VOL. 50 ISSUE 30 JULY 30, 2013
P57
(Top left) The hub-center steering
makes the Tesi 3D truly unique.
(Above) The bike is powered by
an air-cooled Ducati desmodue
engine.
(Left) The cockpit of the Tesi 3D
and riser handlebars instead of
clip-ons.
aluminum axle plates is matched
to a similar-style twin-sided front
swingarm, with hub-center steering that has a quite different layout than on the original Tesi 1D.
So instead of that bike's crossmember countershaft (which
took the steering linkage across
the frame from the left to right
side of the bike), the 3D retains
its entire rocker-arm steering
linkage on the left, thus giving a
more direct connection between
the handlebar and front tire - with
fewer right angle turns to dial out
feedback.
It also has a much better steering lock of 23 degrees com-
pared to the 1D's 17 degrees,
which while hardly exceptional is
still comparable with more normal sportbikes. Coupled with
the Accossato variable-section
one-piece handlebar attached
via 50mm risers to the steering
head, this makes the new Tesi
much more maneuverable to ride
in city streets or twisting mountain roads, as well as making it
easier to park.
Viewed from either end it's
immediately noticeable that the
Tesi 3D Naked is pretty slim,
and Acquaviva has managed to
narrow the chassis by a whopping 1.1 inches from before at the
point that your knees tuck in to
the 4.2-gallon fuel tank's painted
carbon shroud. The footpegs are
also noticeably farther back to
deliver a sporty but comfortable
stance.
So when you sling a leg over
the quite low 30.7-inch high
seat, you feel much more a part
of the Tesi 3D, which seems like
a three-quarter scale version of
the much bulkier original bike.
It's narrower, lower and above all
shorter.
The wheelbase is down to
just 54.7 inches, with the motor
mounted further forward to deliver a balanced 50/50 percent
distribution for the 397 pounds
dry weight, translating to a desirable 60/40 percent front bias
with a 165-pound rider aboard.
The bike certainly steers
quicker, as a fast run along the
switchback Strada Panoramica
running high above the Adriatic Sea south of Rimini, amply
proved. But the first thing I noticed was how much more comfortable and relatively more spacious the Naked version is than
the much more cramped Tesi 3D
Sport with its under-seat exhaust
system. The 3D Naked is much
more intuitive to ride – it's a faststeering, agile-handling bike that
