It’s kind of amusing that all these collector quality bikes come available this time of year. I’ve referred to the spring fever phenomenon before, but usually in reference to riders who can’t wait to get out and ride in the good weather after a cold winter. But bikes like this are likely to see one or two rides after purchase and then put back on display. This YB8 is a perfect example as it’s described as museum quality with no visible wear advertised. YB8 cliff notes: 150hp Yamaha Genesis engine, 400lbs dry, exquisitely crafted metal work, and with only 252 examples produced, legitimately rare. If you buy it, make sure to park it in front of a window so it can at least see daylight even if not ridden in it.
dc
1991 Bimota YB8 for sale on eBay
excerpt from the seller’s listing:
CONDITION
This machine is in absolute mint, museum quality condition. It starts and runs perfectly. There are no scratches or nicks anywhere on any of the paintwork. The stock rear shock and steering damper were replaced with Ohlins units. The original muffler was replaced with a Termignoni carbon fiber unit, a common upgrade for the period. The original handlebars (clipons) have been replaced with a pair of very high quality German made adjustable clip-ons from Daes MototecALL ORIGINAL PARTS COME WITH THE SALE (shock, damper, muffler, clip-ons).
The bike comes with the factory rear wheel stand, factory Bimota bike cover, new battery, new tires, owners manual, factory parts manual, factory parts manual, warranty book, sales brochure, too/l kit, folder of assorted technical articles and a box of assorted spares. The bike has a clear North Carolina title. Inspections are welcome. Note odometer is in kilometers.SUMMARY
This is an exotic machine made by a very high-end motorcycle manufacturer combining the best of Japanese engine technology with the best of Italian design. It is functional yet could easily spend the rest of it’s life static in any collection. This appreciated asset will not doubt continue to rise with the recent rise in Italian collectable motorcycles.
These are wonderful sportbikes- rock solid chassis and stability at high speed, great Yamaha motor, Bimota build quality, timelsssly beautiful. It was ahead of it’s time when built, but don’t expect it to be better objectively than a BMW S1000RR or GSXR1000. There are some downsides to ownership reality you should know about, however. One would be the suspension and brakes. The Marzocchi forks and shock feel old and dated- a bit stiff and non-compliant, harshness can’t be adjusted out. Replacement seals can be hard to find as well. The brakes are wooden feeling and show their age, even with steel lines and a good bleed. The period Antera wheels are grossly heavy- you won’t believe it until you do a tire change.
A big hassle with the YB series that sellers would never mention is service and maintenance. This machine was designed to be small, compact, and dense- that beautiful frame wraps very tightly around the motor. There was NO design consideration given to maintenance- you cannot believe how much time it takes to get to the carbs for service, for example. I have even seen one idiot who had cut off the transverse frame brace behind the carbs to allow access! Look closely at the front fairing- it’s one piece, there are no separate upper/mids/lowers. It’s not easy to remove, and you have to carefully spread it wide to get it off. Not fun to hear fiberglass cracking. Any needed non-Yamaha parts are going to be a real problem that you should expect up front.
That said, I still love the YB series and would definitely want to see this one in person if I was in the market. This example appears to be an excellent one. The only unanswered question is if it’s originally a German import- the clip ons and kilometer speedo make me assume that it is- but with a clear USA title as stated, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Excellent perspective Sixth, thank you for the comment!
dc
I would disagree on the M1R forks, they can be reworked easily to “feel” quite modern, although I agree not S1000R or even GSXR modern. Just remember it’s a 25 year old motorbike.
Cutting off the frame brace was done more than likely to install Mikuni flat slides. This was the same modification done by YB-4 race bikes to allow clearance for carb fitment.
All YB-6 exup models and many of the early YB-8’s did come stateside with kilo speedometers and the same clip ons fitted to this bike.
The question in my mind is the stated serial number. As far as I know all YB-6, YB-6 exup (which was really a YB-8) and YB-8’s have only 8 digit serial numbers.
Looking closer, the clip ons do appear to be aftermarket.