WorldSBK: All-new Bimota KB998 revealed ahead of track debut at Jerez Test

The all-new Bimota KB998 Superbike has been unveiled ahead of a two-day World Superbike Championship test at Jerez.

The machine is the first to be developed for the new partnership between Kawasaki and Bimota. The former KRT (Kawasaki Race Team) squad, run by Provec Racing, has been rebranded as Bitmota by Kawasaki Racing Team, with both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani continuing as teammates.

The KB998 keeps the same inline-four cylinder ZX-10RR engine but uses a chassis which has been designed and constructed by Bimota. The fairings are different, with large winglets seen at the front of the bike.

The Bimota was unveiled on social media this afternoon with a black and red design ahead of its track debut on Tuesday October 22. All of the former KRT pages have been updated to represent the new era for both Kawasaki and Bimota.

“Of course there has been much work to do behind the scenes to get us to the eve of unveiling the new bike and testing on track in public for the very first time,” Team Manager, Guim Roda said. “To have Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani onboard as riders – plus the associated pit crews and support staff – means we can concentrate on the core tasks at hand, testing our new KB998 racing machine and accumulating data across a testing schedule, inside the test limitation rules set by BWO and the FIM, reaching from tomorrow and across the winter. 

Ciao, siamo qui! 👋
Check the new BbKRT Winter test leathers ready for tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/9FGZhYuqoc

— bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (@bimotabyKRT) October 21, 2024

“This is very new bike and will need our full commitment We are very enthusiastic to be part of this fascinating project and honoured to take responsibility for making the new Bimota KB998 perform on top as soon as possible.”

Kawasaki will still be present inside the WorldSBK paddock, with Puccetti Kawasaki becoming the Japanese manufacturer’s official team.

The team will field Garrett Gerloff onboard former KRT ZX-10RR machinery, whilst they will also run the new 636cc Kawasaki ZX-6R in the Supersport class.

“It is hard to put into words how the whole team feel about being chosen to run Kawasaki’s official Ninja attack in WorldSBK,” Team Principal, Manuel Puccetti said. “Of course, are honoured, but we also know the level of expectation that Ninja fans worldwide will have.

“It is a huge responsibility, and we take it extremely seriously. We hosted representatives from Kawasaki Motors Corporation and Kawasaki Motors Europe at Jerez, and they reinforced what an opportunity we now have.

“We are using the post season tests to re-focus on every layer of the team structure and make any necessary fine tuning so that we can mount an effective challenge in two important World Championships. The time is right for a new dawn in our long history, and we are making ready to take our Kawasaki story to the next level in 2025.”

Kawasaki is the third manufacturer that Gerloff has competed with having already raced the Yamaha R1 and BMW M1000RR.