and dreamed of such a bike for himself - but stroke 500 twin (the first GP , raced by didn't make fours to sell to customers. So in 1970 he Roberto Gallina in the 1974 season), the V4 Paton bought a crashed example of the only four-cylinder two-stroke, the 250 twin that went on to Italian then available - MV Agusta's win the world title in 1977, and - most successfully plug-ugly 600cc shaft-drive sports tourer. - the TZ250/350 Yamahas. But although Tamburini He stripped the engine and converted it to 750cc, and Morri had the satisfaction of knowing their fitted chain final drive, then built a conventional Bimota frames had earned half a dozen world but good-looking chassis to house it, working championships, that wasn't the same as doing so after hours by himself in a corner of the Bimota under Bimota's own name. workshop. Fitted with cutting-edge Italian hardware So they registered the company as a manufacturer BELOW RIGHT: of the era, such as Ceriani forks and massive with the FIM and were rewarded with Bimota's Tamburini (on right) Fontana drum brakes, it was the first Tamburini- first official world title in 1980, after South African chatting about a built motorcycle, the start of an era. privateer defeated the factory Kawasaki prototype Ducati Paso Fired by favourable comments aroused by team to win the 350cc crown on his Yamaha- 750 with AlanCathcart his MV's improved handling, Massimo became powered Bimota YB3, with its sweet-handling in 1986. Check out intent on building a Honda CB750-engined racer Tamburini-designed chassis. Cathcart's dictaphone! that would be the genesis of a company building Tamburini's Bimota-era trademark was a tubular such bikes for customer sale. Equally bike-mad, steel frame with the swingarm pivot mounted Giuseppe Morri was eager to run the bike business coaxially with the gearbox sprocket. This ensured while Massimo built the products, so the two split constant chain tension at a time when chain from Valerio in 1973 but retained the technology was struggling to keep pace with engine Bimota name in new career constructing torque outputs, and he improved traction via longer specialist motorcycle frames. swingarms. Tamburini also pioneered the use of To begin with, the duo focused on constructing monoshock rear suspension: it was on the 1976 race chassis for engines as diverse as the four- HDB1 500cc twin-cylinder GP racer, and in 1977 Tamburini also pioneered the use of monoshock rear suspension

Li I II i Ml

Timeline 1973 - Bimota HBl 1976-SB2 The first Bimota Pioneering single-shock roadbike created legendary machines. Here are some key moments along the way

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