Fast an lucky!

Various online platforms are a treasure trove for enthusiasts and collectors of rare items. However, one quickly learns that good deals are usually snapped up in no time—often by buyers who either check the listings regularly or have set up automatic notifications. My purchase of the HB3 is proof that you need both luck and speed when a rare piece comes up for sale.

On January 7, 2021, at 8:52 AM, a new listing appeared under the Bimota category on the German platform ebay Kleinanzeigen. A seller in Gütersloh was offering an HB3 „for tinkerers“ for just €3,000. When I called shortly before 10:00 AM, I was already the third interested party. The seller was clearly surprised by the response. I explained that Bimotas are rarely listed for sale, and the few experts and collectors out there keep a close eye on the market. This led to a conversation. He had to sell because his garage lease had been terminated due to personal use, and he needed to clear it out by the end of the month. I told him I could come immediately, put down a deposit if the bike was suitable, and pick it up over the weekend to free up his garage. His reaction: „That sounds good.“

We arranged to meet the same day between 12:30 and 1:00 PM at a garage, though he wasn’t sure of the exact address—he knew the street but not the house number. Using his description and Google Earth, I managed to locate the garage complex behind an apartment building.

At 12:45 PM, as I arrived at the entrance, a Moto Guzzi sidecar rig approached from the other direction. Just a reminder—it was January 7, and quite cold. The side streets were still partially covered in snow. The seller, a lean man in his mid-60s, around 1.70 meters tall, was bundled up in a thick thermal suit as he rode up.

When he opened the garage, there it was—the partially disassembled HB3, surrounded by heaps of various motorcycle and other mechanical parts. My first impression: a neglected, worn-out bike—but still a Bimota, and even in parts, surely worth far more than €3,000. The 63,700 kilometers on the odometer, the expired TÜV since July 2018, and the fact that it had been sitting for over two years were secondary concerns.

While chatting, I learned a lot of interesting stories about both the chain-smoking seller—who rolls his own cigarettes—and the HB3 itself. The bike was first registered in 1985 in the Minden district and was purchased by its current owner in February 1994. However, he didn’t like the original red-and-white paint scheme, so he had it repainted black. But why buy such a bike in the first place? Here’s the story: He originally wanted a Yamaha FZR 1000, but his partner at the time objected to a two-seater, as it would always allow for the possibility of taking a female passenger. When she saw a single-seat motorcycle in the classifieds section of Motorrad magazine, the decision was made. To support her argument, she even contributed a significant portion of the purchase price for the more expensive Bimota. And so, the HB3 spent an eventful 27 years in its second ownership.

For longer trips, the bike had been temporarily modified with a cockpit fairing and superbike handlebars—though this setup was never officially registered. At some point, the original engine developed increased oil consumption and was replaced with a CB1100F engine.

That was the history of the bike. As we gathered the disassembled parts from his uniquely organized garage, the original engine and a well-preserved Forcelle Italia fork surfaced—both of which he offered to include in the sale. At that moment, it was clear: time for a handshake to seal the deal, with no need for price negotiations, followed by the deposit. Just the extra fork alone, if one ever comes up for sale, would easily fetch at least €1,000.

The following Saturday, I picked up the HB3 with a trailer—and had a new restoration project on my hands.