After promising performances at last week's test in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Bimota's project under the aegis of Kawasaki is gradually taking shape.
Bimota makes a strong impression on its return to World Superbike
Bimota had two eight-hour sessions in which to make its real entry into the Superbike world. During the two days of testing, Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani put the KB998 through its paces, while test rider Florian Marino was the first to ride the machine on Tuesday October 22. The results were encouraging: Bassani set the fastest time of the second day with 1'38.478, closely followed by Lowes with 1'38.679.
Only one driver, Nicolo Bulega, set a faster lap time than either Axel or Alex on the first day of testing. The performances of the Bimota riders put the team in direct competition with the other teams, notably Ducati, who have dominated in recent races. A test not attended by BMW and therefore Toprak Razgatlioglu, now double world champion. The Turk is taking time to recharge his batteries before returning to the track In WSBK and not MotoGP, while Kenan Sofuoğlu confirmed a short while ago that the rider is still aiming for a factory seat there for 2026.
Conclusive tests in Jerez: reactions and future prospects for Bimota
The KB998 already looks set to compete with the best bikes in the class, notably the Ducati Panigale V4R, in the coming season. Nevertheless, rider feedback, particularly from Lowes and Bassani, underlines the importance of continuing to fine-tune the bike for the best possible feel ahead of the first round of the 2025 season, scheduled for Australia.
Alex Lowes, Bimota rider for the upcoming WorldSBK season:
We started doing some testing on the bike to see how the changes affected it and how it felt. These are all things that will be different when we start racing. We have to start the learning process all over again. We got off to a good start, so we decided to try out a lot of things, which took time and energy, but it was pretty positive. In the hot part of the day, we tried to keep the same pace to try out all the different parts. It wasn't very important to go fast today, but it's always nice to show that the bike is fast. The pace was okay, but we still have a lot of work to do to understand the bike. That's what we need to concentrate on.
Axel Bassani, Bimota WSBK 2025 rider:
We took part in our first day of testing with the new bike in Jerez, and we had to discover everything right from the start. I think the team did a very good job and the bike felt good. My best lap was half a second better than my Superpole last week in Jerez, which means I feel good with the bike and can push. This is just the start of a new era with the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team... We still have a lot of work to do, but when you start well, it's always nice.
Unlike the many new parts on the machine itself, the team is made up of the vast majority of staff who have managed the official Kawasaki racing team over the years.
Pere Riba (Alex Lowes' team leader):
On the first day we did all the checks with Florian, the test rider, to prepare for the second day of testing with the riders. In terms of lap times, it's very positive because we've reached the same level as before. On the other hand, we need more time to give the rider the best feeling with the bike. We need to study and work hard over the winter to arrive in the best possible shape in Australia for the first round of the 2025 season. But the starting point is promising, and we're very happy. Alex has been fast, Axel has been fast, so now is the time to be calm and work hard to take the next steps.
Marcel Duinker (Axel Bassani's team leader):
We had a good impression of the bike from the first lap and made a few minor adjustments. We played around a bit with the rider's position and also familiarized ourselves with some of the bike's settings and overall balance. Thanks to some minor adjustments, we were able to give Axel a good feeling. We used two Q tires and Axel ran four tenths faster on the second than on the first. A very positive first day. It wasn't our aim to be so fast on the first day, but it's good to get such good times. We'll continue testing in a few days' time...
Gregorio Lavilla, Dorna's WSBK championship manager, was optimistic about Bimota's future in competition. The test in Jerez gave us a glimpse of the potential of the KB998, which is positioned as a machine dedicated to performance, and performance alone... The next test for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) was scheduled for Motorland Aragón on October 29 and 30. Needless to say, the unfortunate situation in the south of Spain, devastated by flooding, meant that practice was not possible.
