More Than Half a Century of  Beauty, Passion and Tradition


The Legend Began in a Small Workshop in Italy

In 1966, Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri and Massimo Tamburini founded a company specialised in the installation of air conditioning and heating systems. They called it bimota, a combination of their three surnames. It represented craftsmanship underpinned by foresight, creativity, and conviction.

Massimo Tamburini, the pure motorcycle enthusiast among the three founders, eventually began to customise his personal machine. He redesigned the frame - essentially creating a new one from scratch - and changed the drivetrain from shaft drive to chain drive. With skilful techniques and a refined sense of design, he transformed a production motorcycle into a fully-fledged supersport machine.

This was the moment a special motorcycle was created; a bimota motorcycle. From that point on, bimota’s vision grew, their tuning and flow of ideas unceasing, as their passion for motorcycles became unstoppable.

The small shop became a local “living room garage,” offering authentic treasures of refinement, taste and motorcycling joy.

A new company for people with a deep love for motorcycles got its start in Rimini, the “City of Dreams” with one of the most beautiful seafronts in Italy, a place that Federico Fellini transformed into a mythical dimension through his films.

That company was bimota meccanica, from Rimini.

Shocking the World with Two-Wheeled Masterworks

When the inseparable combination of fervent passion and undisputed technical ability came together, the resultant motorcycling concept took the entire motorcycling world by surprise. It featured meticulous attention to detail and exquisite workmanship. A “sculptural” design approach paired with advanced engineering. A highly personalised approach that led to an almost tailor-made level of craftmanship. Components that enthusiasts could only have dreamt of previously.

The unique result – the ultimate blend of sophistication and high performance – quickly caught the attention of the media and riders alike.

In 1973, motorcycle enthusiasts were treated to a design and engineering feat unlike anything they had ever seen.

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Global Ambassadors

The first complete motorcycle came to life from Tamburini’s brilliant drawing. Only ten specimens of Italian uniqueness that was bimota’s HB1 were created. It featured a revolutionary tubular frame built around the heart of a four-cylinder Honda CB750, lowering the centre of gravity and reducing the weight – the first of many Japanese superbikes to receive such a makeover.

In 1977, the innovative SB2, with its characteristic demountable frame, was in the spotlight of the motorcycling world, and was soon followed by the iconic Kawasaki-powered KB1 in 1978.

In the 1980s, the racing world was forced to focus its attention on the elite Rimini workshop.

The style and value of “Made in Italy” became globally acknowledged as word of bimota spread. In 1980, the 350 World Championship was dominated by Jon Ekerold on his Yamaha powered YB3. Then Virginio Ferrari won the TT-F1 World Championship in 1987.

During the same period, road-going bimota motorcycles emerged and rightfully entered history. These included the DB1, YB4 EI and the first Tesi prototypes.


In the late 1980s, Pierluigi Marconi inherited the technical vision from his predecessors.

His genius and his skilled hands resulted in models with aluminium box frames including the YB8, YB8 E, YB8 Furano, YB9 Bellaria, YB9 sr, YB9 sri, YB10, YB10 Biposto (two-seater), YB11, SB6, SB6 R, SB7, SB8 R, and trellis frame models like the DB2, DB2 sr, and DB2 EF.

Among his creations, and still an undisputed icon today, is the innovative Tesi 1D from 1990, which was the first bimota with a Tesi system to be produced.

By the beginning of the new millennium, the asphalt of ordinary roads suddenly morphed into a racetrack. After eleven years, bimota once again lined up on the WorldSBK starting grid, this time with the SB8R.

Soon after, a road model – a carbon fibre version called the SB8K – opened the door to an exclusive motorcycling world reserved for discerning enthusiasts.

After several changes of ownership in the 2000s, the motorcycle craftsmen from Rimini were waiting for a full-fledged revival. That came in 2019, as bimota entered a partnership with Kawasaki Motors. This coincided with legendary designer Pierluigi Marconi making a return to the company.

bimota’s new era began with the Tesi H2, a fusion of Kawasaki's supercharged engine and the Tesi system; a technological marvel synonymous with bimota. The blend of Kawasaki's exceptional power unit with Marconi's cutting-edge chassis design philosophy was the start of a new legend for the brand.

In 2020, bimota introduced the KB4, a sport model for the road uniquely mounting a 1000cc class engine in a 600cc class chassis. This was followed by the BX450, bimota's first enduro racebike model, in 2023. That same year, bimota made its first entry in the Italian Motorally Championship and achieved strong results, placing 2nd overall for the season. The following year, bimota’s BX450 took the title in the 2024 Italian RaidTT Championship.

The Tesi H2 TERA, bimota’s first crossover model, was introduced in 2024. It featured a next-generation Tesi centre-hub steering system and a Balanced Supercharged Engine. Breaking cover the same year was the KB4RC, a machine inheriting the KB4 concept with improved street performance for a wider range of riders.

In 2025, bimota announced its participation in the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) as the “bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team” (BbKRT). The machine they took into battle at each round of the championship was a bimota masterpiece: the KB998 Rimini. Developed by the race team’s actual riders, it was built for the sole purpose of winning races.