Bimota Forum

Gavin944888 · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 6:03 pm Post subject: What is going on at BIMOTA?

Hello"....if you Google Bruno DePrato cycleworld you get a link to all of Bruno's articles.
The latest being 16 th Jan 2017 regarding Bimota

Pretty grim reading......I was at the factory in November and after viewing the shop floor first hand
could see the signs BUT could only hope for a different outcome.

I was promised by Valter (Bimota Sales Director) that the news will be good and even as late as December
there was talk of a potential new US led plan

I sincerely hope that this is not the beginning of the end.

Regards

Gavin
_________________
On an Island in the River Thames!

Cagiva Elefant 888/955 & adventure sidecar
Cagiva Elefant 999r engined
Cagiva BIMOTA Motard Concept
BIMOTA DB9 (with DB11 rear-end)
BIMOTA DB7-11 VLX MULE (build coming to an end)
BIMOTA DB11 VLX Supercharger

2bims · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7289

I think we all hope for Better Gav.....It also seems our one and only UK distributer has bitten the dust....Ben Wylie has closed down Brenin bikes in MArket Drayton, where he operated out with Bimota........

Whether its still the same law or not in Italy I don't know...but all Italian companies were protected from their debtors for up to 7 years upon administration/bankruptcy, to enable time for other investors to come forward and save companies...certainly Italian bike brands have evoked the life of a Phoenix from the flames more than any UK bike manufacturer...so we can only hope......

2bims · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7289

And heres the link to that very article...sad indeed....that maybe only just the name is up for sale....Names do sell though...an indian company,Mahindra have just bought the name BSA...even though BSA ceased to exist making things many years ago.....for a sum of £3.4million......Mahindra have also bought the Jawa Czeck company name...and plan to remake both brands using their Italian based race company house...as INdeed Mahindra are quite well known for their making of Moto3 GP bikes.........

News of Bimota...
http://www.cycleworld.com/bimota-motorcycles-status-historic-italian-brand#page-7

Gavin944888 · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 8:15 pm Post subject:

Sad news about Bimota UK, if that is the fact.
I cannot praise them highly enough
They sorted out a Ohlins on my behalf even though I got the bike elsewhere.
I ordered a new Supercharger project through them.
...gave a five figure deposit and got ALL of it back after my factory visit.

Good luck to them....stood by me and secured the return of my monies

Regards

Gavin
_________________
On an Island in the River Thames!

Cagiva Elefant 888/955 & adventure sidecar
Cagiva Elefant 999r engined
Cagiva BIMOTA Motard Concept
BIMOTA DB9 (with DB11 rear-end)
BIMOTA DB7-11 VLX MULE (build coming to an end)
BIMOTA DB11 VLX Supercharger

barnmankit · Joined: 23 Nov 2014 Posts: 97 Location: Pyrenees, France

This is a really sad situation. At one time Bimota was one of the most respected names in motorcycle chassis design and production, and is still very highly regarded. Surely, in this time of successful upmarket "boutique" brands, there is someone intelligent enough to see the potential of Bimota as a niche manufacturer? The name, and more importantly the history, still has a huge amount of respect. Someone like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz should snap them up.
Lets hope for better things.
_________________
1998 Bimota DB2 edizione finale naked
1976 BMW R75/6 tractor (for sale)
ICE recumbent trike
A shed full of bicycles

"We're each given one small grain of madness - if we lose it, we're nothing." Robin Williams

2bims · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7289

Several of us have been through this topic "off Forum"....Mercedes Benz are linked to their tuning company AMG...and who do AMG part own and make specials under that brand???...MV Agusta of Course...hence the link with an MV Agusta Lewis Hamilton special edition...So yeh....you say Porsche...but who are they linked to...wel of course VW and Audi, not to mention Seat also...and VW Audi bought Ducati a couple of years ago....So who else? Well maybe Jaguar Land Rover who are owned by an INdian steel maker Tata.....or as I say Mahindra who own BSA and Jawa now.......And theres royal Enfield owned by an INdian company...who bought out a british bike frame manufacturing company...so lets move back to Italy...Piaggio big bike manufacturers...but they own Aprillia not to mention Vespa, Gilera, Derbi...and Aprillia owned Moto Guzzi, so now all under one brand.

Benelli were part owned by an Indian Company...but now owned by a Chinese one.....The likes of Ducati, Benelli and Aprillia and MV Agusta already all make distinguished bikes...all with in house made engines...and all of which are sold for higher prices than the high end BImotas were...so the markets there but who is left to be able to buy Bimota????????????

djt77 · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 12:54 am Post subject:

I know the guys who are the official importers for Bimota here also do MV and they have just secured distributor status for the US, maybe they can assist getting the mark back into the US, they have done an amazing job with the brand on this side of the world.

brian · Joined: 22 Aug 2011 Posts: 3769 Location: Australia

It's a tough business
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

Tirefriar · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 659 Location: USA

quikduk · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 6:45 pm Post subject:

This is what I always worry about with smaller companies but even major manufacturers stop making parts after 10 years.

JRH · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:33 pm Post subject:

2bims · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7289

I hope so jrh...as we all do with bimota itself....selling just 2 or 3 bikes a year isn't really going to keep anyone going as a business....and silence from the factory is always ominous....I see Amore motor aren't doing the northern bike show either this year....seeing as a healthy I'll bet 70% of all UK bimotas are northof Birmingham I see that as a missed opportunity...

quikduk · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:51 pm Post subject:

This is one of the issues we face here in the States. It takes a lot to setup and operate a dealership. Without a strong factory for support, the dealer is left hanging out to dry re: parts, warranty claims, model specific factory accessories and upgrades etc.

Considering that Bimota has always used other mfrs. engines, those specific marques could easily handle the support and limited sales as a high-end part of their regular Ducati Dealership (or Honda, etc. re: whatever engines have been used in say the last 10 years max).

Legacy support is difficult due to the stocking prices which is why most companies regardless of the trade do not stock much anymore but order it when paid. Stronger dealerships can afford to have inventory but at Bimota's high price of admission ($25K USD to $100K USD retail!!!), not many people can afford these bikes, surely not the masses.

quikduk · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:58 pm Post subject:

I haven't spoken to the owner of Pro Italia lately but I believe the following are some of the reasons that they don't carry them anymore (and they only ever had a scant few in the store from what I remember).

1. very niche bike (very limited market).
2. very expensive when compared to main models.
3. difficult to service when compared to "most" of their main models.
4. difficult to communicate with the factory.
5. difficult to obtain parts and warranty support.
6. no North American factory liaison or distribution chain.

They are works of art or pieces of moto-jewelry but if you can't work on them yourself, you should probably pass...which is why they are possibly floundering...again.

The major support I have seen and been the recipient of has been from THIS forum and some local members here in the USA.

quikduk · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 10:03 pm Post subject:

Personally, I hope that they can pull it out again and keep going strong. It is really a pity when a great marque vanishes due to the economy.

I hope that their pricing can come down to mortal levels soon. I have seen a few Desmosedicis and Superleggeras in dealerships but they typically were bought for eye candy while the suspected owner gets their finances in order or they are one of the shop's buddies who don't ride them much and either put them on display or sell them on consignment where they will hopefully have a greater audience.

I mean, how many people can walk into a bike shop and plunk down $50K-$60K on a bike, even with creative financing? Oh they will spend it on their car or SUV, boat etc. but a bike is viewed more as a toy to them. At PI, it generally appears to be doctors, lawyers, and independently successful businesspersons. Most can only dream.