The Bimota DB5R represented an interesting shift in corporate philosophy for the niche Italian motorcycling manufacturer. Instead of trying to create the ultimate track bike – the DB5R was built to be more of an upmarket street bike that’s at home carving canyons or doing track duty.
The engine donor was easily identifiable by the first letter in the model name, the second letter was B for Bimota. A Ducati engine powers the DB series, for example, Suzuki engines power the SB series, etc. Prior to this bike, Bimota took large displacement engines for the newest sport bikes and then amped them up in-house. But for this bike, they went with old Ducati tech – the two valve 992cc V-Twin. You won’t be wining races, but the engine provides good torque and will be an unique, if not blistering fast, ride. With that said, 100 horsepower is still plenty!
Bimotas are wonderful bikes for those in the know, but the worst part about owning a Bimota is the dealer support. The Ducati 1000 engine wasn’t a pinnacle of reliability, though you can at least get parts for the engine easily enough. The Bimota-specific parts may take some advance planning to sort, however – especially as the sole official Bimota importer went out of business a few years back.
This specific Bimota DB5R comes beautifully equipped with the red/white/green Italian tricolore paint job, and is perfect for those of you that desire originality. The owner had laser cut 3M protective film to cover most of the bike, and the results are evident. You’ll get all the books and documentation you expect, as well as the original factory cover.
Find this Bimota DB5R here on Craigslist in Wilson, Arkansas for $19,995.