Bimota SB8R Project Bike. Part One: Introduction.
Newest addition to the garage is a Bimota SB8R. Follow along as I get this Italian exotic back on the road.
Recently I purchased a Bimota SB8R. It is one of about 250 made between 1998 and 2000. The bike is currently not running, and has not seen use in a while. At the very least it will need to be detailed and major service as well as tires. The hope is that a the main components will just need refreshing. So perhaps not a "barn find" project in the traditional sense. There will be challenges in dealing with something with such a low production run as well as figuring out where to source some needed parts. All around, this should be fun and interesting.
Not that long ago I went through a very similar process with my Bimota SB6R. That was one of about 600 made.
My SB6R that I finished not that long ago.
Bimota famously utilizes other company's power plants. In this case the Suzuki TL1000R twin. The Bimota naming convention is strange. For this case the S stands for Suzuki (K for Kawasaki, H for Honda, D for Ducati), the B is for Bimota, and the number just refers to the model. The SB8R was the eighth bike Bimota built with a Suzuki engine. Some get confused and assume it refers to the engine size.
I think that it is important to pick the correct base to start with when looking at any project. The time spent doing this yields great dividends down the line. Many are tempted to find the cheapest, or worst examples to start with. In the end more time and money is usually spent to complete the project.
This bike is coming to me from the original owner. The owner had his fair share of interesting bikes over the years. Had built a couple of hot rod TL1000Rs for track days, and upgraded to the SB8R. The Bimota undercuts the Suzuki by the better part of 50 pounds. That is massive. It did so by the heavy use of carbon fiber. The tail is a once piece, self supporting unit. Even the rearward engine cradle is carbon fiber. All of this obviously came at a cost. These were three to four times more expensive then a TL1000R when new.
I had placed a couple of postings around the inter-webs indicating that I was on the look out for a new project bike. Had specifically said I would be interested in a Bimota. Often these types of posts do not lead to much. But casting a wide net is never a bad idea. The seller reached out to me with a detailed description and a pair of photos. After a couple of questions I was ready to pull the trigger.
For me, I find the technology and materials fascinating. Very much looking forward to digging in the machine and understanding it better. That was a huge amount of fun for my SB6R (Suzuki GSXR1100 engine).
Will be sure to get some pictures of the inner workings of the SB8R like I did with my SB6R project.
Bike is currently in transit to me. The shipper has picked it up and I am quietly waiting for it to arrive.
Will update once I have a plan worked out as to how to attack the project.
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