Bimota’s name combines Bianchi, Morri and Tamburini. The Rimini company initially became famous for replacing production-bike chassis with lighter, more sophisticated frames around engines from Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati and others. The DB1 and hub-centre-steered Tesi made Bimota a laboratory for motorcycle packaging and chassis ideas.
Motorcycles / Manufacturers / Bimota
Motor Museum · Motorcycles · Since 1973
Bimota
Bimota built its reputation by placing proven engines inside radical chassis, turning frame design and low-volume engineering into the main attraction.
1973motorcycle era begins
Italyorigin
3featured bikes
6catalogue bikes
Origins
Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri and Massimo Tamburini
Read the manufacturer through the machines that changed its engineering, racing, design, market or cultural meaning.
Featured bikes
Three turning points.
The featured layer picks the motorcycles that most clearly changed this manufacturer’s technology, market or identity.
SB2
1977 · sports
SB2
A pure expression of Bimota’s original proposition: the engine is sourced elsewhere; the chassis is the product.
KB1
1978 · sports
KB1
A classic example of 1970s chassis specialists extracting more from powerful Japanese engines.
DB1
1985 · sports
DB1
A turning point from specialist chassis supplier to coherent low-volume motorcycle manufacturer.
Museum catalogue
Bikes through time.
Each bike is treated like a museum object: what it was, why it mattered and where it sits in the manufacturer’s wider story.
1970s
1977–1980 · sports · FEATURED
SB2
The SB2 placed Suzuki power in a Bimota chassis with an innovative frame that could separate around the engine for servicing.
Why it matters: A pure expression of Bimota’s original proposition: the engine is sourced elsewhere; the chassis is the product.
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SB2
1978–1982 · sports · FEATURED
KB1
The KB1 wrapped Kawasaki Z-series power in a lighter, more compact Bimota frame and bodywork.
Why it matters: A classic example of 1970s chassis specialists extracting more from powerful Japanese engines.
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KB1
1980s
1990s
1990–1994 · sports
Tesi 1D
The Tesi separated steering from conventional telescopic-fork suspension using hub-centre steering and a radically different front chassis.
Why it matters: One of production motorcycling’s boldest attempts to replace the telescopic fork.
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Tesi 1D
1998–2000 · superbike
SB8R
The SB8R combined Suzuki TL1000R power with Bimota’s aluminium/carbon composite frame and World Superbike ambitions.
Why it matters: A late analogue-era Bimota where exotic chassis materials were as important as engine output.
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SB8R