Difference between revisions of "Bimota HB2"

The HB2's initials stood for Honda Bimota, and its engine was the air-cooled, 90Ice twin-cam engine from the Japanese giant's CB900F. In Bimota style the 16-valve motor was left standard, complete with its bank of [[Keihin]] carbs and airbox, although some owners fitted larger flat-slide [[Mikunis]]. Bimota's twin-silencer exhaust system saved some weight but barely increased the standard 900F's output of 94bhp. The big motor was partially covered by the Bimota's half-fairing, which blended with the one- piece tank-seat unit. (This could be removed after undoing just four bolts plus an electrical connector.) The screen was usefully tall and protective; the view from the rider's thinly padded single seat was of a top triple clamp machined from a solid chunk of lightweight alloy. Stiff and lightweight frame When the tank-seal unit was removed, the quality of the HB2 became clear. The frame's visible steel tubes, which ran down to join the alloy plates at the swingarm pivot, were backed up by numerous smaller tubes around the steering head. The aluminium plates at the swingarm pivot provided strength and light weight in that crucial area. A De Carbon rear shock, vertically mounted and operated via a rising-rate linkage, replaced the 9()0F's twin shocks. Front suspension was exotic, too: a pair of Ceriani telescopic forks with gold-finished sliders and. at the top of the legs, adjusters that could be turned by hand.

The HB2's initials stood for Honda Bimota, and its engine was the air-cooled, 90Ice twin-cam engine from the Japanese giant's CB900F. In Bimota style the 16-valve motor was left standard, complete with its bank of [[Keihin]] carbs and airbox, although some owners fitted larger flat-slide [[Mikunis]]. Bimota's twin-silencer exhaust system saved some weight but barely increased the standard 900F's output of 94bhp. The big motor was partially covered by the Bimota's half-fairing, which blended with the one- piece tank-seat unit. (This could be removed after undoing just four bolts plus an electrical connector.) The screen was usefully tall and protective; the view from the rider's thinly padded single seat was of a top triple clamp machined from a solid chunk of lightweight alloy. Stiff and lightweight frame When the tank-seal unit was removed, the quality of the HB2 became clear. The frame's visible steel tubes, which ran down to join the alloy plates at the swingarm pivot, were backed up by numerous smaller tubes around the steering head. The aluminium plates at the swingarm pivot provided strength and light weight in that crucial area. A De Carbon rear shock, vertically mounted and operated via a rising-rate linkage, replaced the 9()0F's twin shocks. Front suspension was exotic, too: a pair of Ceriani telescopic forks with gold-finished sliders and. at the top of the legs, adjusters that could be turned by hand.

And the Italian bike was superb in a straight line. too. At low revs the Honda engine impressed with its smoothness and torque, especially with the original CV carbs in place. There were no glitches Original Bimota: the HB1 Bimota's first ever bike had also been powered by a four-cylinder Honda engine. The first HB1 was built from the wreck of the CB750 that Bimota design ace Massimo Tamburini had crashed at Misano. With its racetrack-derived styling and rigid tubular steel frame, the HB1 was a stunningly advanced machine when unveiled in 1972. Only ten examples were ever produced. or stumbles as the Bimota purred forward at a fearsome rate. Unlike the standard Honda, the HB2 had the fairing and the tucked-in riding position to make cruising speeds of lOOmph (I6lkm/h) or more hugely enjoyable for almost as long as its rider dared. And the HB2 remained impeccably stable as it headed towards a top speed that one magazine tested at I38mph (222km/h).

And the Italian bike was superb in a straight line. too. At low revs the Honda engine impressed with its smoothness and torque, especially with the original CV carbs in place. There were no glitches Original Bimota: the HB1 Bimota's first ever bike had also been powered by a four-cylinder Honda engine. The first HB1 was built from the wreck of the CB750 that Bimota design ace Massimo Tamburini had crashed at Misano. With its racetrack-derived styling and rigid tubular steel frame, the HB1 was a stunningly advanced machine when unveiled in 1972. Only ten examples were ever produced. or stumbles as the Bimota purred forward at a fearsome rate. Unlike the standard Honda, the HB2 had the fairing and the tucked-in riding position to make cruising speeds of lOOmph (I6lkm/h) or more hugely enjoyable for almost as long as its rider dared. And the HB2 remained impeccably stable as it headed towards a top speed that one magazine tested at I38mph (222km/h).