Bimota returns to the U.S. with limited-production lineup

Founded by Massimo Tamburini, Giuseppe Morri, and Valerio Bianchi in 1973, the Italian firm specialized in chassis design, building performance-oriented frames, components, and accessories around existing Suzuki, Honda, and Kawasaki engines. While the brand is reputed for its sharp-handling machines, the handling of its finances has been anything but.  

Bimota filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Two years later, a new group of investors resurrected the marque, but ownership changed hands several times before the Rimini factory shuttered again in 2017. By 2019, Kawasaki swooped in to purchase a 49.9% stake in the company, giving Bimota its latest lease on life. 

As the brand strengthened its ties to the Japanese OEM, Bimota units continued to ship to the United States. Throughout this period, Raleigh-based importer and dealer Bimota Spirit worked directly with the Rimini factory to import 2020 model-year Tesi H2s and 2023 model-year KB4s. That all changed in 2025, when Kawasaki assumed control of Bimota's worldwide distribution.

“It took us since January 1, 2025, to get the Bimota USA business unit (a division of KMC-USA) set up, and all of the motorcycle models homologated for the U.S. market,” explained Bimota Spirit Principal Bob Steinbugler.

During that 18-month homologation period, new Bimotas weren’t available in the States. Now with the process complete, Kawi is bringing a limited-production Bimota lineup back to the U.S. market.

The range includes the Tesi H2 Tera, a crossover ADV that features Bimota’s hub-center-steering front end, Kawasaki’s 200-horsepower H2 engine, and a $56,399 price tag. The KB4 and KB4RC are the café-inspired offerings of the bunch. Both harness a 142-horsepower version of the 1,043 cc inline-four found in the outgoing Ninja 1000SX and Versys 1000 SE. The former retails for $53,199, while the latter carries a $50,999 price tag. All three models will become available in late 2026, but two Bimota models have already landed Stateside.

The Tesi H2, which starts at $76,349, is one of those currently available models, but the real headline-grabber is the $65,399 KB998 Rimini. Bimota claims the Rimini is a “purpose-built superbike engineered to compete – and win – at the highest levels of production-based racing.” It not only houses Kawasaki’s 998 cc inline-four, but also touts a comprehensive rider aid suite, Marchesini forged wheels, Brembo M50 calipers, and a titanium Akrapovič silencer.

Even with all those top-shelf components, it’s the KB998 Rimini’s hybrid chromoly steel tubular frame and billet aluminum swingarm that truly distinguish the Bimota from its green-clad counterpart, the Ninja ZX-10R. The brand hasn’t disclosed how many units of the KB998 Rimini, Tesi H2, Tesi H2 Tera, KB4, or KB4RC will ship to our shores, but it has certainly emphasized the ultra-limited nature of each model.

Yes, Bimota’s timeline is full of twists and turns, but hopefully, its return to the United States signals a steadier path forward.