Bimota BB3 1000 2014 — Specifications

Third act of a collaboration between two nations that are fundamentally opposed in terms of engine design, the BB3 marks a brutal turning point in the history of the small Rimini firm. Bimota had previously built its reputation on exceptional chassis fitted with Italian or Japanese engines, often twin-cylinder, always racing-oriented. In 2014, the manufacturer broke with its habits and delved into the inline four-cylinder engine of the BMW S 1000 RR. The result exceeds in power everything the brand has ever produced, and that’s no small feat considering the company’s track record.

One hundred eighty-three horsepower at 13,000 rpm, 111.8 Nm at 9,750 rpm, a top speed announced at 300 km/h. These are the figures of a barely civilized competition machine for the road. The Bavarian engine, renowned for its incisive character and formidable power-to-weight ratio, finds here a setting entirely conceived by Italian engineers. The chrome-molybdenum trellis frame articulates with machined aluminum side plates, a house architecture adapted to the imposing dimensions of the BMW block. It is far from the sculptural lightness of the DB7 or DB8, one must admit, but the 179 kg dry weight remains a serious performance for a machine so well equipped.

And the equipment, precisely, is where Bimota justifies its price tag of 42,590 euros compared to the competition. An Aprilia RSV4 Factory or a Ducati Panigale R cost less and offer comparable performance on the track, but neither offers this combination of components. The suspensions are entirely signed by Öhlins, with a 43 mm inverted fork at the front and a TTX damper at the rear. Brembo provides the M50 calipers on the front discs. OZ Racing dresses the rolling chassis with forged aluminum wheels. The fairing, the mudguards, the airbox cover, the sprocket cover, the license plate holder, everything that could be lightened has been in carbon fiber. ABS and traction control complete a picture that smells of race preparation.

This ultra-premium positioning is aimed at a very specific buyer, passionate about motorcycle history as much as about pure performance. It is not a machine for beginners, nor even for the simple sporty enthusiast. The typical profile resembles an informed collector who will take the BB3 out on the track a few weekends a year, aware that he possesses a rare piece produced in very limited numbers. The BB3 also served as the basis for the brand's Superbike program, entered in WSBK with the Alstare team in the Evo category, with honorable results that gave Bimota a sporting visibility it had not had for a long time.

The only criticism that can be formulated concerns the design. Bimota motorcycles of yesteryear had that line that took your breath away before the engine even turned over. The BB3 is a beautiful motorcycle, undeniably, but it no longer provokes that immediate aesthetic shock triggered by a Tesi 3D or an SB8K. The imposing four-cylinder format is something to do with it, as are the integration constraints. It remains a machine with impeccable technical coherence, built with the obsession for detail that has always characterized Rimini. For those seeking an exclusive sportbike, built in a small series, with a technical specification that no major manufacturer can compete with in terms of component quality, the BB3 remains a difficult proposition to ignore.