Bimota IB-1, powered by Indian Scout motor

[jas67]

I’d love to ride this!   

When Roland Sands built “Project 156” for Victory, I was hoping for something like the above to become a production bike.    When I test rode the Scout a couple years back, it felt like a cruiser with a Ducati motor in it.

THIS is what this motor should be in.

[jas67]

http://motosketches.blogspot.com/2016/06/bimota-ib-1-sakem-powered-by-indian.html

Translation courtesy of Google Translate:

The hypothesis to join two "worlds" motorcycle practically opposed to each other is at least fascinating.
On one hand, the small Italian house specializing in motorcycle top quality sports, which has always combined his name to prestigious Japanese brands is that Europeans again as part of performance vehicles, the other an ancient and very American style of motorcycle factory Yankees, making today part of a multinational giant!
Maybe in the past in the automotive field something like we have seen, (we remember the famous Shelby Cobra that combined frames of English origin to mechanical USA), but not by motorcycles!
Well, this dream project, plans to embed V.twin cooled to the Indian Scout liquid (maybe duly boosted), in a light alloy tubular frame completely new, to obtain a compact and explosive "muscle bike" from the look characterized by the superstructures racing taste!
A bike that comes out dei..quanto canons ago? .. how heavy? .... yes, but at that price, ... etc. etc.
Gentlemen, the IB-1 "SAKEM" (meaning Indian Chief), would not be the fastest, the most protective, the most convenient and cost a blunder, ..... but .... what would be nice?!?

OBIBOI.

[ITSec]

Interesting concept - but can you imagine servicing anything on that engine? 

[Johncolleary]

I can, I have an Aprilia have to disassemble half the bike to check the valves.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 That looks like aHooligans dream bike.

[Perazzimx14]

Chrome fishtail exhaust would be a nice touch

[LowRyter]

There's no reason that Polaris couldn't build that thing and sell it for $12k (w/o the Ohlins)

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

There's no reason that Polaris couldn't build that thing and sell it for $12k (w/o the Ohlins)

Except that Polaris is (effectively) dead.

[ITSec]

Except that Polaris is (effectively) dead.

Polaris is definitely not dead - just Victory. The rest of the company is moving along. See http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=PII

They closed Victory because that brand had gotten as far as it was going to go - there was effectively zero growth, while other brands, both for street vehicles and off-road, had significant prospects for growth while Victory did not seem to have such.

They could have termed the engine in this proposal as a 'Victory Octane' - but marketing rationale says using the Indian name makes more sense.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Polaris is definitely not dead - just Victory. The rest of the company is moving along. See http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=PII

They closed Victory because that brand had gotten as far as it was going to go - there was effectively zero growth, while other brands, both for street vehicles and off-road, had significant prospects for growth while Victory did not seem to have such.

They could have termed the engine in this proposal as a 'Victory Octane' - but marketing rationale says using the Indian name makes more sense.

My mistake. I knew it was Victory and when I read his post Victory just popped into my aggravation addled brain. 

[ITSec]

My mistake. I knew it was Victory and when I read his post Victory just popped into my aggravation addled brain. 

Hey, you live on the East Coast - I can understand the problem.... 

[LowRyter]

My mistake. I knew it was Victory and when I read his post Victory just popped into my aggravation addled brain. 

no worries, I know what you meant.

[Aaron D.]

The Scout engine is actually easy to work on as far as I've had to.

This doesn't look like a real Bimota concept to me, and it would probably never happen. The engine on the Scout was designed for a low center of gravity and is quite long-which seems to have been fudged in the rendering.

[Arizona Wayne]

The Scout engine is actually easy to work on as far as I've had to.

This doesn't look like a real Bimota concept to me, and it would probably never happen. The engine on the Scout was designed for a low center of gravity and is quite long-which seems to have been fudged in the rendering.

Yeah, this Bimota prototype has a short swingarm compared to the 156 racer and nowadays any decent handling bike has a long swingarm or it doesn't handle well.

[arveno]

I would rather fit in there a Ducati liquid cooled engine.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hey, you live on the East Coast - I can understand the problem.... 

This Eldo I've been working on is to blame. It has me mentally and physically drained. I'd like to meet the previous owner (or the "mechanic" that worked on it for him) so I can tell him exactly what I think of his obvious ineptitude. He should have all of his tools confiscated and be forced to watch as they are melted down in a furnace. 

[rocker59]

Except that Polaris is (effectively) dead.

�Que?     

[rocker59]

I�d love to ride this!   

 

Hate to piss in your corn flakes, but Oberdan Bezzi turns these "concepts" out like a kid with crayons.

It's just a sketch by a guy who has no connection to Bimota...

[jas67]

Hate to piss in your corn flakes, but Oberdan Bezzi turns these "concepts" out like a kid with crayons.

It's just a sketch by a guy who has no connection to Bimota...

Yes, I know.   But, it's still a cool concept.

[rocker59]

Yes, I know.   But, it's still a cool concept.

I love you man!  And trying real hard to resist merging this into the threadfest.

And yes, I would 100% go into debt to own a Bimota powered by the Scout engine!

And I'd love riding it to the Indian dealer on Saturdays just to screw with all the crewzer d00ds.

[rocker59]

Interesting concept - but can you imagine servicing anything on that engine? 

With the Scout's service intervals, I'd not worry about it too much...

[ITSec]

With the Scout's service intervals, I'd not worry about it too much...

With my riding habits, I can't help thinking about it! 

[Aaron D.]

Well, every 20K miles you are expected to (have someone) look at the valve clearances, on this you'd have to drop the engine a bit.

Sort of like a Magni MV.

[JJ]

It's too bad that this is just a "wet dream", because it would definitely be a cool bike!  :1:




free temporary image hosting

[Arizona Wayne]

Well, every 20K miles you are expected to (have someone) look at the valve clearances, on this you'd have to drop the engine a bit.

Sort of like a Magni MV.

I agree. 

[huub]

Well, every 20K miles you are expected to (have someone) look at the valve clearances, on this you'd have to drop the engine a bit.

Sort of like a Magni MV.

or a cagiva elefant , where you have to drop the engine to look at the valve clearances every 6000 miles.

[Moto]

Hate to piss in your corn flakes, but Oberdan Bezzi turns these "concepts" out like a kid with crayons.

It's just a sketch by a guy who has no connection to Bimota...

Well, maybe.

I looked into the background of the Italjet/SSR Buccaneer 250i a good bit, and found some Oberdan Bezzi input to it.

A photo (no doubt photoshop) design for the prototype of the bike exists on the web with OB's imprint on it. It looks very much
like the actual prototype that Italjet later displayed at Milan. Longhia, of China, who built the later production version, credits a "well-known Italian designer" (or some such) as having worked with them on the model, without naming OB. In addition, OB posted a photo of himself consulting on a design (unspecified) with what look like a couple of Chinese (or other Asian) engineers.

As for the final production model, an image of what looks like a CAD drawing of it appears in a computer monitor on the desk of Massimo Tartarini, the current head of Italjet, as he discusses their electric bicycle lineup. (Which is a worth a look, incidentally!)

I think the Buccaneer 250i is legitimately an Italjet design, with the final styling probably determined by Tartarini (son of the founder, Leopoldo). But OB was involved along the way.

OB churns out a lot of stuff, but some of it seems to influence actual motorcycle products. How else could he stay in business?

It's worth remembering, too, that Bimota is said to be Chinese-owned and is producing stylish bikes in China with Italian flare (though not from the Longhia factory, to my knowledge). If Bimota do take up OB's idea on this one, I'd bet they use a generic Chinese v-twin engine, stolen from the West, instead of partnering with Polaris. (Just as the 250i's v-twin, which is a generic Chinese product, produced by several Chinese firms according to shared specifiications, was lifted from the Yamaha Virago 250 design.)

In terms of design and production of motorcycles, we live in interesting times -- an old Chinese curse, they say.

Moto

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

OB churns out a lot of stuff, but some of it seems to influence actual motorcycle products. How else could he stay in business?

It's worth remembering, too, that Bimota is said to be Chinese-owned and is producing stylish bikes in China with Italian flare (though not from the Longhia factory, to my knowledge). If Bimota do take up OB's idea on this one, I'd bet they use a generic Chinese v-twin engine, stolen from the West, instead of partnering with Polaris. (Just as the 250i's v-twin, which is a generic Chinese product, produced by several Chinese firms according to shared specifiications, was lifted from the Yamaha Virago 250 design.)

What "business" does OB run? From what I've seen he only does these Photoshop renderings and that's it. Maybe there is some consulting work, but I doubt it's his "day job".

I'm not sure Bimota is Chinese owned, nothing I can find on the web confirms that. Are you sure you're not thinking of Benelli which is part of the Qianjiang Group? A look at the current offerings from Bimota shows none of Asian origins - not even the engine. It's either BMW power in the BB3 or Ducati power in the rest.

[Moto]

What "business" does OB run? From what I've seen he only does these Photoshop renderings and that's it. Maybe there is some consulting work, but I doubt it's his "day job".

I'm not sure Bimota is Chinese owned, nothing I can find on the web confirms that. Are you sure you're not thinking of Benelli which is part of the Qianjiang Group? A look at the current offerings from Bimota shows none of Asian origins - not even the engine. It's either BMW power in the BB3 or Ducati power in the rest.

Post in haste, repent at leisure!

Yes, you're right about my Bimota/Benelli confusion, so all the stuff I said about Bimota was wrong.

As for Oberdan Bezzi, I think he is a legitimate independent design consultant, and don't know why I shouldn't think that. I'll append stuff from his Linked-In first page (I don't belong to Linked-In, so couldn't go further). I think the several signs I mentioned of his input on the Italjet are persuasive, though I can't cite contracts.

Here's the Linked-In stuff. I notice he claims consulting activity with Italjet and Benelli -- but NOT Bimota. His page is at: https://it.linkedin.com/in/oberdan-bezzi-1570b611.

I don't much like his designs. I think Tartarini is probably responsible for the final design of the Italjet, that I do lust after. (Only garage space and a real mission stops me buying one.)

I don't understand the animus his name evokes.

M.


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Date


From 2003 Independent consultant designer

From 01 2002 to 01 2003 Exclusive consultant
for ENGINES ENGINEERING

From 02 1997 to 11 2001 Exclusive consultant
for BENELLI Mot

From 03 1990 to 11 1996 Employed designer
for Centro Stile PIAGGIO

From 1985 to 1990 Independent consultant


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OBERDAN BEZZI DESIGN
January 2003 – Present (14 years 4 months)
Free-Lance Designer

[rocker59]

I don't understand the animus his name evokes.
 

Because he puts his Photoshop Phantasy Ahrtwork out there like the images are actual design studies and prototypes for or from the OEMs. He uses the OEMs' logos and does nothing to discourage the viewer of the image from thinking it's a real-deal Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Indian, etc. design study.

He's just some guy with an imagination and photoshop skills who posts his dreams all over the internet. The fact that he does nothing to discourage people from believing the images are from the OEMs offends me.

That's why.