Bimota Mantra DB3

Trying to create a new category of motorcycles is never easy. Harley-Davidson may have succeeded with their new V-Rod, as a class of power cruisers will now come into being, with all the Japanese manufacturers and maybe a couple of European ones jumping on the bandwagon. The subject of this test, the Bimota Mantra, tried to take a race replica model, the Bimota DB4, bring its seating position to a more upright, standard one and then install some flashy bodywork to create a new category. The category never really got named because it never really took off. The Mantra isn’t a streetfighter like a Buell, it isn’t a sportbike and its wild bodywork takes it out of the “standard” class in which its seating position tried to squeeze it. The bike may have been more appropriately named “Manta” since the squashed out, widened bodywork and unusual headlight make it look like a Manta ray. Not a terribly handsome animal.

Given the above, an understanding of what the bike is not, let’s start on what the bike is. The Mantra is powered by the time tested 904cc air-cooled Ducati v-twin motor. It comes encased in the aluminum sportbike chassis of the Bimota DB4. It has the same suspension and wheels as the sportbike and consequently a very similar weight to that of the DB4, a class leading 172 kg or approximately 376 pounds according to the factory’s scales. Bimota positioned the rider more forward, lowered the footpegs and raised the bars. The resulting seating position is very comfortable, with the seat in fact having at least double or maybe triple the padding of any previous Bimota made. The only feature lost in the transformation of the DB4 into the DB3 was the narrowness of the original sportbike. Since the seat moved forward into the place of the sportbike’s gas tank and the airbox stayed in its place, the fuel tank was forced outside of the bike’s frame rails and forward into the fairing area. The extra fiberglass used to complete this task gives the bike a bit of a snowmobile feeling to it; there is plenty of room for graphics, stickers, extra stripes or the like on the massive gas tank.

The headlamp and instrument area is to put it politely, just plain funny looking. Bimota in fact, a year after the bike’s introduction, came out with a de-uglification kit consisting of a bolt on fairing and winglets to cover up the entire front of the bike. It more or less worked and gave the Mantra a much needed facelift. So to say the least, the looks of the Mantra are a love-hate affair. Some will be blown away by the four silencers and exotic tail piece, while others will just snicker and move on. Now that we’re done looking at it, we can move on to riding the beast.

The first bounce on the bike indicates that the rider will have a comfortable ride in store for him or herself. The bars are wide and well-angled, the seat padding luxurious by sporting standards and the pegs wildly comfortable comparing the bike to the rest of Bimota’s products. The mirrors are huge, offering a clear view and clearing the rider’s shoulders nicely. The 90 degree Ducati motor starts without hesitation or vibration. The gearbox is flawless though the overall gearing is quite high, making sixth optional on the highway at normal speeds. The braking is excellent, with the Brembo calipers having much less weight than normal to haul to a stop. The motor while not super powerful, accelerates the Mantra and rider briskly and without complaint. While the crankshaft claim of 85 horsepower probably translates to just a little over 70 at the rear wheel, plenty more horsepower is available from the aftermarket. Pipes and carbs will bring it up to an honest 80 hp at the rear wheel and the time proven 944cc kit with lumpier cams, can get the air-cooled lump into the low 90’s at the rear wheel. This in a sub-400 lb bike is more than enough for anything short of a superbike race course.

Overall, this smooth-running lightweight proved a blast to ride. The bike steers effortlessly and the sharp geometry and short wheelbase allow the Mantra to turn inside almost any other bike, the wide bars giving the rider much more leverage than on a narrow superbike-style bike. The only less than perfect performance was recorded by the rear shock absorber which transmitted a fair amount of bounce to the rider and did not seem to keep the tire planted on bumpy roads. A problem again easily cured by the aftermarket. Though at the bike’s original retail price of $18,530, this shock purchase may aggravate the rider as well as cure the rear end hop.

The good news for buyers today is that the market was not kind to the Bimota Mantra, the would-be first bike into the “roadster” category. Many of the Mantras languished unsold at dealerships and at the importer’s warehouse. They can now be found either new or used with very low miles for between $12,000 and $13,000, a very attractive proposition. At this price, the bike’s eccentric looks can be ignored or modified and the owner rewarded with an ultra lightweight exotic with real world comfort. With the Ducati v-twin’s parts readily available and mechanics with experience working on this engine present in most major urban areas, the future of the Bimota factory is not a pressing issue to the Mantra or DB4 buyer.

I think it was the real world riding pleasure of both the DB4 and the DB3 which inspired Eric Buell with his new Firebolt, a lightweight twin which should prove to be, like the two Bimotas, king of the streets. It may be the Mantra’s fate to go down in history as a bike that sparked the lightweight, moderate power revolution of super fun streetbikes, a category not yet named except for perhaps the “roadster” moniker. In our next issue, we will test the DB4 Bimota with the factory hop up kit. The issue following we will test the Buell Firebolt either buy itself or side-by-side with the DB4. It will be interesting to see if the streetbike market follows the world superbike route with faster and faster race replicas, or instead heads down the air-cooled Bimota direction with great handling, simpler bikes more attuned to real world riding needs.

- Mark Barnett