2025 marked a new era for Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Bimota, with the British rider and the Italian brand forming a partnership for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Bimota were back in the Championship for the first time since 2014 and Lowes was trusted to help lead and develop the project alongside teammate Axel Bassani. Speaking in a special feature interview, the #22 revealed the moment he was told about the project, the first test on the KB998 Rimini and how the bike differs from the Kawasaki he raced on since 2020.

THE START OF THE PROJECT: “I remember when the bosses came to me to explain it, I thought they were going to fire me!”

The four-time WorldSBK race winner expanded on when he was first informed about the changes for the 2025 season, with everything kept very quiet and under wraps outside of the team until the official announcement in April 2024. Lowes explained how he felt when the project was explained to him, revealing that – given how well he was riding last year on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR – there were some questions in his mind regarding how he would feel on the new bike after fighting for podiums most weekends in 2024.

Discussing the moment everything was explained to him, Lowes said: “I remember when the bosses and Guim came to me to explain it, I thought they were telling me they were going to fire me and kick me out! It was a strange feeling; I didn’t know what was going on. Everyone was really secretive; it was a secret inside the family of the team. They explained to me the project and the future, everybody was excited and when I tried the bike for the first time, I was anxious honestly, because 2024 was the best feeling I had for many years in WorldSBK. I was riding really well, fighting for some podiums every weekend. I was really confident. I was thinking, ‘how’s it going to feel?’ I feel really good with the bike I’ve got’. It was interesting.”

FIRST TIME ON THE BIKE: “I couldn’t believe how different it felt… the way the bike was going into the corners and turning was a lot different!”

Of course, a new bike doesn’t magically appear out of nowhere, and Lowes revealed more details about his first test on the bike, which came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in June last year. While he didn’t get many laps under his belt, the Lincoln-born rider could immediately feel a difference in the way the bike was turning, admitting he was surprised at how different the Bimota machine felt compared to what he was used to; with the KB998 Rimini featuring the same Kawasaki engine as the ZX-10RR.

“The first time I tried the bike, I did 16 laps in Barcelona,” begun Lowes when discussing his first time on the bike. “There was nobody there. Florian, the test rider, had been riding the bike a couple of times. I was waiting all day, a little bit nervous, and then rode the bike and did a few laps just to get an initial feeling of the chassis. I couldn’t believe how different it felt, to be honest. The engine is the same but the way the bike was going into the corners and turning was a lot different. Obviously, within these laps, I didn’t get time to explore the bike but just to give my initial input and my initial feeling on the bike was super nice; it meant a lot to me to be involved from the start of the project. Hopefully, I’m fighting at the front of World Superbike with this bike.”

REVIEWING THE BIKE: “It’s an exciting bike… it’s fantastic; it looks really great!”

Lowes now has much more experience on his new machine with more testing completed, even if some of the winter testing programme was disrupted by rain at both Jerez and Portimao in January, and again in Portugal in March. Despite that, the Brit scored three top-ten results in Australia (with Bassani doing the same) as the project got off to a consistent start.

Discussing the new bike and his feeling on it, Lowes said: “The new bike, the Bimota KB998 Rimini, is an exciting bike. It’s a lot different to what I was riding in the past. The Italian design and chassis, the tubular frame in connection with the aluminium… honestly, it’s fantastic; it looks really great. It’s turning well. I feel like you can be smooth on the bike with less input, and I’ve really enjoyed the bike since the first time I rode it. The good point is we’re just at the beginning of this project. We can keep looking at some of the weaker areas and trying to improve. We have a lot of strong points which is what we’re trying to use at the minute. Then, like every team, improve in our weaker areas.”

2025 TARGETS: “I feel like I’m riding the Bimota at the same level I was last year…”

Although he didn’t put a specific target out there, Lowes revealed his main target for 2025 was to keep “building and improving” due to the project being so new, although – as with every rider – did stress that he wants to fight for podiums. In 2024, Lowes took 12 podiums for his best single-season tally of rostrums and will be hoping to stand on the podium on several occasions throughout the year as the Bimota is developed.

Discussing his targets, Lowes stated: “I don’t really know in terms of position. Last year was a pretty solid year for me. I feel like I’m riding the Bimota at the same level I was last year, but my target is wherever we start the Championship, just to keep building and improving because this is one of the things with this project being so new. We have the chance to keep building. It’s something with the Kawasaki that was always on the limit. Now, we have the chance to build throughout the season. Obviously, we want to be fighting for podiums and the best positions possible. I want to enjoy the whole year with the team because they’ve put a lot into the project and I’m sure when we stand on the podium together, it’s going to mean that little bit more.”

PORTIMAO NEXT: “It can be a really strong weekend for us”

Round 2 of 2025 takes place at the iconic Portimao circuit, a track that Lowes has tested the Bimota on throughout the winter. Previewing the round, he said: “Portimao’s a fantastic track. What a track with the up and downs and fast corners, it’s got pretty much everything. It’s somewhere we do a little bit of testing in the winter. We know the track quite well and riding the bike there already is a positive point for us. I felt good. The aerodynamics on the bike, with the big undulations of Portimao, have been quite positive. It’s a track I’ve had some good races at last year and I think it can be a really strong weekend for us.”

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