Bimota Forum

[brian]

Vort put a question to me in a thread of mine about my db4 which really got me thinking. He asked me for a head to head comparison of my 2 bims. I thought it might be a good topic for a thread as quite a lot of members here have more than one Bimota. This may be difficult for some of you who have 6 or more bims... You know who you are!

I probably spend more time thinking about my bikes than I do riding them. I'll post my reply to Vort's question to me in this thread.

I'd really like to read others thoughts on the comparison of there particular Bimota's


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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[brian]

Comparison - '96 sb6 and '99 db4.

Here's my thoughts...

The sb6 is very powerful, handles very well, looks superb and has a very low seat height (perfect for vertically challenged persons like myself)

The db4 has nice power delivery but runs out of puff, it is very light and feels even lighter than it actually is and that Ducati exhaust note is intoxicating to me.

IF I had it choose only one out of the two, it would most probably be the sb6, purely for these reasons -

The styling of the frame and bodywork is pure art to me. The flowing lines of the two piece bodywork is timeless and will look 'modern' for an eternity. The self supporting seat unit is brilliant and with the bodywork off, the lack of an ugly rear subframe makes it's naked form look beautiful. The milled billet aluminium components like the suspension linkage etc are beautiful. The undertail exhaust looks perfect on this bike. The bike looks and feels small which is perfect for me.

The db4 seems so much more conventional compared to the sb6... The side mounted exhaust, clunky bodywork, more conventional rear shock arrangement and rear subframe. The one piece tank, seat unit is very nice but the rest of the bodywork is average in my opinion.

Even though the sb6 was one of the highest produced Bimotas (maybe the highest produced? Not sure about yb's and late model bims?), it has that rare and exotic look and feel to me. The db4 on the other hand IS reasonably rare with its fairly low production numbers which also makes it special to me. The fact that the company was on the brink of bankruptcy when producing the db4 is apparent I think with the more conventional styling and components.

It's just lucky for me that I don't have to choose between the sb6 and the db4 as I love them both for different reasons and love riding both of them very much.




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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[Hursty]

Good feedback Brian
My SB6 catches my eyes everytime I go grab an other cold beer in the garage
Only problem is it still to hot and humid here to put enough gear on for even a quick blast 29c but I tried.
Love the sound of a V twin but hard not to enjoy the power of a well tuned 4
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Hursty from kiwi land

[vort28]

Thanks Brian.
Must admit its been a few years since I have had the SB6 out but that hopefully will change this year. But from memory it is an extremely nice bike to ride. Almost v-twin like with its dollops of torque but then with the top end rush of a 4 cyl'd, and even for a 6ft'er , still comfy .
Styling is pure SEX , how an underseat pipe should look.

Do like the DB4 also , completely different ride but very capable and as you say , goes unoticed really so I have been able to embarress a few 1000cc multi's. Generally can leave anywhere and it go un-noticed. Only real bikers know what it is. None of the stupid ' How fast it go mate' questions. Similarly think the seat unit and rear end look great but the front fairing is just plain boring . Has not stood the test of time like other Bimota's.



Having also ridden/owned DB5/6 , I must admit that although they are completely different bikes they do their jobs extremely well. However maybe just a tad to well as I found both a bit boring. (sorry 5/6 owners) . They just seemed to leave the rider a bit devoid from the riding experience ( maybe I am to old school) .But then I did used to ride 888's and sold my 916 because it felt to ' Japanese' .( Did'nt spit flames like the 888's ) .

Vdue !!!!! What can I say ? If the lights were change for modern ones it could pass as a 2015 model . Very small and light, probably the most cramped riding position of all my bikes, goes well and when it comes on song is amazing !!! Downsides - mpg , getting hassled EVERYWHERE you go ( even when you stop to refuel) , mpg .



YB11 - yes OK , we all made mistakes No a bit of a sensible bike really, does everything well , very strange riding position I guess for 2 up balance but can't hold a candle to the SB6 in looks.

Santamonica The supermodel of all Bim's in my eye's. Attention to detail is amazing , carbon everything and I can watch the injectors do their thing all day long.

[Bud977]

I like your comparison Vort and your comments on the styling of the DB4.

Yes the DB4 seat is still nice. But they failed with the VDue seat. It's way too long. Pity the DB4 seat won't go on the VDue.

I have but one Bimota so I can't compare anything. It's a pity the Australian import rules make it hard to bring in a bike from overseas and register it for the roads.

[vort28]

Vdue rear is a bit large , but perfectly formed
Suppose its were they had to hide all that naff pipe work for the road pipes , but its far better than the rear plate holder . On a scale of 1-10 though I would rate vdue as a 9.5ish , santamonica 10, db4 5/6 ish , wich is a shame as DB4 is a very nice bike. But then mine has a few extra's, and I have ridden a standard DB4 , this again was a totally different animal.
Still I would go so far as to say the DB4 is the most under rate Bimota . This may be due to the fact they were released as Bimota went bump , so slipped under the radar, but IMHO the db4 walks all over the DB2 in ability yet the DB2 is twice as sort after.

[2bims]

Bimota Vdue

First and foremost, as my "last" Bimota....and something that just doesnt compare with any other model in the Bimota line-up....a pure addictive reckless abandonement of 2 stroke fumes, cackles, pops and bangs like nothing else thats been delivered before or since or perhaps ever will be??....a Demanding ride, that is strangely comfortable once onboard and your legs have adjusted to the cramped footpegs....reach to the bars is fine though and a comfy seat....Works in the dry and wet...but preferable to the dry with the whoosh of strastospheric power band that kicks in from around 6-11thou....demanding and particular use of the gearbox and power band means you have to be feeling on top of your game to even wheel it out of the garage in anticipation of a journey..........Handles like a dream, light as a 250 yet feels larger in reality....in stature and not just cc capacity.....even with RWU forks, and a progressive ohlins rear, its bang up to date with handling and the traditional gold series brembo brake set up means it can stop on a tuppence once summoned to do so....Regular trips to the petrol station, supposed fragility, and utter rarity leads it to being a weekend warrior rather than part-time tourer or commuter....always brings a smile to your face and anyone else that creeps out of the woodwork where-ever you turn up....asking you all the usual questions, and even to the un-knowledgeable, recognised as a 2-stroke, and to most a "new" bike.....always surprised to learn its now 18 years old.....It is a mind sapping and physically demanding bike...if only as you strain constantly to be speed aware and Db conscious....whilst the inner devil in you waves 2 hoots at the aforementioned and causes you to create raucous mayhem, smoke and rin tin tin in your wake, be it in-town, down country lane or fast A road.....

Overall Impression? Upon waking to a beautiful dry warm summers day with light breezes, a spring in your step and full of beans, this is the bike that will time warp you back to being an over enthusiastic spotty pre-pubescent teenager, fearless, careless, reckless and anti-social, all maxed out beyond 100%.....should come with a government health warning......and despite ones apparent actual "maturity" and considerations of "will it cease, will it cook itself, run out of fuel, or oil, or both" once the wheels are turning you have to ride it like you stole it.....only afterwards do you pamper it with oil and plug changes every 500 miles, checking for leaks, bolt torque settings, you name it....it worries you...until the next time you climb on board that is...A must for anyones bucket list to ride at least once







Bimota DB1

A piece of "old skool" from 1986.....complete with 16 inch rims, 6 year old tyres due to non-availability of fresh rubber, Single pot opposed calipers, cast iron rattley discs, tiny 41.7mm Marzocchi M1R forks , and rising rate linkeage Marzocchi rear, both adjustable for compression and rebound, ahead of the Ducati boys at the time......

A teeny tiny bike requiring much limbering up prior to getting on board....but with the short reach to everything and the fully enclosed bodywork with deep side cut-outs for your knees, the most comprehensively "at one with bike" feeling of all my bikes, feels like you've been carved out at the same time from modelling clay as the bike itself.....your helmeted head dropping nicely into the sharp radiused screen...and into the only position to actually be able to read the triple white veglia clocks that are mounted horizontally flat.....

A pair of Mikuni open mouthed 41mm flat side mikunis, and a pair of "more perforated than standard" silencers helps to produce an exhaust note that tears at the heart strings, a mellow deep bassful burble, deeper than the larger engined 900 Duc's ...and seemingly better torque and higher revving...

This bike takes you back to the feeling of "go-karting" or a memorable trip in the passenger seat of my girlfriends MG Midget back in the 80's.....the darn thing feels so small and close to the ground that seemingly infinitessably low speeds feel far faster than the reality on the "Kms only" speedo...Although that said...I feel slightly more elegant and gentlemanly getting off the DB1 than I ever did crawling onto the carpark on my hands and knees to exit the MG MIdget...

The equivalent offering at the time from Ducati...the 750F1....is a gargantuan 7 inches taller than the Db1....just think Shetland pony v Shire horse and you're getting close......
Overall? The most smiles per mile bike that I own...regardless of its speed



Bimota DB2

Travelling forwards in Bimotas producation line to 1994....but backwards to my Bimota ownership of the first Bimota I'd ever ridden.....Still to me one of the most sculpteral and beautiful Bimotas ever made....more rounded than the slabby Db1 with square seat.....this...a bike you also sit "in" as opposed to "on"...more space than the DB1 yet way taller...taller than the later DB4....Again a bike that demands respect...and with its flatlsides, cone filters and tuned engine...highly addictive to take to its limits,,,or moreover mine...as they run out way before those of the bike...Proper size wheels so your choisen poison of preferred rubber is not an issue, and always adds to your confidence.....Emotive exhaust note again.....and a firm favourite for setting off car alarms even in wide open spaces...chuckle chuckle.....Doesnt need anything changing, perfectly adequate handling, power and stopping ability, you can even hear the rattley cast iron full floaters whilst riding....the only item I curse is the "form over function" one piece fairing shell clamming under below the engine.....causes you to create Heath Robinson toold to even merely top up the engine oil in a way that negates fairing removal...oh that dreaded fairing removal....wiggling backwards face down on the driveway like a drunken Shabba the Hut...to merely remove the fairing...

Overall? Well twas and still is my "first love" and as such is a keeper...until the day I even vaguley contemplate placing it in the lounge as mere "art".....then it will go....as 99% of its beauty is fulfilled in riding it



Bimota DB4

Spin forward now to the year 2000......and perhaps my "least modified" Bimota....actually the third in my ownership (more of that later)....from a very nice man in the Netherlands...bought unseen save for a few low res photos.....and a failed trip to amsterdam in the middle of winter to try and view.....the lady at the train station stated that the trains had more problems running in Winter than even British trains...an ominous statement that I later heded and headed back to Amsterdam instead for some "recreational time"

Lower seat height than DB2.....longer and more comfortable rounded edges...and lower pegs and less weight on your forearms than a DB2...which is a killer until 60mph appears....Perhaps the most comfortable Bimota (although some may be arguing in sway of the DB3....its ugly sister... )

Have taken this one away for weekends with a backpack and tankbag....trusty, comfortable and relaible....the lower fairings were styled to hark back to that of the DB1....in an attempt for greater sales to boost Bimotas failing finances at the time....but at least they are easier to strip and for routine maintenance.....Again...as with all Bimotas, feels tight, rigid, slim, light and handles and stops as more modern machinery

Perhaps my least used bikes....but only because its "standard" (well...Ok...I've changed the wheels, the mirrors, the screen and the belly pan...but thats it)...really needs flatslides and open Zorst to fully release its Ducati twin charm....





Bimota DB5R

Zooming forward now to 2010 model......emissions, electronics, noise regs etc now all creeping in to this "fragile" world we all live in....well that is if you dont live in China, USA or other emerging markets that is....

Upsized engines, 4 valves but still single cams, as opposed to single cam 2-valvers....Fuel injection, ECU's and Catted Zorsts......And despite "Global recession"...Bimota go back to "their" basics....full carbon fibre bodywork, Ohlins front and rear, alloy subframes,Oz gold racing wheels, hand milled billet by the bucket load and exquisite styling. When I pull up on this bike folk start to ask and point to various bits,,,asking where I got the parts from..."nope...standard....standard.....as it came from the factory..." I cut to the quip and simply say that I've changed the brake and clutch reservoir pot lids with oberon billet in lieu of plastic...and that I've had the headers Ceramic coated....it makes for a short conversation but greatly reduces the continuing plethora of "Deja Vu" questions.....

Being a fairly new bike...relatively speaking...designed in 2005, winning a coverted "Best sports bike design" award for Sergio Robbiano...the late and great...and designer of the Vdue styling also....it was a bike not of reminiscent "aged" dreams from yesteryear....but one when I first saw pictures of...I simply clamoured to possess....Swingarm and frames harking back to round tubing days of the 70's and 80's and dripping in high end parts and accessories, with a tilt to modernity of angular sharp lines and cut-away fairings...less is more....

Riding one doesnt take away any of its charm or beauty...it certainly feels even more rigid, robust and better engineered than any of the previous offerings described here...everything is upsized where previously it may have been merely "adequate"The steering head is enormous, and bracing likewise....Less things rattle or fall off.....electrics have never failed...but possibly more due to youth of manufacture than quality or grade.....In there is possibly, at least for myself....the issue, if there is one, if only by "comparison"...together with fuel injection that directly cuts off the fuel flow as if hard wired to the throttle, and induces braking with immediate effect, and no "Run-on".....The whole package, for an old fart such as myself is very clinical, precise, honed and chisselled to perfection...all right...theres no ABS ...but there is a slipper clutch...one finger touch brakes....a seat thats comfortable all day...adjustable foot pegs, with adjustable gear and brake levers...lights that can be used in the dark.....Sure enough...if the DB5R didnt have all this the press would slate it....together with usual comments they have about Bimotas, price, exclusivity...tempermental nature of the company etc etc....In effect though it leaves less for the rider to do, to plan or to think about when riding day to day...somehow less immersed, less a part of the team with the bike in having to think about what to do to get the most of it....just less immersive....or just "i"m too old....."

The upshot of all that though is it can be ridden further, longer and harder with less effort or input from the rider....and when some stonking Hayabusa comes flying past , you just tuck in, crank it open fully and wait for the next roundabout to come up...sure hes still getting away from you...but when you see his brake light come on, you have emough time to almost reciite the entire workings of Shakespeare before you have to even think about braking...and even then you'll be going past him whilst hes still braking before you even think about partly closing the throttle...followed by a quick blip on the front brake, flick flack, flick and out the exit of the roundabout and onto the straight...yeh...he'll come by you again....but this time he'll be watching his mirrors wondering what the hell just happened at the last roundabout......

Bike works well in the dry or the wet...has lived outside for 7 days at the isle of Man without even a cover and never let me down...unlike the weather..And in that is the reason....with so many things that can let you down in life....its perhaps a fitting tribute that a Modern Bimota isnt one of them....

Only thing I'd change? Well the cats have gone for better starting and cold running....and that ruddy slipper clutch drives me mad....constantly getting it wrong pulling away from junctions...thinking I'm riding one of the more aged bikes that dont have them...whereby you can scream the throttle and slip the clutch...Slipepr clutch you feather the throttle and slow-mo the clutch...even 50cc scooters tear away before the DB5R gets off the line...

Will the likes of the Db5 still look up-to-date and sexy and stylish in 10 or 20 years time? we've had boxy slab sided bikes, then swoopy, curvy followed by angular pin sharp edges? Can designers come up with something else? Only time will tell...









Bimota DB6R

More of the Same? Well in a lot of respects versus the Db5,,,,,yes...and no...Sure the powerplant and rear end is the same...as is the stripped back angular styling...but it stops there. The rear end on this bike is higher than any other of mine...and the saddle is the shortest tightest space I've ever endured...Sure...once aboard you are defo in it, and not going anywhere...but that gives you no where to squirm around or move....your crown jewels build up an almost biblical relationship with the tank....and by modern day standards the seat should be more comfortable than in reality...around 80miles or so a jarring nagging pain starts to eminate from your lower coxis....fortunately the low fuel warning light comes on after this giving you a short reprive on re-fueling....The high bars mean a larger taller tank bag can be fitted, but still the rear end wont take panniers due to the heat from the underslung tail cans....at least with this model your thighs dont suffer from heat dissipating from the headers as they do on the Db5...something that MotoCorse realised as they fit heat shields to their aftermarket exhaust system for this bike.

For some reason the DB5 feels like it goes down the road faster...maybe purely due to the more tucked in riding position, and the fairing that does its job....theres really no protection at all on the DB6...the small bib screen is purely aesthetics and anything around or above 80mph means you hanging onto the bars with gritted determination to hold on....theres also a bit of twitchiness, and instability with side winds at speed...ironed out though with the steering damper thats fitted to the "R" model but not on the lesser Delirios.....its easy to crank up whilst riding also with easy access even with gloved hands...The DB5 needs no, and has no damper....

The DB6 is fitted with a larger single collector pipe for the rear cans, rather than a smaller dia X-piece on the DB5...This makes for a louder exhaust note than the 5...much louder, especially when baffles are removed...can be tiresome on long journies....the Baffle free Zard cans on the Db5R are by comparison load enough to be happy whilst manageable all day long.....Brakes are the same, except in the wet, the "braking" wavey discs arent a patch on standard brembo discs in the wet...suspension a little "lower class" than on the 5R...larger dia forks than the Ohlins but just dont appear as competant

Advantage of one over the other? the bars on the 6 and the footpegs give a more relaxed riding position, and greater leverage through tight twisties...definitely inspires more than any of my other Bims through lower speed tight twisting mountain sections, and all flaws apart.....despite this being part of the stable for the least time...I've clocked up more miles on this in this time than any of the other bikes, reliability, newness, upright riding position....a backpack ends up sitting on the pillion perch taking the weight off....Just have to sort that saddle out really....

This is the bike you'd ride to work on, or to the shops, or the local, or if in Italy...to parade up and down alongside the beach.....but it will go further than that



Bimota DB7

Didnt own this one for long......drop dead looks, that initially I wasnt that taken with...but seems to have grown on me more...was hesitant at first as its a modern 4 valve, twin cam, water cooled 170bhp monster...and my days of needing that much power...well..i never really had those days...I just thought that i did.....

Rear end stiff as a concrete board...plays real life bucking broncho on even motorway bumps at 60mph,,,throwing your arse off the seat and feet of the pegs....A comfy enough bike.....with great engineering...even the engine....felt a little too clinical, track focused, single minded....gearbox changes were just small clicks like a lightswitch....no clunky old skool like I'm used to....No "false neutral" lights...tricky starting though...as DB5 and DB6...dont dare even tickle the throttle until the thing has actually started and is running free....darn fuel injection just cuts off fuel flow if you dare touch the throttle....Think I prefer bikes where theres a secret chemistry into teasing them into life...that a wing and a prayer ritual that you go through...hoping they will start before the battery dies....

End of the day? a great bike, way beyond my abilities...only just coming on song revs and power wise,,,,just at the time youre up the arse end of a car in front.....needs fewer cars on the road...or more roads at least than Good Ol Blighty has to offer...Just wasnt for me, was never going to exploit its limits or capabilities as mine were running out way before the bikes....A good man knows his limitations....



Bimota YB11

A bike that was bought at the same time as the DB2 as a "job lot" and now passed to another on this Forum...and my Second ever Bimota to be ridden.....

A strange riding position it has to be said....long wide and low seat, but once on board its akin to kneeling in front of the toilet, whilst holding onto the cistern and hurling the contents of a night out....or a chubby bloke bent over a felled tree aka "Deliverance" style, whilst hearing the words "squeal like a pig"....That said its a position that seems to work...and long mileages can be covered whilst protected.....This darn bike though had been seriously worked on by the previous owner and an indicated 95mph was seen once in first gear through a small town....Yup..the indicative wail and scream of maxxing it through the gears was highly addictive but ultimately felt that my life/license was in serious jeopardy.....it had to go before one of the others went first.....

Has to be said...I prefer my lighter, less powerful and more nimble and quicker stopping bikes....they may take more effort to get you into trouble, but cope better in getting you out of it




Ducati 900SS

Whats this doing in here? It aint no Bimota...sure its a Ducati engined bike and all built in Italy....but why in here? Well....with any Bimota comparisons....they are all only relative to Bimotas...and thats missing the point....try comparing any Bimota to the bike the engine came from...and in that you then realise the beauty of a Bimota....Now this old pup is effectively new...and I shouldnt be able to complain as to how its made, as I put it together myself...Sure its a "fine" ride, capable, does as it says on the tin...but thats it....the quality of components, mass, rigidity, exquisiteness and the way its put together is just not even approaching the same ball park...in fact,,,,theres no park..and no ball...by comparison

Yeh, Bimotas cost more...but only with direct comparisons with other manufacturers can you trully appreciate why...and how that imparts to how they ride, and ultimately the way they intoxicate your brain, your soul and your heart....and its this affliction that affects all of us on here....

And a final "sign off" to say thanks to Brian...for starting this thread that I was keen to follow on...only now realising how much ruddy effort I've had to put in to complete it.....Tis the bain of having so many of the ruddy things I suppose....Cheers Brian.....

[Jbuffa]

Great writeup guys. I can relate to your DB6R description. I don't have an R but the previous owner installed the steering damper from the R. The bike gives me a lot of confidence in the tighter mountain roads here in north Georgia. At 80 plus MPH, it is interesting on the head and helmet. I've tried the new Arai Defiant that is supposed to be for "naked" upright bikes. I thought my regular Arai Vector 2 was better. The DB6 is always my first choice when I go riding. I agree with you that the riding position is great, but man what a stiff seat. Gel biking short are a must!

[SpikeC]

Thanks for the comprehensive analysis of your bikes, 22bims! It really solidifies my feeling that the DB5R is the perfect bike for me and the various irregularities present in my body and the places and manor in which I ride.
The engine is a the perfect one for a street bike, usable and flexible in town and aggressive enough for Oregon back roads, you can actually make use of the engines output, especially combined with the chassis capabilities.

Edit: the difference between 32bims DB5R and mine is mine starts right off when cold and mine has a wet clutch, so no issues with it!
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Spike C.
Portland, Oregon, USA
2008 Bimota DB5R
1965 Triumph T100SC

[brian]

[brian]

2bims, awesome write up mate! Thanks for putting in so much time and effort to contribute to this thread. Great description of each bike and great comparison between the different models.

The addition of the 900 Super Sport is a nice touch and gives a good idea of the quality and exclusiveness that Bimota put into their motorcycles.

I knew I could count on you for a good write up
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[vort28]

[SB8R Tuner]

Vort, that tank looks like it fits on the SB8R airbox.
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Bimota SB8R
Bimota V-Due
Bimota SB8R
Suzuki 1988 GSXR-750
Suzuki 1989 GSXR-750R

[bimotanige]

KB1 - the best of the old school, nothing 35 years old comes close
SB4 - heavy but the 16 inch wheels get a good turn in.
DB2 - best of medium school, simply 1,000,000% better than the 900ss. TT mountain section 10****
BB1 - lumpy as f**k but around 60 mph on twisty roads, enjoy - then reverse route to pick up the bits that have vibrated off
Vdue - "Surely I wasn't doing that speed officer, it only took me 5 seconds!" twitchy on the roads but awesome on track. Note to self "engage brain b4 wrist"
YB11 - fast, handles 1 or 2 up, YAWN YAWN its a beam framed bike!
YB4 - was lovely little beast until sadly broken by a f**k wit in her car RIP!
SB3 - to be reviewed once rebuild completed!!

over and out

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KB1x2, SB3 SB4 BB1 DB2 Vdue Evo YB11 RB1 Ducati MHR Suzi GS650

[brian]