A YB8 E on an unusual path

Classic Bimotas are known more for their sporty qualities than for their suitability as touring machines. The only exception is the DB3, which, with its upright seating position and lack of fairing, caters to the café racer and naked bike market. Naturally, I take my DB3 on all my longer tours, as it allows for comfortable riding over several days. However, touring-friendly extras such as luggage racks are, of course, nowhere to be found.

At the end of the 2022 season, I started planning an alternative to the DB3 for longer trips—without having to give up my favorite motorcycle brand. My base for this project was a YB8 E, which I had bought as a streetfighter in 2017 and mostly restored to its original condition during the winter of 2018/19.

However, the streetfighter conversion had been deregistered for many years and required a full technical overhaul. A new monocoque was also essential, as the existing one neither suited my taste nor provided any way to secure a luggage bag or roll on the rear. I found a replacement monocoque at Moto Forza in Brno, which claimed to offer an „authentic“ replica. Upon delivery, however, it turned out that Moto Forza had its own interpretation of „authentic“—the mounting points for the fuel cap and the storage compartment behind the seat were missing. On the bright side, this opened up the possibility of installing a storage compartment under the monocoque.

I quickly put together a cardboard prototype to determine the maximum possible dimensions. The final version was a metal box made of 0.5 mm steel with a lid. Using U-shaped brackets welded to the sides and two latches, it could be mounted to the rear frame without modifications.

Under the monocoque, there’s now room for a „trunk“ with a capacity of around 10 liters

After a full service and a provisional spray-can paint job, the designated touring Bimota received a fresh TÜV (technical inspection) in April and was officially re-registered on April 25, 2023, after 13 years off the road. The following test rides and shorter tours went smoothly. Even my fully loaded „trunk,“ packed with tools, chain lube, a rain suit, and other essentials, remained stable and rattle-free. The only downside was the tight knee angle, which was still too cramped for long trips. Since the exhaust layout meant that even modifying the footpeg mounts would only offer a minimal improvement, I decided to leave it as it was for the time being.

On June 16, I finally set off for the French Alps. To be safe, I also loaded up the DB3—you never know what kind of issues might arise after 13 years of inactivity. It would have been frustrating to spend two days on travel just to be unable to ride (or only do so with limitations) when alternatives were available. In the end, the five-day, 1,600-kilometer tour went off without a hitch—except for a torn fuel hose. My touring YB8 E performed brilliantly throughout the journey, especially on the more than a dozen passes I tackled.

On the 2nd Alpine Tour in August 2024
Here’s the trip report: 2nd Alpine Tour with the Touring Bimota

After the two Alpine tours in 2024, one thing is clear: my touring Bimota will be getting a professional paint job and a new cockpit fairing for the next season – so I can finally show off some front and side photos! 😉