Italian manufacturer Bimota announces a limited edition BX450 enduro model built on the Kawasaki KX450X platform but with “bespoke” cross-country set-up – yes it’s an enduro bike and yes they are going to race it…

The EICMA show is one massive place with bikes, parts, products and people swarming inside giant halls on the outskirts of Milan. Sometimes you clock something and do a double take and that’s what happened here at the Bimota stand – not somewhere Enduro21 would normally be stopping by.

Limited production of Bimota’s BX450 is already underway they tell us of an enduro bike which comes right out of the blue to complete their model range for 2023.

Based on the Kawasaki KX450X, the “ultimate enduro bike” does what many a Bimota motorcycle is famous for adding sauce and style to an existing platform or engine. A fact you might not know is Kawasaki has a financial stake in Bimota and we could be looking at a similar off-road move as Yamaha made/makes with Fantic – albeit it a smaller one.

If anything this is a break from the norm from Bimota who famously craft unique chassis designs for strikingly different street bikes like the Tesi or DB series.

For once it more or less looks like the original base model KX450X and what’s arguably most interesting is the production version will be homologated Bimota say, with lights and an Acerbis 10 litre tank very much ready for XC racing to our eyes. Our eyes are liking the classic Bimota white, red and green colours too.

Bimota BX450 technical details in a nutshell:

Engine: 449cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4V, 4-stroke single

Kawasaki aluminium perimeter frame

GET electronic engine management system, complete with multiple maps and traction control

Arrow exhaust system with carbon cap and Bimota engraved silencer

Headlight and handguards as standard

Renthal handlebars

10.7 litres (2.8 US Gal) fuel tank

Electric start

Brakes: 270mm, twin-piston Nissin caliper front, single 240mm petal disc and single piston rear caliper (as Kawasaki)

Suspension: full adjustable, 49mm Showa forks, Uni-Trak Showa rear shock absorber (as Kawasaki)

Transmission: 5-speed chain drive

Tyres: Metzeler Six Days tyres 80/100-21 front, 120/90-18 rear

110.2kg claimed weight

The press material talks about a “fast and usable total package built for the enduro championships” which they say is exactly where we will see this bike, racing. We look forward to that.

More information: www.bimota.it