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Bimota displayed the first Tesi prototype, fitted with a Honda 400cc vee four engine at the 1983 Milan Motor Show, however it would be another seven years and a further four prototypes before a production version of the radical concept was announced. The production Tesi was finally presented to the world at the 1990 Cologne Motor Show, fitted with an 851 Ducati vee twin. The new model retained the "booomerang" shaped plates that attached to the sides of the engine and, from which, the various suspension and steering components were mounted, which had first been seen on the fifth and only Ducati powered, protoype. Typed the Tesi 1D by the factory the new machine would run through three series, the 851, 904 and SR variants before giving way to the visually different ES and EF variants.
Competition had played a part in the development of the Tesi from the outset, with prototypes being entered in various races at different times, however, with the introduction of the production 1D variant Bimota had a machine suitable for use in the highest levels of production based racing. Machines were subsequently fielded in the 1991 World Superbike Championship, Italian National SBK championship from 1990 to 1993 and the Italian Sport Production Championship, at Daytona British racer/jouranlist Alan Cathcart took victory in the 1991 Protwins race and followed it the subsequent year with a victory in the Supertwins race. The pure competition machine was typed the Tesi 1D 964 by the factory and unlike the road - going variant utilised a Ducati 888R engine. Unfortunately, the full potential of the machine was never fully realised due to the lack of funds available to the team, although their involvement in competition did proove beneficial to the road going variant. The adoption of Ohlins suspension units by the racing machines in 1992 improved the handling significantly and would become a distinguishing feature of the second series SR road models.
This example was prepared at the Bimota factroy and fielded by them in the 1992 Italian SBK Championship with Italian rider Marco Risitano in the saddle. A Ducati 888R vee twin power plant comforming to the Championships regulations was employed. Described as being in very good condition throughout it represents a rare opportunity to acquire a technically interesting piece of competition history with a known provenance.