It seems that the oft-troubled Italian brand Bimota could be on its last legs.
A few days back, Cycle World’s European correspondent ran a piece with details on the current status of Bimota. It doesn’t look good; according to Cycle World, the Italian operation is slowing down and bikes are being assembled in Switzerland now.
This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention; it wasn’t that long ago that Bimota had beautiful bikes on display at the EICMA show. Even if the machines were only concepts, they were promises of a beautiful future ahead. Yet those machines always faced delays coming to market, and in recent years, they were nowhere to be seen.
It’s sad, because Bimota’s bikes were very interesting blends of technically competent engines with custom-built performance chassis. The Cycle World piece is definitely worth a read; it places the blame for the company’s slump on business practices, but it’s also true that in today’s world of rapidly-advancing onboard electronics packages, small niche manufacturers like Bimota can’t offer the capability they once did. Just ask Erik Buell …
Another European brand the Chinese can pick up. Like the Japanese 20 or 30 years ago, it’s China’s time to have it’s run.