Post Sale Update: This Mantra sold for $5,045 after 22 bids on eBay.
8-13-2018 Update: Four years later, Rob B notes that this example (VIN: ZES1DB314WR000001) is back up for sale with a new owner (and it’s crossed the country in the process). There’s some additional details – apparently the previous owner removed the “complicated fuel pump system” so the bike is now just gravity fed. Mileage is up to 9,200 and the bike was recently serviced with an oil change, and some new parts – belts, spark plugs, battery, and tires.
Find this Mantra for sale in Bradenton, Florida with bidding up to $610 and the reserve not yet met
Post Listing Update: This Mantra did not meet reserve with 13 bids up to $7,100.01.
If you’re religious in the traditional sense, the First Mantra might make you think of something like the Hare Krishnas. But if your religion is motorcycles, and your church is a curvy road that you hit up every Sunday morning, then it can only mean one thing – Serial Number #1 of the Bimota Mantra DB3. It’s not a pretty bike, though I appreciate that Bimota took a chance – you may never see a bike that looks like this again. Weighing only 381 pounds, the 86 horsepower Ducati motor was capable of taking the Mantra up to 125 miles per hour. Compared to other Bimotas, the peak hp number seemed low, but you were rewarded with plenty of midrange torque. This made the Mantra one of the best in-town Bimotas you could buy.
It’s hard to categorize this bike. Featuring the engine from first gen Monster 900s and lots of pricey suspension and braking components, (not to mention a fake wood dashboard and a glovebox!), the Bimota Mantra DB3 was truly an odd duck in the bike world. Absurdly high pricing and the polarizing looks meant they sold poorly – only 454 were ever created. The simple rarity of this bike means that values should rise in the future. Want to learn more? Sylvia Stuurman has a page where she cataloged here experiences living with a Bimota Mantra for some time, and it’s a pleasant read. Find it here.
This specific Bimota Mantra DB3 is serial number 1, and it has just 8,010 miles. Most of the Mantras (only 454 were made) were yellow, this was one of the rarer red ones. It runs and looks just fine, though there’s one cosmetic flaw – a paint blister on the tank.
Find this Bimota Mantra DB3 for sale in San Diego, California with an opening bid of $2,000 or a BIN of $9,000