1996 Bimota SB7

1996 Bimota SB7 sits near the top of the small Rimini firm's lineup as its take on Suzuki-powered sportbike engineering, built for riders who wanted Italian chassis craft wrapped around Japanese reliability. This is a bike built around a Suzuki GSX-R750 engine dropped into a hand-finished aluminum frame, and the difference shows up the moment you tip it into a corner. Steering response is sharper and more immediate than the donor Suzuki, and the whole package feels smaller, tighter, and more demanding of rider input. It rewards someone who rides with intention rather than someone looking to cruise, and low-speed manners are less forgiving than a stock GSX-R's. The 1996 model carried over without significant mechanical changes from the prior year, so buyers comparing it to a 1995 example should focus on mileage, service history, and condition rather than spec differences. Given Bimota's limited production numbers and the brand's uncertain financial history through the 1990s, surviving examples draw serious collector attention. Buyers tend to be experienced sportbike riders or Bimota specialists already familiar with the marque's quirks, often stepping up from more common Japanese liter bikes and willing to pay a premium for exclusivity and hand-built chassis work over outright practicality.