BIMOTA DB6 (2008 - on) Review

This exotic, hand-built Italian masterpiece of a motorcycle is assembled with such attention to detail, using top-shelf components that it gives you a funny feeling in your trousers just looking at it. It goes like stink too, as its grunt-laden, air-cooled 1078cc, V-twin Ducati engine has hardly any weight to push along. Think BMX push bike with a motorcycle engine and you won’t be too far off the mark.

This special ‘R’ version is a massive 7kg lighter than the already ‘Slim-Fast’ base Bimota DB6 model and tips the scales at a piffling 170kg, wet with no fuel. As a result it dances through tight turns and pulls effortless wheelies, stoppies and skids on demand. The weight saving mainly comes from the new lightweight Marvic wheels. This improves ride quality as well as making the DB6R super-agile. 

This really is the perfect engine for this bike. The Bimota DB6R is powered by Ducati’s 95bhp air-cooled, twin-spark, four-valve motor, the same as you’ll find in the Ducati Hypermotard. It’s hard enough to keep the Bimota’s front wheel on the ground as it is, because you sit bolt upright and the bike so light, so you really don’t need any more power than what’s on tap. The fuelling is perfect and there’s a beefy spread of grunt from tickover to 7000rpm. A booming soundtrack from Bimota’s twin underseat exhausts at full throttle and the rattle from the dry clutch, never fails to make you smile.

Although Bimota still haven’t sorted out a UK importer (but a number of dealerships are beginning to surface), that shouldn’t put you off owning a modern-day Bimota DB6R. The sinple Ducati engine is tried, tested and reliable, so there’s no worries there and the cycle parts are top-shelf, so should pass the test of time. Build quality is beyond question, the paint finish exemplary and the standard of components sky high.

This really is a rich man’s toy. It’s hard to justify this kind of price tag for what is really an impractical summer’s day motorcycle. But it’s beautiful, fast, fun, handles brilliantly and everything works as it should. Without doubt, the Bimota DB6R would be in my dream garage. Find a Bimota DB6 for sale.

In typical Bimota style the hand-made DB6R comes with lashings of carbon fibre and billet aluminium as standard. It also gets fully-adjustable 50mm Marzocchi forks an Extreme Tech rear shock and steering damper, Brembo Monobloc four-piston radial calipers and lightweight Marvic wheels. Compare and buy products for the Bimota DB6R in the MCN Shop.