RUMOUR: Has Kawasaki bought Bimota?

It’s the hottest of topics at the moment and the Italian rumour-mill is in full swing – but if true then it could lead to the resurrection of one of the motorcycle world’s most iconic bike building brands.

Appearing yesterday (Tuesday) the news could be one of the biggest stories of the year, i true. The gossips have it that Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has bought the entire Bimota brand from Swiss entrepreneurs Marco Chiancianesi and Daniele Longoni.

According to a source reported on by GPone, a press announcement about the takeover will happen in ‘the next few days’. Reports suggest that Italian classic bike experts at Yesterbike.it have seen a preview of the agreement between Kawasaki and Bimota and that some historic suppliers of Bimota have already been contacted informally by Kawasaki management with a view to re-start a collaboration.

Giuseppe Morri, the founder of Bimota with the late Massimo Tamburini told Yesterbike.it: “I have no precise information but there are rumours that in recent days are spinning insisitently.

“If the acquisition by Kawasaki materializes this news would prove to be well founded and I would be happy and proud because it would mean that the brand was stronger than those who have seriously damaged it in the last 20 years.

“Am I interested in returning? Absolutely not. I am 78 years old and my adventure in Bimota ended in 1993.”

The last motorcycle seen from Bimota was the naked Impeto bike which used a supercharged Ducati Diavel motor but failed to grab the imagination or interest of the bike buying public.

Any official statement between the two brands could be announced over the next few days with something more concrete and forward-looking expected to be unveiled at EICMA in Milan during the first week of November.