AFTER Kawasaki acquired a 49% stake in Italian exotica manufacturer Bimota, the question of ‘what will they build together?’ was instantly answered with the stunning Tesi H2.
Almost as quickly as that matter was cleared up, thoughts quickly turned to what could come next from the Japanese/Italian tie-up. It didn’t take long for the rumours to begin, with teaser images and a short video arriving to clear up that query too; a retro sports bike called the KB4 was on the way.
Bimota Tesi H2 video reveal
We’ve had a pretty good idea of how the bike is shaping up already, with the official Bimota social channels happily sharing the blurry images of the bike coming together. Today though, we get the clearest image of the KB4 to date, and it seems to point towards a 2021 launch date.
The pictures look to have been captured at a test track and show the KB4 fitted with stabilising out-riggers mounted to the left and right-hand side of the bike. The hardware is a big clue as to how far the bike is along the road to being finished as these are used mostly for testing the bike's electronic systems.
The frames are used to test out the bike’s cornering ABS and traction control systems, allowing the rider to push past the limit of adhesion without risking serious damage to the precious machine. The system the bike is inheriting is lifted straight from the latest-spec Ninja 1000 SX machine, although it’s not just as simple as plugging it in and expecting it to work. The KB4 runs a higher-spec suspension set-up, has vastly different geometry and weight to the sports tourer from Kawasaki. For those reasons and probably a lot more, it’s extremely sensible to give the system a real-world outing on the skid-pan just for good measure.
The fact that Bimota is at this stage of testing is also good news for those who are hoping to place a deposit for the model. It means the bike is nearing completion, with some sources reporting a March 2021 production date, with bikes being delivered shortly after that.
