Bimota Forum

[brian]

[quote="daveg"]

[yb11reno]

I blame it all on my friend Pete. I was doing just fine, perfectly satisfied with my MV Agusta. Pete suggested I meet him in Las Vegas for the January motorcycle auctions. He was selling a Norton and Honda. It was like Christmas, seeing all the ducati 851s 888s, mint 916s, classic Brittish iron. Then I saw it. I had only ever seen one before. On the side it read "Bimota" I had heard about them from friends who talked about them in voice that hinted at awe and unattainable. I then discovered that there was not one, but four headed for the auction block that weekend.
But that first one I had noticed - it was white with red and green accents, a DB5R with no miles... I must've walked back and looked at it 20 times over the weekend.
I knew the Tesi was over my budget, and it was, selling for $35K with the buyer premium. The DB7 -I couldn't decide if I liked the unpainted carbon fiber or not. I think it went north of $20K anyway.
Then the DB5 R was up. I listened to the bids, they slowed down at $13K, I raised my hand at $14K, but they kept going, all the way to $19.5 where it stopped and sold. If the hammer had delayed for one more second, I would have raised my hand, knowing that I would've spent way outside my comfort zone. I had never come close to spending that much on a bike before. So, then it was gone - the one motorcycle that weekend that I lusted for above any other there.
But - there was one more Bimota to come across. A YB11. Said to have only 18 km on it. So it had no wear except for a couple of fairing issues from careless caretakers. But it was - a Bimota. It was scheduled to go across late Saturday - my last chance to take something that pushed the right buttons for me. I had watched one bike after another sell over the weekend, fantasizing, how fun it would be to take it home. Like an itch that needed scratching, I was feeling left out - how come I wasn't taking something home.
Then "IT" was on the podium. Three bidders, then two, then it seemed only one bidder. So I raised my hand at the next call. The other bidder raised me $500. The auctioneer encouraged me - come on, just one more bid. So I did. I waited. Nothing. Oh. So then - the bike was mine.
And that's how I suddenly came to own a YB-11. It's sat for 17 years, I'm still trying to get the clutch hydraulics sorted out, so I can get it registered. I've rebuilt the slave cylinder, bled the lines until I'm blue. Still air in the line. So I've ordered a new master cylinder which should arrive in the next week. I see that YB11s have their share of critics - I don't care, I love the flowing shape, and the riding position actually feels good to me - everyone's anatomy is different after all.
But in that time - since January, still I couldn't get the DB5 out of my mind. One night - about a month and a half ago - I'm poking around on Craigs list and find a 2006 DB5 Mille with under 2,000 miles in Fort Collins, CO. The formal owner really loved that bike. He sold everything (two bikes, maxed credit cards) to get it. He got to own it for a little while anyway.
And now it's found a new appreciative owner. When I'm not riding it, it'll be parked in my living room, where I can look at it every day.
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Jack
Reno, NV

[djt77]

Congratulations on both your bikes and what a great introduction to ownership. However we need to see pics

[yb11reno]

Yeah, I want to post pics. It looks like I need to create a photobucket account and then put the link here, correct? I'd rather, if I can just post here to the thread.

Jack
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Jack
Reno, NV

[brian]

G'day and welcome to the forum Jack. Great story mate. It rarely stops at one Bimota when the Bimota bug bites. Pics are compulsory here and yes the best way to post pics here is the method that you mention, photo bucket or similar.

Another possibility for your clutch issue is that the plates and discs are stuck together due to being sat for so long. A good work out, flush and new oil may solve it or you may have been to open it up (if that is your problem)
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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

[SpikeC]

Welcome, Jack! I happened into the used bike department at Moto Corsa, here in Portland one day and there inside the office area was a DB5R. I could not believe it when I saw it. A short time later I traded my very low mileage 1100S Monster and a bucket of cash for it and I have been in love ever since!
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Spike C.
Portland, Oregon, USA
2008 Bimota DB5R
1965 Triumph T100SC

[2bims]

Welcome also Jack....yup...if you want to put piccies up....first upload to a free to open Photobucket account...or similar...and then you copy and paste the "img" code below the pictures uploaded into a post you are creating on here....always good to see more and new Bimota owners....Db5Mille nice....with ohlins front and rear,,,,theres another mille owner on here....and also 4 No DB5R owners also......meself included lovely bikes

[vort28]

[fish]

hi I have issues lots of times trying to bleed brakes and clutch,s till I purchased a air assisted brake bleeder and since then its now only a 5 min job
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DB1-DB2SR-DB2EF-DB3-DB4 Db10 YB6-yb7_yb10-2xyb11-SB5,2xSB6-kb3-yb5-MILLE MIKEHAILWOOD HARRIS MAGMAN2-TRIUMPH T140-RG500x2-KAWA Z900-SUZUKI GSX1100-DUCATI 900SS- 750 sport ducati DUCATI F1 750- 851 tri colour-500sl-1996 Trumph datona . Vee two alchemy

[yb11reno]

I'll see if this works for the photos.

Regarding clutch - I've pulled the plates out and cleaned them. re-built the slave cylinder. Tried maybe 4 or 5 times bleeding normally, when that didn't work, bought a reverse bleeder, which also didn't work (after about 4 or 5 attempts). I've ordered and new master cylinder and will see if that works. If not, I'll run it in to the dealer and let them have at it.

Jack

http://s172.photobucket.com/user/gen2rt/media/Bimota/007s_zps6bdjokul.jpg.html

http://s172.photobucket.com/user/gen2rt/media/Bimota/010_zpsahdm7vnd.jpg.html

http://s172.photobucket.com/user/gen2rt/media/Bimota/009_zpsdoqd0pwm.jpg.html
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Jack
Reno, NV

[2bims]

Almost there...if you'd clicked on the img code it auto-copies for you...and then click Paste into the message youre posting







The mille's are a nice bike....early production run of the 5 series...so came with an allot tank before they had moulds made of moulded plastic....and came with Ohlins front and rear and an alloy tubed rear subframe...later twin seat models had silver painted steel subframes....

The Mille looks to be in good condition....witha few non-standard extras...Zard open titanium race cans....vented/windowed clutch and cambelt covers...and billet reservoir pot covers...or it that you treating the bike to a few sparkly extras??/

I have the electronic Genuine Bimota workshop manuals for that bike...and the spare parts manual also if you are interested...just pm me your email address across...also have the workshop manual for the YB11....which is a scanned copy but could email bit by bit

Plenty more space in that garage leftover for more Bims....DB5 Mille makes a nice reverse contrast to the MV Agusta colour scheme....



Did you know the footpegs on the DB5 are adjustable? They have 2 lower levels they can be fixed at if you need more leg room? Remove top bolt and pull out the assembly...theres 2 more lower postiions...and then adjust the brake and gear pedals to suit.....the rubber'd ends are on snail cams to raise up/down/back/forward

[2bims]

Oh...a few of us have "flipped" the position of the rear brake fluid reservoir pot to sit behind the alloy frame plate....just needs a longer bolt and say a 10mm spacer inbetween.....flipping it round 180 degrees....keeps it out of the way of the hot rear header and collecter pipe...Bimota made this change on the later DB6 series

DB6

[hatysz]

Hi all. My name is Cezary and I'm from Poland. I own a DB4 in tricolore. I bought the bike in very bad shape and now i'm restoring it to it's original shape:)

New frame and unfortunatelly new pait. Next week i will get the frame from bimota classic parts (hope so - you now for Italians one week means sometime 6 months ) I will share some photos from disassembly the bike and putting all together. cya

[2bims]

Welcome Cezary....Or jindobre....Yacksie smasch.....or however its written...spent a few months working in Poland a few years ago...had to learn Polish a little so I could buy beer, food...and perhaps occassionally speak to the odd lovely polish lady.....lovely that they are.

Congrats on your purchase...youve found the right place for help....why did it need a new frame? BimotaClassicParts is oddly very "non-Italian"...they offer very efficient quick service the likes of which shames us in the UK and a few other countries also...so hopefully you wont be waiting long....perhaps you should have come on here first as I know of a couple of spare frames for Db4...but hey ho

Any questions/help..youre in the right place

[hatysz]

Dzien dobry! My old frame was dammaged and someone tried to repair it. It's in Italy now in bimota classic. Earlier I tried to buy a new frame directly from Bimota and for 18 months it was only one answere for dozens of emails "hello. whats your vin number!" So Bimota Classic is quite fast!

I need some parts like front fairing (front lamp fairing) anyone has it ?