Bimota unleash £36.6K road going KB998 Rimini superbike with 500 units set to produced

Bimota have pulled the covers off the long awaited, ultra-exclusive KB998 Rimini at this year’s EICMA, announcing that 500 of the road-going, Kawasaki ZX-10RR-powered superbikes will be made available to the public over the next two years.

The Italian chassis experts have produced the 998 with one primary goal in mind – to create a machine compliant with FIM regulations which will allow them to enter the global stage of the World Superbike (WorldSBK) championship – with riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani behind the bars.

Regulations stipulate that 250 homologated units must be produced and available for public sale before December 31, 2025, with a further 250 required in the following 12 months. The €44,000 (roughly £36,600) retail price also complies with the maximum value allowed for machines entered in the championship.

The road bike’s release follows the earlier unveiling of Bimota’s superbike racer in October, ahead of a two-day WorldSBK Championship test at Jerez, where the team claimed the second and third-best lap times of those participating in the test.

Bimota Chief Operating Officer Pierluigi Marconi told MCN: “We designed the bike to be used mainly at high speeds. We did many tests in the wind tunnel.

“Everything is adjustable; we can adjust the steering, the height, and we also have wings that are adjustable for speed. This can give us an advantage today because nobody else has this.

“This can allow us to have the best setting for every corner and at any speed. The wings are electronically adjustable; the rider cannot make any changes, but everything is automatic. They function for braking, for cornering, and for high speed.”

Along with confirming that the KB998 features electronically controlled aerodynamics, Marconi confirmed that Bimota have no intention of building a broader production, cheaper off-shoot of the platform. He did, however, suggest a renewed version is likely to appear two years down the line.

Powering the new 194kg (without fuel) machine is Kawasaki’s ZX-10RR engine, which produces 197bhp at 13,600 rpm and 82 lb-ft of torque at 11,700 rpm. Aside from a different exhaust silencer – which is a road-legal Akrapovič unit – Bimota have made no changes to the 998cc liquid-cooled, inline-four motor.

Whilst the engine may not be the most exotic powertrain ever, the frame is particularly special. Bimota are renowned the world over for their chassis designs, and the hybrid setup featured on the KB998 certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Oval steel tubes make up the frontal spars and lead to the headstock, whereas the midsection of the chassis is CNC-machined from billet. This area houses the rear engine mounting points, as well as providing the pivot location for the aluminium swingarm.

Adjustable billet aluminium triple clamps grip the Bimota’s fully adjustable upside-down Showa forks. The rear shock is also a Showa unit and is likely the same BFRC unit fitted to the ZX-10RR. Stopping power comes courtesy of Brembo, with a pair of Stylema calipers deployed upfront.

Naturally, there’s a healthy smattering of carbon fibre everywhere, with all fairings and intakes constructed using the lightweight material.

The switchgear, TFT dashboard, and electronics all carry over from Kawasaki’s flagship sports bike, which should mean owners will get cornering ABS, traction control, launch control, a bi-directional quickshifter, and even cruise control. Likewise, the KB998 is likely to receive the same four ride modes as the Kwak—namely Sport, Road, Rain, and Rider.