Bimota DB8 1198 2013 — Specifications

Eight. That figure engraved in red beneath the intake scoops says everything about the lineage and the obsession that has driven the small Rimini firm for decades. The DB8 is the eighth Bimota to entrust its fate to a Ducati engine, and this acknowledged filiation carries no shame. When you lack the resources of a major manufacturer but possess the expertise of an exceptional craftsman, you choose your suppliers carefully and put your talent where it truly counts.

The house's recent history explains this DB8 better than any spec sheet. The DB7 was built around the L-twin from the 1098, already reworked by the Rimini engineers to sharpen its character. Ducati then released the 1198, more torque-rich, more powerful, leaving the DB7 slightly outpaced on paper. The logical response was to integrate this new powerplant and make it the DB8. The 1198cc V-twin produces 170 hp at 9,750 rpm and 131.4 Nm at 8,000 rpm, with a custom-revised mapping to give it a livelier, more aggressive character. The original Ducati 1198 shares these figures, but it does not share the frame philosophy, nor the density of machined components that surround it.

Because that is precisely where the value of a Bimota lies. The steel tubular trellis combined with the aluminum side plates, the billet-machined parts, the 43 mm inverted fork and the Extreme Tech rear shock, the radial Brembo calipers — all of this forms an assembly whose mechanical coherence far exceeds what any volume-constrained major manufacturer can offer. The DB8 weighs 171 kg dry, exactly like the 1198 from Bologna. But those 171 kg are assembled differently, with an attention to every detail that transforms the relationship between machine and rider. With a top speed of 290 km/h, it has nothing to be ashamed of against the sporting competition of its era.

Bimota nonetheless made a choice that will grate on a few purists. To contain the price and marginally broaden its appeal, the fairing moves from carbon fiber to plastic. The suspension loses some of its extreme adjustability. The rear subframe has been reinforced to accept a passenger, which clearly steers the DB8 toward more versatile use than the pure-bred DB7. At €25,990, it remains territory reserved for a wealthy and passionate clientele, but the DB8 attempts to reach the discerning sport rider who does not want to sacrifice all comfort for the track. It is no longer quite an exceptional single-seater, not yet a grand tourer — something between the two that owns its ambiguity.

Visually, only a trained eye will distinguish a DB8 from a DB7 at first glance. The more subdued color scheme, the revised exhaust outlet and that famous red numeral are the identifying markers. The silhouette remains taut and edgy, with that Italian elegance that belongs only to manufacturers who grew up within a few kilometers of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Buying a Bimota means refusing the uniformity of mass production, choosing a rare mechanical identity in a world where sportbikes increasingly look alike. The DB8 speaks to the rider who already knows the great supersports, who understands their codes, and who seeks something more singular, more handcrafted — even if that means accepting a few compromises compared to previous versions.