Bimota

Products

Because the state of frame design was stagnant in the 1970s, Bimota concentrated initially on building high-quality motorcycle chassis around existing engines. From the beginning they customised the top models of Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki. During the late 1970s, Bimota also helped develop and build motorcycles branded as Lamborghinis. In the 1980s they also customised Yamaha and Ducati motorcycles.

Bimota's co-founder and long-time chief designer Tamburini has been an influential player in the development of other Italian brands, most significantly his work on the popular Ducati 916, the Ducati Paso, and the MV Agusta F4; other designers such as Bimota chief Sergio Robbiano have also been involved with larger-volume manufacturers.

More recent Bimota models included the DB5, DB6, DB7, DB9 and the Tesi, with a DB8 featuring the Ducati 1198 engine. The Tesi 3D was especially unusual, which, along with the co-designed Vyrus, was the only motorcycle then in production to use hub-center steering.

Racing

Bimota first experienced international racing success in 1980 when privateer Jon Ekerold won the 350cc world championship on a Yamaha-powered Bimota. They also experienced success in the early years of the Superbike World Championship. Virginio Ferrari won the 1987 Formula TT title aboard a YB4 EI, partnering with Davide Tardozzi. Tardozzi won five races in the inaugural world superbike championship, more than any other competitor, but inconsistent results relegated him to third place in the final standings.

After many years without success, Australian rider Anthony Gobert caused a major shock in by winning a wet race at Philip Island on a Bimota SB8K. The Alstare team entered a Bimota BB3 package into World Superbikes in 2014 for riders Ayrton Badovini and Christian Iddon, however, the bike initially did not have enough units in production to pass the championship's homologation rules. As a compromise, the bikes were allowed to enter from round 2, but ineligible for points until homologation was achieved. At the end of the year, the team finished unclassified and disqualified. File:Bimota YB3.jpg|Bimota YB3 File:Bimota-Yamaha_YB4-750.jpg|Bimota YB4 File:Bimota_SB8K_di_Anthony_Gobert.jpg|Bimota SB8K of Anthony Gobert File:Bimota HB4 Martinez.jpg|Bernat Martínez on Bimota HB4 at the 2010 British motorcycle Grand Prix File:Bimota_BB3_Brandon_Cretu_at_Ballaugh_Bridge_-_IOMTT2015.jpg|Brandon Cretu on Bimota BB3 at the 2015 Senior TT

Bankruptcy and rebirth

The V Due, introduced in 1997, had a design flaw with its engine. Bimota was forced to abandon the novel fuel injection system and re-engineer the entire engine. Bimota ultimately recalled the entire run of the V Due, and made an improved version, the 'Evoluzione'. Only 340 original V Dues and 21 Evoluziones were built. While this was occurring, during the 2000 World Superbike season, one of Bimota's main sponsors disappeared, owing the company a great deal of money. The combination of events forced Bimota to file for bankruptcy and close their doors.

In 2003, new owners of the marque assets, Lorenzo Ducati and Giuseppi Della Pietra, formed Alternativa Moto, with the intention to manufacture all-Italian machines using Ducati engines, and sold the V-Due rights to Win-Win.

A new group of investors purchased the rights to the Bimota name and designs and restarted the company. The investors that bought Bimota, Marco Chiancianesi who is the president and his business partner Daniele Longoni are both active Scientologists.

Recent reports paint a less optimistic picture for the future of Bimota. In 2017, the factory at Rimini had reportedly closed, with spares and incomplete bikes mothballed elsewhere, possibly in Switzerland.

In October 2019, Kawasaki Heavy Industries purchased a 49% stake in the company, and soon after announced an intention to manufacture Bimota bikes using parts from the Kawasaki supply chain.

Return to motorsports racing

After exclusively running their own teams known as Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT), from 2025 Kawasaki entered into a partnership with Bimota – as a producer of motorcycle chassis – to be known as Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT). Their 2025 World Superbike entry, designated Bimota KB998 Rimini and finished in red, white and black instead of Kawasaki green, uses ZX-10 Ninja powertrain, as in earlier seasons.

Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team

Team Manager 47 ITA Axel Bassani

World Superbike results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Season still in progress.

Models

Main article: List of Bimota motorcycles

;Racing motorcycles :

• Bimota GB1
• Bimota HB4
• HDB1
• HDB2
• HDB3
• Bimota SB1
• Bimota SB8K
• Bimota YB3
• BIC 500 8v BM 3
• V 90 BM 4
• KB998

;2021 motorcycles :

• Bimota Tesi H2
• Bimota Tesi H2 Carbon
• Bimota KB4
• Bimota KB4 RC

Notes

References

• "The Ultimate History of Fast Motorcycles", By: Brown, Ronald. Pages 148–149, 174–175, 210–211, 230, 248–249, 286-287 Published by Parragon Publishing 2002. .
• Bimota.it Historical Models. Accessed October 5, 2012. http://www.bimota.it/en/storia_modelli.asp
• Bimota.it Company History. Accessed October 5, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121027002943/http://www.bimota.it/en/storia.asp

References

1. (9 November 2019). "Greeting by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Mr.Hiroshi Ito, B and Motion S.A. (former BIMOTA S.A.), Mr.Marco Chiancianesi and Mr. Pierluigi Marconi".
2. "The Ultimate History of Fast Motorcycles", By: Brown, Ronald. Pages 148-149, 174-175, 210-211, 230, 248-249, 286-287 Published by Parragon Publishing 2002. {{ISBN. 1-4054-5466-0
3. (1999). "Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix". Hazleton Publishing Ltd.
4. "1988 World Superbike Championship final standings". worldsbk.com.
5. "Bimota V-Due 500 - The Bike That Killed Bimota".
6. "Back from the brink. Bimota reborn". ''Motorcycle Sport & Leisure'', July 2003, pp.59-61. Accessed 12 July 2022
7. (10 April 2018). "Meet a Scientologist - Bimota Motorcycles".
8. "Storied Italian Motorcycle Company Bimota Hits Another Bump in the Road".
9. "Kawasaki Acquires Bimota".
10. (10 February 2020). "Pre-production Bimota KB4 Coming Summer 2020".
11. [https://www.cycleworld.com/wsbk-krt-heading-to-another-happy-hunting-ground/ Kawasaki Racing Team Heading to Another Happy Hunting Ground] www.cycleworld.com, 7 March 2017. Accessed 24 February 2025
12. [https://www.akrapovic.com/en/news/34807/krt-launches-official-2021-worldsbk-livery KRT Launches Official 2021 WorldSBK Livery] www.akrapovic.com, 29 March 2021. Accessed 24 February 2025
13. [https://motomatters.com/news_item/2024/04/24/bimota_to_return_to_worldsbk_joining.html Bimota To Return To WorldSBK, Joining Forces With KRT] motomatters.com, 24 April 2024. Accessed 24 February 2025
14. [https://racing.kawasaki.eu/en/racing/road_race/news/Lowes_Signs_For_2025_Bimota_By_Kawasaki_Racing_Team_Project?Uid=0A08DQoNXFsKDg1QCQteXA0JWQoLXQoNWVgJXgoODlwLXVA Lowes Signs For 2025 Bimota By Kawasaki Racing Team Project] 14 June 2024. Accessed 24 February 2025
15. [https://www.kawasaki.co.uk/en/racing/road_race/news/New_Era_Begins_On_Track_For_bimota_by_Kawasaki_Racing_Team?Uid=091CXlgODAxaXQwNC18MXFpbUQpYXwoMUApdWQpYUFEJCVw New Era Begins On Track For bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team] www.kawasaki.co.uk, 23 October 2024. Accessed 24 February 2025
16. [https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2025/BIMOTA+ARE+BACK+Italian+brand+unveils+stunning+red+white+and+black+livery+for+WorldSBK+return+in+2025 BIMOTA ARE BACK: Italian brand unveils stunning red, white and black livery for WorldSBK return in 2025] www.worldsbk.com, 6 February 2025. Accessed 24 February 2025
17. [https://www.kawasaki.co.uk/en/news/Bimota_returns_to_WorldSBK_in_2025?Uid=0839UV1dWlxZX1FbDFtRXA5cWlBeXlsMWwoOCgoJWlhRXQk Bimota returns to WorldSBK in 2025] www.kawasaki.co.uk, 24 April 2024. Accessed 24 February 2025