IN
THE
WIND
P24
INVISIBLE
BIMOTAS
EXPLAINED
T
he controversy over the Bi-
mota BB3's acceptance
onto the World Superbike grid in
2014, despite completing the ini-
tial homologation standards, was
explained to us by FIM technical
representative Scot Smart at the
Donington Park round this past
weekend.
Currently the Bimotas are al-
lowed to qualify, can move for-
ward to Superpole if they qualify
well enough, and then race on
Sundays. They have any points
and places earned taken away
as soon as they cross the finish
line so in the race results they al-
ways show as not homologated
- meaning everyone who finishes
behind them moves up in the fi-
nal results.
The question many ask is sim-
ple: How can they be allowed to
compete at all if they can only
be tech'd for safety, as no full
homologation has been granted
yet.
"The submission process for
the homologation has been ex-
actly the same as for any other
manufacturer - and more," Smart
said. "We have an impounded
bike, all the parts, and for the en-
gine it is easy because it is from
somewhere else. For the chassis
I have them, and all the other bits
and pieces. Their homologation
drawings have been submitted
and approved. It is now purely a
numbers game in that now they
have to make their required num-
bers of machines. The Bimota
homologation process has been
more stringent than other peo-
ple's. You have to bear in mind
that any manufacturer, even if
they have got 125 bikes in the
room at the point of first homolo-
gation, it is just as temporary as
the Bimota one because they
have to make 500 and then they
have to make a thousand. There
is nothing to say that that is going
to happen. But they are allowed
to race for that two-year period."
Gordon Ritchie
Ayrton Badovini and the Alstare Bimota at Donington Park.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
ROBERT, REDMOND: ERZBERG OR BUST
T
op American off-road racers Taylor Robert and
Kyle Redmond will be traveling to Austria to
compete in the infamous Erzberg Rodeo Extreme
Enduro. The event takes place on May 29-June 1.
For Redmond, this will be his fifth time compet-
ing in the event many call the toughest single day
Extreme Enduro in the world and he has finished
as high as fifth - the best result to date for an Amer-
ican. Redmond will be competing on a Christini
All-Wheel Drive 300 two-stroke.
continued on page 26
