Bimota is like that weird uncle you only see during the holidays, who tries to sit you down and tell you what you should do with your life. However, with the Impeto, this Italian firm just might be onto something great.
The Impeto isn’t just another naked/streetfighter. Bimota have continued their tradition of using Ducati engines but, instead of snagging the engine from say the Streetfighter or Hyper, they’ve stolen the Testastretta 11-degree motor from the Ducati Diavel/Monster 1200.
Then they’ve added Ohlins and Brembos front and rear, OZ racing wheels, steering damper, a composite frame and swingarm, a lovely exhaust, and Michelin Power Supersport tires - as well as a parts bin headlight and super trick high-def LCD display.
If you think building bikes around another brand’s motors is lazy (because let’s get real, it kind of is), it might help to know that Bimota have instead developed their own supercharger - which they say can be attached to any of Ducati’s liquid cooled motors.
So those of you who scoff at a measly 162 horsepower can get your Impeto supercharged to the tune of +/- 190 horsepower and 110/115 foot-pounds of torque, complete with a new ECU system to manage the whole thing.
You can bet I’ll be listening to my uncle’s ideas a little more closely this Christmas. Especially if they mention superchargers.
Photos: Bimota
Contact the author at sean.macdonald@jalopnik.com. Follow Lanesplitter onFacebook and Twitter.