Looking for some historic info. Bimota

[Catimann]

Last year I started looking for a Bimota and found there are none. Bimota never was on a list (as far as I know) and thus I needed to find it some other place.
I have heard some interesting stories and would like to talk to anyone so I could pc this story together. What I know (have been told) is that in the early 90's Carter (and some others?) brought in some Bimotas and sold them. They were, I was told illegal and thus found and removed or sold out of the country. I have heard some are still here, maybe some famous hockey player has one (another story I was told).
I now own one and when people see it and they know something the stories start to come out. I don't go around enough (I hate to ride in the city :horse ) to get seen enough or run into people so I thought to ask here.
If anyone knows stories about this brand then I'd like to start it here and let some history be written.
Thanks a lot.:rider

[maggotbreath]

if you own one a pic or two might jog memories!

[PH-Q2]

I don't think they are "illegal" just the DOT dosen't recognise them as a legal import, Aprilia was in the same boat for many years as well ? you could buy one in the USA and import it into Canada, but it was a bit of a paper shuffle. I'm awating comfermation on a Bimota DB7 as we type.

[Jaybo]

Must be some; there was a DB2 at mission on thursday.

[Commuter Boy]

There's a few in under the 15 year rule. Some 2stroke VDue's came in back in the day without Transport Canada approval, along with some modern Laverdas.

I expect they were seized and ended up in the crusher.

[Jaybo]

gasp Vdue's crushed?! damn they sure didn't work but they sure were pretty.

[alp]

The guy you're talking about, that was at Carter, is still working in town.
There was more that Carter/him that was importing during that era.

[Tattoodles]

When Richmond Motorsport was on Kingsway in BBY back in the early 90's they imported the occasional Bimota as well.

God, I'm old.

[gixxstar]

A bit chunky and dated (even the same engine as my chunky and dated race bike) but I've always had a weakness for the SB8R with the Suzuki TLR1000 engine and carbon frame and bodywork.

http://i.pbase.com/u30/desmoface/large/18351837.Sb8.jpg

[NFG]

[QUOTE=Tattoodles;1180861]When Richmond Motorsport was on Kingsway in BBY back in the early 90's QUOTE]

You're not talking about Goodfellow's are you?

[jjavaman]

richmond motorsports has always been in richmond. they started out on westminster hwy by 3 road, then went up to 6 road and westminster(karate place now) then to where they are currently.

[Tattoodles]

Yeah, Goodfellow's. I thought Goodfellow's was the precursor to Richmond Motorsports?

Actually, I'm pretty sure they were because they carried the phone number if I recall. And I don't recall much because I did a lot of acid as a teenager.

[Steve G.]

Actually, it was not Gary Goodfellow of Goodfellow Motorsport [formerly Gilley & Kinsgway, Burnaby], but Fenton @ Daytona Motorcycles. And they were Bimota V-Due's, and Aprilia RS 250's. Several were sold to customers. Transport Canada came a knocking, took almost all of them, sold and not sold, and they were destroyed. Strong rumour has it that 1 V-Due was purchased by a lawyer in West Van, and went to court to keep the thing. He won, and it still resides on the roads of West Van. I remember sitting on both of the bikes, but by then, the facts of bad running were famous about the Bimota, and essentially, this bike is responsible for the death of Bimota in the 90's.
Goodfellow did have Bimotas on his showroom floor, street legal and registered, and I still knock myself for not acting at the time. This would have been 1994 maybe, when I stopped in to see a near mint Bimota KB1, extremely rare. It went for $9000cdn, huge money back then. Soon, a near new YB11 showed up. The asking price was $19000, not sure what it went for.
Steve

[Catimann]

Must be some; there was a DB2 at mission on thursday.

Yes that was me. :evilgrin Had some fun but was too worried about putting it down.

This Daytona, is it the same as the Daytona in Surrey?

[Jaybo]

hey, nice bike. You were pitted right next to us.

[Steve G.]

Yes that was me. :evilgrin Had some fun but was too worried about putting it down.

This Daytona, is it the same as the Daytona in Surrey?

The same one.

[Ricky]

Yeah, Goodfellow's. I thought Goodfellow's was the precursor to Richmond Motorsports?

Actually, I'm pretty sure they were because they carried the phone number if I recall. And I don't recall much because I did a lot of acid as a teenager.

Just like most things on this site. Bad and incorrect info. Garry had nothing to do with RMS. He had more to do with Fenton at Daytona. The V-Due was confiscated by Canada Customs.

As one other CORRECT person allready stated, if you want to bring a Bimota into the country it will have to be one that is 15 years old or older. Problem is, Bimotas according to my British friends had a problem with consistency in their workmanship. Not really hard to understand as they are hand built bikes, the same as Moto Guzzis were.

I almost bought a 92 YB from a place in Long Beach but thought better of it. In the future I may still buy one. They really are works of art so you do need an every day bike to have alongside. An Aprilia RSVR Factory will do the same thing though and to me, anyway, is just as excotic. There's a big dealership in Las Vegas that sells Bimotas. If you want their url, pm me. But they still are as far as I know, verbotten in Canada.

btw, when I picked up my Thruxton from the storage place in Blaine, that MV Senna edition was still sitting there. I wonder if the buyer just assumed he could bring it into the country?

btw, there is or was a 92 YB for sale in SanFran but they want too much for it imo. Looks to be in Mint condition though and is at an Italian bike dealer's.

[Catimann]

hey, nice bike. You were pitted right next to us.

The guys with the white trailer where I asked about the vents?

[Tattoodles]

Good thing the information police are present, that was a close one! Not like this isn't just a casual discussion about bikes.

Sheesh.

[Jaybo]

The guys with the white trailer where I asked about the vents?

Lol, yep that's us.

[alp]

the bikes were grey market bikes brought in illegally for road use. The guys from RIV were hunting around the local shops trying to locate the bikes. I looked at buying the YB11 at Goodfellows in 92 (bought a 851 Ducati instead). They also had a few two stroke Jap bikes. One burned up on the road to Cypress.

[Catimann]

the bikes were grey market bikes brought in illegally for road use. The guys from RIV were hunting around the local shops trying to locate the bikes. I looked at buying the YB11 at Goodfellows in 92 (bought a 851 Ducati instead). They also had a few two stroke Jap bikes. One burned up on the road to Cypress.

I thought that RIV was set up not that long ago (perhaps 10 years???) Now if these guys were looking and found you, couldn't you just say it was only a track bike and keep it? Or perhaps one could have just taken it over the line and stored it or reimported it as a track bike.

That said does anyone know of the whereabouts of these survivors? :tredmill

[twoforfree]

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v313/207/97/512116082/n512116082_1706834_20.jpg
this was at a shop in san fransico...

just nuts!!!

[Catimann]

Well here is a little item from ICBC: There are 8 Bimota's "registered" in BC:rockon

1 1980
2 1986
2 1988
2 1992
1 1993 mine:flashy

Now the next step is to find them all and have a Bimota day:thewave + :drinkbeer

So if anyone knows or thinks they know of another Bimotaist tell them to join up!!!

[Steve G.]

Well here is a little item from ICBC: There are 8 Bimota's "registered" in BC:rockon

1 1980
2 1986
2 1988
2 1992
1 1993 mine:flashy

Now the next step is to find them all and have a Bimota day:thewave + :drinkbeer

So if anyone knows or things they know of another Bimotaist tell them to join up!!!


Was that your DB4 out at Calabria last Tuesday?
Who can you talk to at ICBC to find out info like that?
Steve

[900 SS]

Well here is a little item from ICBC: There are 8 Bimota's "registered" in BC:rockon

1 1980
2 1986
2 1988
2 1992
1 1993 mine:flashy

Now the next step is to find them all and have a Bimota day:thewave + :drinkbeer

So if anyone knows or things they know of another Bimotaist tell them to join up!!!


Thats very interesting information.
I would be very interested to find the same info on my bike.
Where did you get it??

[Catimann]

Thats very interesting information.
I would be very interested to find the same info on my bike.
Where did you get it??

My Daughter, but you can call ICBC head office and ask for specialty vehicles, they may be able to get you the info or pass you on to someone who knows. It was not a special inside job as ICBC is beyond strict about that sort of stuff.

[Sikorsky]

Goodfellow did have Bimotas on his showroom floor, street legal and registered, and I still knock myself for not acting at the time. This would have been 1994 maybe, when I stopped in to see a near mint Bimota KB1, extremely rare. It went for $9000cdn, huge money back then. Soon, a near new YB11 showed up. The asking price was $19000, not sure what it went for.
Steve

I remember that KB-1. I lusted heavily after it but 2 tears into a marriage and with a little one at home, it wasn't going to happen.

Nice bike Catimann.

[Danke]

but 2 tears into a marriage

Repress much?

[Sikorsky]

Arf, arf ........ 2 years in and there were a few tears, now 20 years on and things are pretty sweet.

[K-rod]

Howdy y'all!! Couldn't help but to post - Goodfellow was involved at the Kingsway Dealership in a big way, which went 'bust' and RMS bought out the inventory, which inventory also included a '92 Bi,ota Dieci, that I bought and rode for a few years (Whistler/Baker Hwy etc.). AWESOME bike, but way over-priced if somebody would have paid the then retail price (around 40k).

ANyway, oddly enough when I tried to sell the bike, Goodfellow re-purchased it off me and shipped it off to Europe, probably for a handsome profit, as he was bying up used bikes and filling containers with them to send over-seas, what with the exchange-rate difference he was turning over a smart business ...

anyway, nice bike. Fast. Balanced. Unique. Beautifully detailed. Ridden damn hard (by me)!

K-rod

[GSP]

Last year I started looking for a Bimota and found there are none. Bimota never was on a list (as far as I know) and thus I needed to find it some other place.
I have heard some interesting stories and would like to talk to anyone so I could pc this story together. What I know (have been told) is that in the early 90's Carter (and some others?) brought in some Bimotas and sold them. They were, I was told illegal and thus found and removed or sold out of the country. I have heard some are still here, maybe some famous hockey player has one (another story I was told).
I now own one and when people see it and they know something the stories start to come out. I don't go around enough (I hate to ride in the city :horse ) to get seen enough or run into people so I thought to ask here.
If anyone knows stories about this brand then I'd like to start it here and let some history be written.
Thanks a lot.:rider

I did see at least one Bimota in the window at Carter Granville Island in the late 90's ('96 or later). Looked new to me, and it had the air-cooled Duc motor.

[SHANE]

cadimann are those cowboy boots your wearing on the track ? tisk tisk

[theassassin_]

I worked on a few Bimotas back in Ontario and built a couple of GSXR motors for them while I worked at NRC. The GSXR motored Bimota, I think it was the SB7, had the fairings bolted directly to the rocker shaft flanges on the sides of the cylinder head. They didn't use the metal/rubber grommet that Suzuki used on that mount, instead Bimota just injected a big goop of silicone to prevent a leak at this fairing bolt! Both of these bikes smoked their rockers and cams! When I took apart the top ends I found almost 2 solid inches of silicone blocking the oil gallery inside of the rocker shafts! Pretty stupid move on Bimota's part.

[alp]

passed on he opportunity to buy a SP1 in Calgary back in 1988. A car dealership had it for sale. Can't remember the price. That is one of those kick myself deals when you look at what it would sell for today.