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Bimofa's Lorenzo Ducati and Giuseppe Della "ietra workers to build the bikes - and also of course to dispose of the outstanding stock you acquired from the liquidator. What are your plans for all this, and how long will it all take? GDP: Firstly, we already have the nucleus of our technical staff in place, headed by our new Direttore Tecnico, Alberto Strada. He already worked with Bimota in the dying days of the old company after spending several years with Aprilia, so understands very well the position and needs of the marque. He has the kind of innovative ideas backed up by sound engineering principles, which must be the basis of Bimota's future product development. However, what we first needed to do was to draw a line under Bimota's past by dealing with those products which will not playa part in its future. Thus we have sold off the entire Vdue twostroke project en bloc, including the warehouse near Forli, where the remaining bikes and parts are presently stored, and its contents, to an outside company named Win· Win. They have pur· chased the rights to the design, as well as all the patterns, bodywork molds, etc. - everything we have relating to the Vdue project, including all its well-publicized faults, which they are resolved to cure. They will of course be allowed to sell the 110 complete Rimini-built bikes they currently hold in stock as Bimotas, but those which they build after that will not be entitled to use the Bimota name the deal we've made with them specifically forbids this. This therefore marks the end of this unhappy chapter in Bimota's history. and manufactured by the new company will all be equipped with Ducati engines. That isn't solely in recognition of the fact that my colleague Lorenzo here, the head of the company, bears such a famous name - though I must admit it does seem logical! - but because we have taken the strategic decision that Bimota motorcycles must in future be 1DO-percent Italian-made products, not a potentially uneasy blend of Japanese and European technologies and cultures. AC: Have you made a deal with the Ducati factory to furnish you with engines? LD: We have reached an agreement in principle with Federico Minoli, the president and now once again the CEO of Ducati Motor, and are in the process of finalizing the details, subject to contract. But we have the assurances we need to proceed to the next stage of planning the relaunch of the Bimota marque, exclusively with Ducati engines. AC: Does this entail Ducati Motor, or perhaps its principal shareholder TPG, owning part of Alternativa Moto's equity? Failing this, has either party put money into the new Bimota operation in return for exclusive use of Ducati engines? LD: No, I can state quite categorically that none of this has happened. Neither Ducati nor TPG has any direct interest in our company. We are completely independent of them, only a future customer for their engines. AC: But before you can restart manufacture of new Bimotas, you'll need to find a new factory, as well as the technicians to staff it and assembly 44 APRIL 16, 2003' cue I e n .. _ s Expect to see the Drako streetflghter to be the first of Blmots's new offerings. The machine was In the final testing phase when Blmots went bankrupt. Then, secondly, we are taking steps to sell the other half of the remaining stock we acquired as part of the takeover - not only the Japaneseengined machines but also some Ducati-engined DB4 models which are still left over. This we are doing in conjunction with a company known as Styl Italiano, with whom we are collaborating on several fronts, notably the establishment of a Bimota Center at Abano Terme, near Padova. In addition to marketing a complete range of products and accessories, including clothing, as well as a spare parts service, this will also encompass a permanent display of historic Bimota models and so will act as a mecca for Bimotisti from all over the world. We will reveal more details of this in a few weeks, but this will help to emphasize the importance of Bimota's innovation down the years in forging new directions in both design and styling, which other manufacturers have later copied. We also expect to be able to offer Bimotisti the chance to have their bike serviced there, no matter what model, or even if they wish to have it fully restored there to an agreed level up to and including as-new condition. AC: Is this where Bimota's new factory will be located? GDP: No . we are in the process of completing an agreement to transfer Bimota's headquarters