KB1, KB2, and KB3 in the past, a line of fully-faired sportbikes produced between the late 70s and the mid-80s. Guess what engines Bimota used for its KB series? Here’s a hint: it’s in the name.
If B stands for Bimota, K stands for… Kawasaki, of course. The KB1 was introduced in 1978, followed by the KB2 in 1981, and finally by the KB3 in 1983. The company used Kawasaki’s engines from its Z series including the half and full-liter ones. The potential KB4 powered by the current 1000 engine would be on theme with the rest of the KB family.
Also on theme with the rest of the family is the bubble sport fairing, golden wheels, and clip-ons, features reminiscent of the other KBs. The render doesn’t bank only on nostalgia: it also adds a touch of modernity such as the carbon fiber accents and the dramatic angles carved into the fairing—necessary additions to make the bike relevant in this day and age.
Of course, considering until the beginning of November, we weren’t even sure Kawasaki had actually made a move on Bimota, it’s hard to tell what the next move would be. The Tesi H2 is an absolutely striking place to start, if only a little too exclusive. A model like the KB4 would have the potential of making the brand more mainstream.
Sources: Young Machine, Visordown