Bimota DB11 1198 2013 — Specifications

Rimini has always played a particular game in the European motorcycle landscape: build little, build well, and charge a high price for an exclusivity that is not discussed. With the DB11, the Italian manufacturer does not reinvent the wheel, but polishes it until it shines differently. This eleventh iteration of the DB lineage represents a gentle mutation of the DB8, a kind of metamorphosis where aggressive angles give way to more sensual curves, a conventional headlight replaces the tortured gaze of previous generations, and the exhaust lines regain a classic sobriety. Less surgically styled, the DB11 gains seduction for what it loses in radicalism.

Under the carbon bodywork, nothing revolutionary, and that is precisely where Bimota's logic lies. The frame reprises the proven formula of the DB8 and DB9, a chrome-molybdenum steel trellis frame associated with aluminum lateral plates, a rigid and lightweight marriage that has defined the brand's dynamic identity for years. The 43 mm Marzocchi inverted fork manages reactions at the front, the Extreme Tech mono-shock works at the rear, and Brembo signs the braking with its radial calipers. This level of components is nothing exceptional in 2013; MV Agusta or Aprilia play in the same league, but Bimota’s assembly confers a coherence to the whole that only an artisanal manufacturer can afford to refine to this extent.

The heart of the machine deserves attention. Bimota chose the 90-degree L-twin from the Ducati Diavel, not the engine from the Superbike 1198. An important nuance. The 1198 cc develops 162 horsepower at 9500 rpm and a torque of 127.5 Nm available from 7700 rpm, which means that the power arrives early and remains generous over a wide range of revs. With only 175 kg on the scale, the power-to-weight ratio places the DB11 in a very restricted category. The announced top speed of 290 km/h confirms that this machine does not joke with physics. The rider who ventures onto open road with 28,190 euros of motorcycle under his thighs is advised to have the experience to match.

This price positioning is precisely what defines the typical buyer of the DB11, not a beginner, not even an intermediate rider. This Bimota is aimed at a collector combined with a good rider, someone who has already tasted tarmac with demanding machines and who now wants to possess something that is not seen parked in a lot. The comparison with a Ducati 1199 Panigale or a BMW S1000RR of the same era makes little sense, because those motorcycles are sold by the thousands and bought to ride. The DB11 is also bought to exist in a garage.

For those who are left wanting more than 162 horsepower, Bimota offered a VLX version supercharged by compressor, offering a couple of dozen additional horsepower. An option that transforms an already very serious motorcycle into something frankly intimidating. The base DB11 does not need it to convince, its lightness and the richness of its torque already do the job. Rimini signs here a coherent evolution, without excessive risk-taking, which will disappoint those looking for a radical change but will reassure those who invest in a piece of Italian mechanical heritage.