Bimota

Last updated
Bimota SpA
Company typePrivate
Industry Motorcycle manufacturing
Founded1973;51 years ago (1973) in Rimini, Italy
Founder Valerio Bianchi
Giuseppe Morri
Massimo Tamburini
Headquarters
Rimini
,
Italy
Area served
Worldwide
Products Motorcycles
Parent Italian Motorcycle Investment S.p.A. (IMI) (50.1%)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (49.9%) [1]
Website bimota.it

Bimota is an Italian manufacturer of custom and production motorcycles. It was founded in 1973 in Rimini by Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini. The company name is a portmanteau derived from the first two letters of each of the three founders' surnames: Bianchi, Morri, and Tamburini.

Contents

Products

Bimota Tesi 3D Bimota Tesi 3D factory.jpg
Bimota Tesi 3D

Because the state of frame design was stagnant in the 1970s, [2] 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.[ citation needed ] 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.[ citation needed ]

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.[ citation needed ]

Racing

Bimota first experienced international racing success in 1980 when privateer Jon Ekerold won the 350cc world championship on a Yamaha-powered Bimota. [3] 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 1988 world superbike championship, more than any other competitor, but inconsistent results relegated him to third place in the final standings. [4]

After many years without success, Australian rider Anthony Gobert caused a major[ clarification needed ] shock[ according to whom? ] in 2000 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.

Bankruptcy and rebirth

Bimota Vdue Bimota Vdue.jpg
Bimota Vdue

The V Due, introduced in 1997, had a design flaw with its engine. [5] Bimota was forced to abandon the novel fuel injection system and re-engineer the entire engine. [5] 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. [5] 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. [6]

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. [7]

Recent reports paint a less optimistic picture for the future of Bimota. In 2017, the factory at Rimini had reportedly closed, [8] with spares and incomplete bikes mothballed elsewhere, possibly in Switzerland.

In October 2019, Kawasaki Heavy Industries purchased a 49% stake in the company, [9] and soon after announced an intention to manufacture Bimota bikes using parts from the Kawasaki supply chain. [10]

Models

Bimota Tesi H2 (2020) Bimota Tesi H2 (2020).jpg
Bimota Tesi H2 (2020)
Bimota KB4 (2022) Bimota KB4 (2022).jpg
Bimota KB4 (2022)
Racing motorcycles
2021 motorcycles

See also

Notes

  1. "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" (PDF). 9 November 2019.
  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. Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN   978-1-874557-83-8
  4. "1988 World Superbike Championship final standings". worldsbk.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Cormier, Jason. "Bimota V-Due 500 - The Bike That Killed Bimota". www.odd-bike.com. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  6. "Back from the brink. Bimota reborn". Motorcycle Sport & Leisure, July 2003, pp.59-61. Accessed 12 July 2022
  7. "Meet a Scientologist - Bimota Motorcycles". 10 April 2018.
  8. "Storied Italian Motorcycle Company Bimota Hits Another Bump in the Road".
  9. "Kawasaki Acquires Bimota".
  10. "Pre-production Bimota KB4 Coming Summer 2020". 10 February 2020.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducati 916</span> Sport bike

The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a 916 cc (56 cu in) fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawasaki GPZ900R</span> Kawasaki motorcycle

The Kawasaki GPZ900R is a motorcycle that was manufactured by Kawasaki from 1984 to 2003. It is the earliest member of the Ninja family of sport bikes. The 1984 GPZ900R was a revolutionary design that became the immediate predecessor of the modern-day sport bike. Developed in secret over six years, it was Kawasaki's and the world's first 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder motorcycle engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R</span> Sport bike

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki, the successor to the Ninja ZX-9R. It was originally released in 2004 and has been updated and revised throughout the years. It combines an ultra-narrow chassis, low weight, and radial brakes. In 2004 and 2005 the ZX-10R won Best Superbike from Cycle World magazine, and the international Masterbike competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport bike</span> Motorcycles designed for performance

A sport bike, sports motorcycle, or sports bike is a motorcycle designed and optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on asphalt concrete race tracks and roads. They are mainly designed for performance at the expense of comfort, fuel economy, safety, noise reduction and storage in comparison with other motorcycles.

Massimo Tamburini was an Italian motorcycle designer for Cagiva, Ducati, and MV Agusta, and one of the founders of Bimota. Tamburini's designs are iconic in their field, with one critic calling him the "Michelangelo of motorbike design". His Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4 were included in the Guggenheim Museum's The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit of 1998–1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda CBR1100XX</span> Type of motorcycle

The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird is a Honda motorcycle, part of the CBR series made from 1996 to 2007. The bike was developed to challenge the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 as the world's fastest production motorcycle, and Honda succeeded with a top speed of 177 mph (285 km/h). Two years later the title passed to the Suzuki Hayabusa, which reached 193 mph (311 km/h). The Blackbird is named after the Lockheed SR-71, also a speed record holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducati Paso</span> Type of motorcycle

The Ducati Paso was introduced in 1986 with the slogan "Il nostro passato ha un grande futuro". The name was in honor of racer Renzo Pasolini, nicknamed "Paso," who died on 20 May 1973 in an accident at the Monza racetrack during the Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Angel Galluzzi</span>

Miguel Galluzzi is an industrial designer specializing in motorcycle design. Galluzzi currently heads Piaggio's Advanced Design Center (PADC) in Pasadena, California, where he manages the design of the Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi and Gilera motorcycle brands, working closely with the company's styling headquarters in Italy as well as its research and development centers in China, India and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renzo Pasolini</span> Italian motorcycle racer

Renzo Pasolini, nicknamed "Paso", was an Italian professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1964 to 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Gobert</span> Australian motorcycle racer (1975–2024)

Anthony Gobert was an Australian professional motorcycle road racer, nicknamed The Go Show. He was a rider of immense promise and talent who had his career derailed by a personal struggle with drug abuse. Winning the final leg of the 1994 season at Phillip Island, he became the youngest ever World Superbike race winner at the age of 19 years old, a record that was broken by 18-year-old Yuichi Takeda at Sugo in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducati 1098</span> Type of motorcycle

The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimota DB1</span> Type of motorcycle

The Bimota DB1 was a motorcycle manufactured by Bimota between 1985 and 1990 in Rimini, Italy. Originally commissioned by Cagiva, the DB1 was designed by Bimota's Technical Director, and ex-Ducati engineer, Dr. Frederico Martini, and it saved Bimota from almost certain bankruptcy. DB1 stands for Ducati Bimota One, i.e. the first Bimota powered by a Ducati engine compared to, say, the SB3 - Suzuki, Bimota, third design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyrus</span> Italian motorcycle manufacturer

Vyrus is a small, exclusivist Italian motorcycle manufacturer based in Coriano, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducati Corse</span> Italian motorcycle racing team

Ducati Corse is the racing team division of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. that deals with the firm's involvement in motorcycle racing. It is based in Borgo Panigale, Bologna, Italy and the Chief Executive is Claudio Domenicali.

Superbike World Championship is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersport World Championship</span> International motorcycle racing

The Supersport World Championship, abbreviated to WorldSSP, is a motorcycle racing competition on hard-surfaced circuits, based on mid-sized sports motorcycles. Competition machines were originally based on production-based motorcycles with 600 cc to 955 cc engines, depending on the number of cylinders. After trials in UK national series British Supersport, from 2022 the regulations have changed to allow eligibility of larger-displacement engines, to reflect the engine sizes being produced and encourage different manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducati 1199</span> Italian motorcycle

The Ducati 1199 Panigale was a 1,198 cc (73.1 cu in) Ducati sport bike introduced at the 2011 Milan Motorcycle Show. The motorcycle is named after the small manufacturing town of Borgo Panigale. Ducati had announced a larger displacement 1,285 cc (78.4 cu in) 1299 Panigale for the 2015 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MV Agusta 600</span> Motorcycle manufactured by the company MV Agusta from 1966 to 1970

The MV Agusta 600, also called the MV Agusta 600 4C and the MV Agusta 600 Turismo, was a motorcycle built by the MV Agusta company from 1966 to 1970. For the first time, a four-cylinder engine was fitted transversely to the direction of travel on a standard motorbike and cable-operated disc brakes were used. A total of 135 of this model were manufactured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimota BB3</span> Type of motorcycle

The Bimota BB3 is a sport bike produced the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Bimota.

References