Bimota Goes Old-school With The KB4

A few years ago, Italian bike manufacturer Bimota, known for producing some of the best frames for motorcycles, fell on bad times and was even declared bankrupt. Thankfully, Kawasaki gave it a new lease of life by acquiring a 49 per cent stake in the company. The new lifeline gave birth to the Tesi H2, a 200PS+ motorcycle based on the supercharged Ninja H2. And now, the manufacturer is working on a smaller superbike - the KB4- that harks back to the good old days. It combines an old-school design philosophy with modern components and topped off by an engine from the land of the rising sun. 

The Italian brand has released a couple of blurry images of the bike that gives away very little but manages to stay true to the original renders. The bike may follow a retro design language, but it’s all-new underneath. The engine crankcase in the renders suggests that the KB4 could use the same powertrain as the Z1000 and Ninja 1000, which means we could expect four cylinders dishing out around 140PS of power. Yes, these figures may not be enough to threaten the current generation of litre-class bikes, but we believe Bimota has a more interesting plan for the KB4. That’s right, the KB4 could be Bimota’s take on a modern MV Agusta. Instead of chasing lap times, the KB4 could be an exquisite piece of art with mind-boggling handling dynamics. 

To do that, expect Bimota to equip the KB4 with a newly developed chassis as well as top-spec components from Ohlins and Brembos. In terms of design, the clay model features a bubble windscreen and circular headlamp inspired by older-gen Bimotas. The tank and rear quarter panels look a tad modern if you ask us, but the images are too foggy to tell for sure. 

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The early clay model suggests that the bike is far from its production stage, so we could expect an early prototype, if at all, at the 2020 EICMA alongside the Tesi H2.