Bimota Motorcycles

Bimota was founded in 1973 in Rimini, Italy, by Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri and Massimo Tamburini - the name is a portmanteau of the first two letters of each founder's surname. Rather than building its own engines, Bimota made its name designing lightweight, high-performance chassis, suspension and bodywork around proven powertrains sourced from Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki, aimed at riders wanting sharper handling than the donor manufacturer's own frame offered. In 2019, Kawasaki Heavy Industries took a 49.9% stake in the company, and Bimota's motorcycles are now built exclusively around Kawasaki engines while the company remains based in Rimini with Italian design and craftsmanship. It continues to build motorcycles in small numbers for riders seeking a hand-finished, boutique alternative to mass-produced sportbikes.