1988 Bimota YB7

The Bimota YB7 was something of a departure for the company in the late 1980s. Not only was it a bike with a smaller engine than they were used to. the Yamaha FZR 400. but it was also a motorcycle built exclusively for the Japanese market. There is an excellent contemporary review of the background to the bike’s conception. as well as a review of its riding qualities at the following link:http://www. motorcyclespecs. co. za/model/bimota/bimota_yb7%2088. htmGiven the enthusiasm amongst journalists for the bike. it is surprising that production was limited to only 321 units. Riding the bike ourselves. we have found that the words of the review ring true; this really is a Bimota that can be ridden in town as well as on the open road due to the versatility of the FZR 400 engine. coupled with the lightness of Bimota’s design. We suspect that the reason for the small production numbers lay in the price; these bikes new were the sterling equivalent of ?19. 00 or so in 1988!However now. the same biking enjoyment can be had for a fraction of the price. Our YB7 is in perfect working order. and presents well cosmetically. although there is some minor cracking at the edges of the bodywork. commensurate with the age of the bike. We understand that it was imported into the UK from Japan in 2000 by the then chairman of the UK Bimota Owner’s Club. It starts easily. runs and rides as it would have done in 1989. and sits resplendent in a racing team paint job. It has 24. 00 kilometers showing on the clock. which is the equivalent 15. 40 miles. and comes with owner’s manual. Bimota parts manual. Yamaha parts manual. various MOT certificates and other receipts. We think this is a great opportunity to buy into the legendary Bimota brand at a relatively low price.

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