The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) has just completed its first on-track testing session since unveiling the KB998 for the first time to the public in Jerez on October 21, on the eve of the tests on the Andalusian circuit. The two-day test, on the same site as the final round of the 2024 season, was an important first step for the BbKRT adventure alongside some of its rivals of the season Superbike 2025.
If the machine has the same Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja engine well known to the team, it has been directly designed for competition and visibly has a tubular steel/aluminium frame and fairly developed aerodynamic appendages which will have to be homologated for the road in 500 copies in 2 years at a maximum price of 44 euros.
alex lowes et Axel Bassani only rode on the second day of testing, October 23, while the test driver Florian Marino was the first to present the new machine and its general image, on Tuesday, October 22.
Although the project is still in its early stages, Bassani set the fastest time on day two, in 1'38.478. Lowes continued the positive trend with a time of 1'38.679, to be the second fastest on day two. Only one rider, Nicholas Bulega, on the first day of testing, set a faster lap time than Axel or Alex over the entire test period.
Unlike the many new parts on the machine itself, the team is made up of the vast majority of personnel who have run the official Kawasaki racing team over the years.
The next test of the BbKRT project will take place at the Motorland Aragon circuit in northern Spain on October 29 and 30.
alex lowes : “We started doing some tests 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 from scratch. We had a good start so we decided to try a lot of things, which took some time and energy, but it was quite positive. In the hot part of the day we tried to keep the same pace to try all the different parts. It wasn’t so 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 focus on.”
Axel Bassani : “We had our first day of testing with the new bike in Jerez and we had to discover everything from the beginning. I think the team did a really good job and the bike felt good. I felt good on it, so I’m happy. We still have a lot of work to do, but so far we’re doing a really good job. 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. It’s just the start of a new era with the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, but when you start well it’s always nice.”
Riba pears (Team leader of Alex Lowes): “We have finished our tests with the bimota bike and the results are positive. 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, I already feel very positive because we have reached the same level as before. The fact that we are already at this level is very positive. On the other hand, we need more time to give the rider the best feeling with the bike. We have to study and work a lot during the winter to arrive in the best possible shape in Australia for the first round of the 2025 season. But the starting point is very good, promising, and we are very happy. Alex was fast, Axel was fast, so it is time to be calm and work hard to take the next steps.”
Marcel Duinker (Axel Bassani's Team Manager): "We had a good feeling with the bike from the first lap and we made some minor adjustments. We played a bit with the rider position and also got familiar with some settings and the overall balance of the bike. With minor adjustments we were able to give Axel a good feeling. We used two Q tyres and Axel was four tenths faster on the second than on the first. A very positive first day. It wasn't our goal 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."
Superbike Test Bimota
Superbike Test Bimota
Superbike Test Bimota
