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Driving report Bimota 500 Vdue
Due infernal
The prototype of the 500 Vdue is still in the development phase, but it is running. First impressions of the sensational Bimota lighter.
As agreed. At ten o’clock sharp, the Vdue rolls into the Hockenheim paddock. Dieter Konemann, Bimota importer from Schneverdingen near Hamburg, leans the red-white-green racer on the side stand. Uff – done. After months of waiting for the first 500cc Vdue, the impatient two-stroke experts from MOTORRAD can finally get into the saddle. But Dieter Konemann dampens expectations: “The injection electronics are only provisionally matched to the prototype, so slow rolling in the lower speed range is not so easy.” The reason: Bimota chief technician Pierluigi Marconi is currently switching from the Italian TDD hardware to more precise injection nozzles German manufacturer Siemens. Therefore, the test engines with the decommissioned assemblies are only properly matched for the upper performance range in order to test the stability of the two-stroke engine developed completely by Bimota under full load. (see MOTORRAD 26/1996)
Still rhythmic and round while idling, the start-up ritual is actually a feat due to the jerky misfires, accompanied by a complete lean mixture without any reaction to the throttle position. The twin finds its rhythm at walking pace and, provided the engine temperature is correct, scrambles up the speed ladder without irregularities. Well, go. And how to do it. Up to 7000 rpm with restraint, then it pulls tight to unabashedly play out the power a thousand revolutions later with an impressive output. At 10500 rpm it’s over, clack, the next gear, and with a sonorous, dull two-stroke saw, the Bimota pushes on unabated. Emotionally, around 100 of the 110 hp targeted for the production version are already tearing on the chain on the prototype, and they have little trouble getting the exactly 181 kilogram heavy Bimota going with a full tank.
Restrained getting to know each other is followed by the first brisk laps on the small circuit in Hockenheim, and they cause some surprises. Despite the chassis geometry, which is extremely manageable, the Bimota 500 is spared from stability problems. In fast passages, from around 160 km / h, there is an additional stabilization due to the gyroscopic forces of the six-spoke cast wheels in the common 17 inch format, which nibbles on the handiness, but the Bimota stays in even on bumps and longitudinal joints The incline is beyond any doubt.
Despite the superior stability, the Vdue looks far more nimble than the current 600 supersport bikes, swings easily through the Motodrom and finds its line without any corrections. When accelerating from an incline, you stay a few revolutions below the absolute power range out of sheer caution, especially since the transition from partial load to full load is not as smooth and controllable as you would like for such a powerhouse.
The front lifts gently on the straights in the two lower corridors, without the Vdue mutating into a mustang gone wild. The reason: As with all well-balanced sports and racing machines, the Bimota weighs well over 50 percent of the weight on the front wheel.
Thanks to the engine principle with two counter-rotating crankshafts and simultaneously firing cylinders, the vibrations of the power plant, which is rigidly screwed into the filigree bridge frame, are kept within acceptable limits.
Although the basic set-up is relatively soft and comfortable, the new Bimota provides sufficiently clear feedback without doughy rocking. After all, the new design is primarily designed for the road and can therefore confidently do without a rock-hard racetrack set-up.
When braking roughly, the front section of the Vdue dips violently, but despite the short wheelbase of only 1340 millimeters, it stays neatly on track and steers in without resistance.
Another good piece of news: The ergonomically decisive triangle of handlebars, seat and rests has been excellently arranged on the Vdue and is ideal for both street and racetrack.
The two front silencers of the intertwined exhaust system are hidden under the carbon fiber rear of the seat. But don’t worry, unlike the BB1 with a BMW single-cylinder engine, the pipe worm does not heat up to such an extent that it burns the tamer’s buttocks. So, and please judge for yourself about the unusual routing of the rear silencers. I abstain … Speaking of taste: The bluish two-stroke flag with the often pungent smell is actually an exception in the Bimota-Twin and gives an idea of the effectiveness of the new injection technology . According to engineer Marconi, the Vdue should not only undercut the statutory exhaust gas limits, but also comparable four-stroke engines in terms of consumption.
The first contact with the Bimota 500 arouses tremendous curiosity about what can be done with this lighter if the powerful engine is still able to develop a homogeneous and everyday performance.
F.Dieter Konemann reckons that the first 500 Vdue will be available in Germany by the end of August at the earliest, provided that the quality and finish meet the requirements of the German importer.
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