In September 1972, Massimo Tamburini crashed his Honda 750 Four at the Misano racetrack. The accident left him with three broken ribs. If the accident hadn't occurred, Bimota may never have come into existence. While Massimo was recuperating, he constructed a tubular steel frame that could withstand the horsepower being produced by the big Japanese manufacturer's engines. The frame Massimo constructed lowered the center of gravity and reduced the weight of the original Honda. With the creation of the HB1, the Bimota was born.
In 1972 Tamburini joined with Signors Bianchi and Mori to form the Bimota Motorcycle Company. The first frame kit, the HB1 (Honda/Bimota) was released in 1973. Ceriani forks, Marzocchi rear shocks, sporting tank and seat, cast wheels and cast iron brakes and Brembo calipers transformed the Japanese machine.
Only a few copies, perhaps 10 pieces of HB1 were built, making the machines exceedingly rare. Few people could afford the price tag in those days, and none of them was approved for the road, they were all conceived as racing machines
Bimota later produced a racing kit known as the BX-1 Kit Honda 750, so race teams could build there own HB1 type racers with a donor Honda CB750.
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