Bimota YB11 Superleggera 25 Anniversary

Bimota YB11 Superleggera 25 Anniversary
Manufacturer	Bimota
Production	50 units
Engine	Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 5 valves per cylinder.
Compression ratio	12.0:1
Top Speed	10.4 sec / 215.0 km/h / 133.6 mph
Ignition	Digital electronic
Transmission	5 Speed
Frame	Two diagonal beams with a rectangular cross section. The swing arm is also made of aluminum.
Suspension	Front: Telescopic fork with 51 mm stanchions and rebound, compression and preload adjustments Rear: Single shock absorber with compression, rebound, pre-load and length adjustments
Brakes	Front: 2x 320mm discs Rear: Single 230mm disc
Front Tire	120/70 ZR17
Rear Tire	180/55 ZR17
Weight	183 kg / 403.4 lbs. (dry), 215 kg / 474 lbs. (wet)
Fuel Capacity	15 Liters / 4 gal.
Manuals	Service Manual

It could reach a top speed of 10.4 sec / 215.0 km/h / 133.6 mph.

Engine

The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 5 valves per cylinder.. The engine featured a 12.0:1 compression ratio.

Chassis

It came with a 120/70 ZR17 front tire and a 180/55 ZR17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs in the front and a Single 230mm disc in the rear. The front suspension was a Telescopic fork with 51 mm stanchions and rebound, compression and preload adjustments while the rear was equipped with a Single shock absorber with compression, rebound, pre-load and length adjustments. The YB11 Superleggera 25 Anniversary was fitted with a 15 Liters / 4 gal. fuel tank. The bike weighed just 183 kg / 403.4 lbs..

Photos

Overview

Bimota YB11 Superleggera 25 Anniversary

Bimota's reputation as a manufacturer of top class super-sports bikes had been based on its advanced and lightweight chassis. This left the tiny Italian firm vulnerable during the mid-1990s, when mass-produced Japanese superbike chassis had become so good that many were difficult to equal, let alone better. But Bimota continued to produce super-sports machines offering outstanding performance, notably the YB 11 Superleggera of 1996. Ironically, the YB 11 's twin-spar aluminum frame, far from being futuristic in Bimota tradition, was closely based on that of the YB6 of several years earlier. But that took nothing away from the YB 11, which was beautifully styled, fitted with top quality cycle parts, and had an uncompromisingly aggressive personality.

The YB 11 justified its Superleggera, or superlight, name by scaling just 4031b (183kg), a substantial 331b (15kg) lighter than the Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace that supplied its 1002cc four-cylinder engine. Although the frame's main beams were unchanged from the YB6, the top cross-member was located nearer the steering head, adding rigidity. A sophisticated Paioli rear shock operated a new aluminum swingarm; Paioli also supplied the large-diameter front forks. Bimota made no internal changes to the 20-valve, liquid-cooled Thunderace motor, which in standard form produced 145bhp. But the Rimini firm fitted a larger airbox, fed via ducts in the fairing nose. According to Bimota this added a few horsepower in conjunction with a new four-into-one pipe and reworked carburettors. Although the YB 11 shared its engine and chassis type with the YZF1000R, the two bikes felt distinctly different.

The Bimota was more racy, with firmer suspension, thinner seat and stretched-out riding position. The Italian bike's reduced weight gave a slight edge to straight-line performance, as the Superleggera had a power-to-weight ratio that no mass-produced rival could match. Vicious acceleration:  A crack of the throttle sent the Bimota hurtling forward towards a top speed of 170mph (274km/h). Peak power was produced at 10 000rpm. and the acceleration at high revs was vicious. But its Yamaha engine's greatest strength was mid-range response, and that remained true of the YB11. Ii pulled with stunning urgency when the throttle was wound open even from below 4000rpm in top gear. Like most Bimotas. this was not a practical motorbike. Its suspension was too firm to work properly at low speed on bumpy roads, but on smooth surfaces the bike handled superbly. Its Brembo brakes were wrist-punishingly powerful, and its levels of steering agility, roadholding and ground clearance immense. Inevitably the YB 11 could not match the performance advantage that some of its predecessors had enjoyed over their mass-produced contemporaries.

Equally inevitably, the hand-built Italian bike was hugely expensive as well as impractical. But it was beautiful and rare as well as seriously fast, and enough people were prepared to pay the premium to make the Superleggera a success.

Source: Fast Bikes by Roland Brown{| class="wikitable" |- !Make Model |Bimota YB11 Superleggera 25 Anniversary |- !Year |1998 |- !Production |50 units |- !Engine Type |Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 5 valves per cylinder. |- !Displacement |1002 cc / 61.1 cub. in. |- !Bore X Stroke |75.5 x 56 mm |- !Cooling System |Liquid cooled |- !Compression |12.0:1 |- !Induction |4 x 38mm Mikuni carbs |- !Ignition |Digital electronic |- !Starting |Electric |- !Max Power |105.7 kW / 145 hp @ 10000 rpm |- !Max Power Rear Tire |97.7 kW / 131.hp @ 10100 rpm |- !Max Torque |109 Nm /11 kgf-m / 80.4 lb-ft. @ 8500 rpm |- !Transmission |5 Speed |- !Final Drive |Chain |- !Frame |Two diagonal beams with a rectangular cross section. The swing arm is also made of aluminum. |- !Front Suspension |Telescopic fork with 51 mm stanchions and rebound, compression and preload adjustments |- !Rear Suspension |Single shock absorber with compression, rebound, pre-load and length adjustments |- !Front Brakes |2x 320mm discs |- !Rear Brakes |Single 230mm disc |- !Front Tire |120/70 ZR17 |- !Rear Tire |180/55 ZR17 |- !Dry Weight |183 kg / 403.4 lbs. |- !Wet Weight |215 kg / 474 lbs. |- !Fuel Capacity |15 Liters / 4 gal. |- !Consumption Average |6.5 l/100 km / 36.2 mpg |- !Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0 |12.9 m / 37.1 m / 42.3 ft. / 121.7 ft. |- !Standing ¼ Mile |12.9 m / 36.6 m / 42.3 ft. / 120.1 ft. |- !Top Speed |10.4 sec / 215.0 km/h / 133.6 mph |- !Road Test |YB11 vs CBR900RR Motoplus 1996

|}