It’s been a long time since Bimota last danced with the World Superbike Championship, but the Italian marque is back, draped in Kawasaki green and ready to take another crack at glory.
The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team unveiled its 2025 colors, marking the company’s first return to the series since 2014.
Getting Bimota Back Into World Superbike Is Big
The KB998 Rimini, a Bimota chassis wrapped around a snarling Kawasaki inline-four, is the weapon of choice. At the controls? Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani, two riders tasked with making sure the rebirth isn’t just ceremonial.
Pierluigi Marconi, Bimota’s COO, summed it up: “Racing is in the DNA of Bimota.” And with Kawasaki now pulling the corporate strings, they’re betting big that this won’t be another one-and-done affair.
Bimota’s name carries weight in WorldSBK history. The very first race in 1988? Won by a Bimota. The last victory? Anthony Gobert in 2000, wringing the Italian machine’s neck at Phillip Island.
The years in between were a mix of promise and heartache, but now, with over 220 horsepower and a chassis designed with Bimota’s trademark ingenuity, the KB998 is out to prove the past wasn’t just nostalgia.
It’s the fusion of Italian passion and Japanese precision—Bimota’s artisanship meets Kawasaki’s muscle. The road back to the top won’t be easy, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that Bimota never goes down without a fight.
Source: Cycle News
