Rennie Scaysbrook | November 9, 2022
That oh-so-Italian brand Bimota, with all its trials and tribulations, is firmly back on the world stage since being acquired by Kawasaki a few years ago.
We’ve already seen and heard the fearsome Tesi H2, powered by the Kawasaki H2 supercharged motor, and now we’ve got the latest edition in the KB4 RC.
Oh hell yes! Talk about an angry cafe racer…
This model uses Kawasaki 1043 cc, 142 hp motor from the Ninja 1000 (which also dates back to Z1000 form from the mid-2010s), with Bimota going to town on the chassis and bodywork to create a machine that leaves the Kawasaki for dead in terms of sheer presence.
Originally unveiled in a watered-down prototype version last year at EICMA, the production bike is far nastier. There’s hints of the old Bimota KB range from the 70s/80s in there, such as the single-piece round headlight, and massive side intakes that direct incoming air to the radiator that sits under the seat instead of the traditional place at the front of the engine.
The vast bodywork at the rear includes a fan that helps draw cold air in at low speeds while getting hot air out at high speeds, something that’s going to be of high concern to the rider and their possible passenger.
Running gear comes in the form of semi-active, electronically controlled Marzocchi pieces with a 50mm fork up front and a monoshock at the rear. The wheels (at least in these pics) are OZ forged aluminum numbers which, if they actually stay on the bike and make it to production, will be a good selling point for any Bimota dealers.
The braking is done by Brembo in the Stylema four-piston monobloc calipers and 320mm discs up front and a two-piston caliper working a 220mm disc at the back.
Bimotas have been notoriously difficult to purchase here in America (well, everywhere for that matter), but if you want to make any inquiries on this, head to North Carolina’s Bimota Spirit (https://www.bimotaspirit.com/).
