DB 7 Quick and Effective Upgrade

[dnovo]

IMHO the DB 7 is the only current Bimota that has an engine that matches it outstanding suspension. Yes I like my 2V models, and yes they too have great suspensions and are excellent riders. But as modern sportbikes go they are underpowered vis a vis everything else out there. Not so the DB 7, as Cycle World correctly observed in their shootout last year against the 1198R (and cheaper to boot!). Nonetheless, the DB7s (at least most shipped to the US) came with a substantial built in handicap that negates the benefit of a brilliant chassis - they were shipped shod with Conti Race Attack tires.

To call them absolute crap would be an insult to crap. Hard, no stick and cheap. I intended to wear my out as fast as I could and switch them out. Took it out last weekend when it was unusually cold for the Midwest (high 50s) and damn near dropped it in the first fast corner when the front end slipped out. I had been doing everything to warm up the tires first, but the damn things were still hard as rocks and had no grip.

Took it back to our shop/museum and bitched to my partner, who has been in the bike business for many years, both as a racer, factory tech guy, and retail service manager about why would any company put so much tome and money into top of the line suspension components, frame design, and then blow it one the most important component of any motorcycle, the tires.

"Dave, they all so that, buy whatever is cheap by the carload and slap it on. My cost on that Conti front tire is $58 and a manufacturer pays less."

Okay, so I am not tracking the bike so what do we put on? I want the best grip for fast street use where it is tough to reliably get them heated up. We went with one of the new Pirelli Angels on the front-single compound with lots of of grip without having to be warmed up on a cool day- and a new Rosso Corsa dual compound at the rear tha tis not temp sensitive but allows for the grip and feel I wanted.

Night and day improvement. So for those of you out there with Bimota, if they have cheap OEM tires, don't wait to wear them out, swith them now. The best upgrade you can do and the best cost/benefit one as well.

I have pontificated for the morning. Have a good ride all this weekend. Dave

[JLSB8]

Originally Posted by dnovo

IMHO the DB 7 is the only current Bimota that has an engine that matches it outstanding suspension. Yes I like my 2V models, and yes they too have great suspensions and are excellent riders. But as modern sportbikes go they are underpowered vis a vis everything else out there. Not so the DB 7, as Cycle World correctly observed in their shootout last year against the 1198R (and cheaper to boot!). Nonetheless, the DB7s (at least most shipped to the US) came with a substantial built in handicap that negates the benefit of a brilliant chassis - they were shipped shod with Conti Race Attack tires.

To call them absolute crap would be an insult to crap. Hard, no stick and cheap. I intended to wear my out as fast as I could and switch them out. Took it out last weekend when it was unusually cold for the Midwest (high 50s) and damn near dropped it in the first fast corner when the front end slipped out. I had been doing everything to warm up the tires first, but the damn things were still hard as rocks and had no grip.

Took it back to our shop/museum and bitched to my partner, who has been in the bike business for many years, both as a racer, factory tech guy, and retail service manager about why would any company put so much tome and money into top of the line suspension components, frame design, and then blow it one the most important component of any motorcycle, the tires.

"Dave, they all so that, buy whatever is cheap by the carload and slap it on. My cost on that Conti front tire is $58 and a manufacturer pays less."

Okay, so I am not tracking the bike so what do we put on? I want the best grip for fast street use where it is tough to reliably get them heated up. We went with one of the new Pirelli Angels on the front-single compound with lots of of grip without having to be warmed up on a cool day- and a new Rosso Corsa dual compound at the rear tha tis not temp sensitive but allows for the grip and feel I wanted.

Night and day improvement. So for those of you out there with Bimota, if they have cheap OEM tires, don't wait to wear them out, swith them now. The best upgrade you can do and the best cost/benefit one as well.

I have pontificated for the morning. Have a good ride all this weekend. Dave

Couldn't agree more. Swapped tires immediatley. Bimota probably owed Michelin, Pirelli,Metzler money and couldn't get tires until they paid up. Got stuck putting on Conti's Thats how they ended up with Antera rims in the past. Didn't pay there bill.

[JS sport classic]

I installed a set of Michelin Pilot Pure's on mine & love them so far.

[dick]

hi folks

I have michelin power ones (street compound) on my santamonica sb8k, which as Dave says, ......."is the difference between night and day........" would really recommend them.

Oh, I have also specified the same tyres on my Oro Nero DB7 which I am receiving this week. The oe's on the O N were Dunlops.

dick

[lant5]

I have Michelin Power Pure's on the DB6 and they are excellent. Performed nicely at a recent track day. The suspension was very good on the track, not so much so on the street. Still struggling to get it right, way over sprung and the support from Marzocchi as well as the aftermarket is non-existent. To even remove the fork cap I will have to have a custom spanner tool made. I have to agree that the 2V Bimota's are underpowered.

[daotoys1]

A lot of people are not aware that manufacturers even high end ones often buy cheap accessory components for the production of their bikes.

It makes good sense to use top quality things like brakes and suspension, but when it comes to things like tires, batteries, chains, fluids.......manufacturers often buy whats on sale, or what they can get the best bulk price on.......its a way to get some profit on items that the general public often takes for granted.

The other thing about tires is that they deteriorate over time, just by being in contact with the air. Who knows how old the tires were when they were mounted on the bike??? And if a bike is a older model year, which is common with BIMOTA......if you buy a NOS "NEW OLD Stock" BIMOTA the tires when you buy your "new" bike are already a few years old. And on top of this is the fact that if a bike is parked or stored for any length of time, then the wheels should be kept off the ground so the tires are not contacting the ground and are not weighted. This can create "flat spots" that may or may not straighten out once you ride , but will for sure accelerate the progression of "dry rot" to the rubber.

I now that a number of tire manufacturers recommend that motorcycle tires not be used if they are more that 5 years old ( for performance tires at least).

People also do not realize that when they buy new tires, especially ones on sale or close out prices, that these are often "old" tires that have not sold yet.

My basic thinking on all of this is that buying top quality tires is cheap insurance to protect you and your bike from a break down ( flat tire) and/or a crash ( from poor tire performance/ loss of traction.....).

Ive had a number of high end bikes that came stock with cheap rubber. And another area that is just as common, is cheap drive chains that stretch everytime you ride the bike, and are often less that safe for extremely aggressive riding.

I find it funny when I see a super exotic and expensive motorcycle with the cheapest low cost set of tires the owner could find on Ebay......

Good thread

thanks

[dnovo]

I agree with all of the responses but would like to add a cogent albeit correct observation:

Bimota has all but abandoned the US market. The last distributor for Bimota in the US is long gone. The company now handles US sales more or less directly. The existing dealership network, such as it was, is also gone. The only dealer from the 'old' group, Bob Steinbugler at Bimota Spirit is still with us, but that is simply a tribute to his love for the marque than an effort by the company to maintain a presence here in the US. If you look at Cycle Trader to see current offerings, you see a handful of dealers with a handful of current models, but all are new to the game and not really committed to doing anything but trying to sell off the inventory they acquired from what wa remaining US stock.

And what do they have to offer? As nicely built and constructed, all the current Bimota are underpowered and overpriced. Don't get me wrong, the DB5R is a beautiful, great handling sport bike. I love mine, but hardly worth it's asking price and woefully underpowered. The DB6R is bit more competitive as a naked/supermoto really does not need a more powerful engine for street use, but again not priced with other equally-competent bikes in the same class

The Tesi 3D is pure niche. Nice but check out the few that have sold in the secondary market recently. They drop in value like a stone. Theyexist because they ate different. And, having the 3D and the 2D, I prefer riding the 2D and feel that it will retain more of it's value based on its comparative rarity ten years down the line. Recall too it is not a 'real' Bimota, but a Vyrus.

That leaves the DB7. The one current Bimota that is 'competitive' if not superior to it's rival. Read the Cycle World comparison between the DB7 and the Ducati 1098/1198R. It gives up 32 jp and is damn near as quick on the track, better for street riding and nearly $10,000 less expensive. Is it selling or being sold on that basis? No.

Of course how many 1198Rs are being sold? My local Ducati dealer just sold off his Bayliss Replica 1198R and was thrilled to move it out

So what is my point? Does Bimota really have a future? Not selling or perhaps not selling here in the US. They have one really 'current'. Model and they are ignoring it. Rumour has it that they are considering switching from their all-Ducati engine philosophy to perhaps the Aprilia V twin. In any event, the company is becoming endangered as simply a niche within a niche and a concept of 'better chassis than you can get elsewhere price no object' that no longer holds true in the 21st Century.

Could be wrong, but I suspect I am not.

Your thoughts invited. Dave

[JLSB8]

Originally Posted by dnovo

I agree with all of the responses but would like to add a cogent albeit correct observation:

Bimota has all but abandoned the US market. The last distributor for Bimota in the US is long gone. The company now handles US sales more or less directly. The existing dealership network, such as it was, is also gone. The only dealer from the 'old' group, Bob Steinbugler at Bimota Spirit is still with us, but that is simply a tribute to his love for the marque than an effort by the company to maintain a presence here in the US. If you look at Cycle Trader to see current offerings, you see a handful of dealers with a handful of current models, but all are new to the game and not really committed to doing anything but trying to sell off the inventory they acquired from what wa remaining US stock.

And what do they have to offer? As nicely built and constructed, all the current Bimota are underpowered and overpriced. Don't get me wrong, the DB5R is a beautiful, great handling sport bike. I love mine, but hardly worth it's asking price and woefully underpowered. The DB6R is bit more competitive as a naked/supermoto really does not need a more powerful engine for street use, but again not priced with other equally-competent bikes in the same class

The Tesi 3D is pure niche. Nice but check out the few that have sold in the secondary market recently. They drop in value like a stone. Theyexist because they ate different. And, having the 3D and the 2D, I prefer riding the 2D and feel that it will retain more of it's value based on its comparative rarity ten years down the line. Recall too it is not a 'real' Bimota, but a Vyrus.

That leaves the DB7. The one current Bimota that is 'competitive' if not superior to it's rival. Read the Cycle World comparison between the DB7 and the Ducati 1098/1198R. It gives up 32 jp and is damn near as quick on the track, better for street riding and nearly $10,000 less expensive. Is it selling or being sold on that basis? No.

Of course how many 1198Rs are being sold? My local Ducati dealer just sold off his Bayliss Replica 1198R and was thrilled to move it out

So what is my point? Does Bimota really have a future? Not selling or perhaps not selling here in the US. They have one really 'current'. Model and they are ignoring it. Rumour has it that they are considering switching from their all-Ducati engine philosophy to perhaps the Aprilia V twin. In any event, the company is becoming endangered as simply a niche within a niche and a concept of 'better chassis than you can get elsewhere price no object' that no longer holds true in the 21st Century.

Could be wrong, but I suspect I am not.

Your thoughts invited. Dave

I agree with almost everything you said. The Bimota is a great rolling piece of art that does at least handle great and have ok power. Take a look at HD. Worst piece of crap to roll around the planet. Doesn't go,stop,turn,handle etc and still sells(albeit slowly these days). Wouldn't it be nice if the average person was intelligent and skilled enough to buy a Bimota instead? It is true that other manufacturerers make bikes that handle damn good as well, but I personally would rather have everything billet and carbon instead of plastic and potmetal. In todays economy, they will definitely have problems selling there product. The jewel like finish doesn't make them go any better to justify the price to the price conscious buyer.

[JS sport classic]

Well on the up side of this, at least we won't walk out of a store or a bike shop and see the same bike as ours sitting there. However I did pull into a gas station and see a guy on a DB7, but I knew him, so it does not count.

[djt77]

Guys, need to get new set of boots for the DB7 can you let me know what your running along with sizes. My manual notes a 190/55 when I do a search on the net it recommends a 180/55, which is it?

I would look at whats on the bike right now but it's in the shop so I can't