VOL. 51 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 5, 2014 P73
mono single used BMW F650's
Rotax-built four-valve motor; and
the two collaborated on design-
ing the K1200RS that made its
debut in 1997 and featured an
aluminum-backbone chassis for
the first time on any BMW model
– and derived from a prototype
built by Bimota.
Since then, the German com-
pany has moved into the sport-
bike sector that is Bimota's home
turf, developing the short-stroke
four-cylinder 999cc S1000RR
that it raced with reasonable
success for five years in World
Superbike, winning races but
never the title before bowing out
at the end of last season. So, in-
stead, this year has seen Bimota
take up the mantle of competing
in world-level competition with a
BMW-powered Superbike, forg-
ing a collaboration with Francis
Batta's Team Alstare to run the
BB3 as part of the model's de-
velopment program.
