Bimota SB8K édition Gobert 2004 — Specifications

Thirty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty euros. Take a moment to read that figure. That is the entry price for joining the very exclusive circle of SB8K Gobert edition owners, produced in 2004 in the Rimini workshops. At that rate, Bimota is not selling another sports bike — it is selling a stance, a philosophy, a certain idea of what a motorcycle can be when money ceases to be a barrier to ambition.

The recipe is the one the Italian house has always championed: take a proven engine from a major manufacturer, elevate it, then house it in a frame drawn by in-house engineers without compromise. Here, it is the 90-degree L-twin inherited from the Suzuki TL 1000 R that does the work, though deeply reworked. With its 996 cc, a bore of 98 mm for a stroke of 66 mm, and a compression ratio raised to 11.3:1, it surpasses its donor on every front. Power climbs to 142 horsepower at 9,750 rpm, torque reaches 98.1 Nm at 8,750 rpm, and the electronic management has been entrusted to a fully revised system. On paper, it falls short of a contemporary GSX-R 1000 and its 178 horsepower, but comparing these two machines is like placing a manufacture watch next to a Swiss quartz watch. Both tell the time, but not in the same way.

What makes the SB8K is everything that surrounds that engine. The twin-spar aluminium frame, reinforced and complemented by carbon elements, sets the tone. The swingarm, the footpeg plates, the self-supporting seat, the fairings, the mudguards, the rear hugger — virtually everything is carbon. The result is immediately felt on the scales: 176 kg dry, 190 kg fully fuelled with a 20-litre tank. It is not the lightest in its segment, but it is consistent with a chassis conceived as much for the track as for the road. The 46 mm inverted Paioli fork with 120 mm of travel and the rear monoshock with 130 mm of travel complete a suspension package calibrated for precise lines.

The Gobert edition distinguishes itself from its Santamonica cousin through deliberate technical choices: the Paioli fork rather than Öhlins, a slightly shorter wheelbase, a lower screen, and wheels without the OZ Racing gold finish. The Santamonica costs around 4,000 euros more and targets purists who want the most complete version. The Gobert, meanwhile, remains the entry point into the SB8K universe, without compromising on what matters. Both share the same claimed top speed of 250 km/h and the same chain-driven 6-speed gearbox.

This machine is not aimed at beginners, nor even at occasional riders. It targets a precise profile: the enthusiast who has already ridden demanding sports bikes, who understands what a rigid frame and a responsive engine mean, and who is looking for something no one else in their riding club owns. The SB8K is not perfect in the industrial sense of the word. It demands maintenance, attention, a certain mechanical affinity. But it is precisely that contract which makes it desirable. Buying a Bimota in 2004 means choosing the exception over the production line, character over convenience. For those who understand that, the price makes sense.