Battle of the Boutique Superbikes

Comparison Test: 2009 Bimota DB7 vs. 2009 Ducati 1098R Bayliss

By Blake Conner | Photos by Brian Blades

September 2009

Photos: Bimota DB7 vs. Ducati 1098R Bayliss >>

Dressed as if by Giorgio Armani himself and emitting sounds as booming as tenor Luciano Pavarotti, these two motorcycles could only have been crafted in one part of the world. They are the pinnacle of Italian flair packed with Superbike function. What's not to love?!

There are very few motorcycles on the market today that ooze sex like Bimota's DB7 and Ducati's limited-edition 1098R Bayliss. Apparently sex sells, too, judging by the attention these bikes received everywhere we went.

These two close cousins share the basic DNA of their Ducati Testastretta Evoluzione engines, in addition to factories just 60 miles apart, making comparisons between them natural. Buyers shopping for ultra-exotic Italian motorcycles will surely consider one of these expensive thoroughbreds. In view of the close ties between Ducati and Bimota, we wanted to see if the extra $10K premium of the damn-near Superbike-spec 1098R Bayliss is worth the price of admission against the top-of-the-line $34,945 DB7 superbike.

We first sampled the DB7 in June, 2008, at the Misano Circuit near Bimota's hometown of Rimini. But it wasn't until spring of this year that Cycle World was able to obtain a testbike on home turf. In the long-standing tradition of the small boutique-bike maker, Bimota constructs a fabulous, cutting-edge chassis and stuffs it with a tried-and-true powerplant from another maker. Bimota currently uses Ducati engines exclusively.

Ducati's 1098R shouldn't need much in the way of introduction, as it is the motorcycle that Ducati has to build for World Superbike homologation. In Ducati's multi-tier 1198 model range, the Bayliss (yes, it's actually 1198cc) is the top dog, featuring a seriously hot-rodded engine and racebike-worthy chassis components.

Comparing specifications of the two engines, you quickly realize that they are born into the same family, but one has received quite a bit more nurturing than the other. First things first: The Bimota uses the previous-gen 1099cc engine in stock form, while the Bayliss uses a steroid-injected version of the latest, larger-displacement mill.

The R's additional capacity was achieved by increasing the 1098's 104mm bore to 106, while stroke was increased from 64.7mm to 67.9. Sand-cast crankcases and cylinder heads, lighter and stronger titanium connecting rods, carbon-fiber cam-belt covers and magnesium cam covers reduce engine weight by almost 5 pounds compared to the 1098. Four titanium valves per cylinder replace the 1098's steel pieces, while diameters were increased from 42 to 44.3mm for the intakes and from 34 to 36.2mm for the exhausts. More radical camshaft profiles give the Bayliss 16-percent more lift.

Additional upgrades are seen in the R's fuel-injection system, which utilizes six-percent-larger 63.9mm elliptical throttle bodies. For the first time on a road-going Ducati, two injectors per cylinder are used. Both nozzles reside in a showerhead position above the throttle body. The primary injector has a four-hole nozzle, while the offset secondary unit has a 12-hole setup for improved fuel delivery and atomization at high-rpm operation.

There are additional differences in the gearboxes. The Bayliss has unique third-, fourth- and sixth-gear ratios, plus they are machined from higher-strength steel and then shotpeened for improved durability. A dry slipper clutch is fitted standard on the 1098R, while the DB7 gets a non-slipper unit, also dry.

Continue Reading >>