The bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team have unveiled their new colours for the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as the historic brand make a return to WorldSBK for the first time since 2014. Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani will lead their charge in 2025 as the only two riders for the Italian manufacturer in their comeback year, with the two sporting their new colours: a huge change from green in 2024 to red, white, and black in 2025. Check out images of the new, stunning livery in the gallery at the top of this page:

BIMOTA’S BACKGROUND IN WORLD SUPERBIKE: winners of the first race

Back at Donington Park in 1988, WorldSBK got underway. The first winner always goes down in history and Davide Tardozzi took those honours on Bimota machinery, fending off Marco Lucchinelli’s Ducati bike by just over a second. Tardozzi would go on to win five races in 1988, all for Bimota, who took seven in the first season in total. Three more wins followed in 1989 but, despite racing in 1990, 1991 and 1995, they wouldn’t taste victory again until 2000. At the turn of the millennium, the late Anthony Gobert claimed Bimota’s last victory to date at his home round in Australia. They then withdrew from the Championship until 2014 but their return only lasted a year. Now, as part of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries umbrella, they’re back in WorldSBK with a Bimota-built chassis powered by a Kawasaki engine, aiming to rekindle some of their past glories.

THE KB998 RIMINI: tech specs of the new bike

The new Bimota machine for WorldSBK features an in-line four engine that produces more than 220hp, reaching top speeds of around 320km/h from the 998cc capacity. A split chassis, featuring a steel front trellis and aluminium alloy plates, make up a key part of the bike’s design while the suspension and brakes are supplied by Showa and Brembo respectively.

HISTORY OF BIMOTA: founded in 1966, first model released in 1973

The company was founded in Rimini, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in 1966, and named after the three people who helped found it: Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri and Massimo Tamburini, taking the first two letters of their surnames to form the Bimota moniker. Initially not a company related to bikes, Bimota soon released their first model in 1973 with the HB1, before the YB1 was introduced for racing. Success came rapidly on track while also working on commercial machines, including world title wins in the 1980s and race wins up until 2000. Now, combining Bimota and Kawasaki’s expertise, they’ll be aiming to taste more glory in 2025.

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Follow Bimota’s WorldSBK return throughout 2025 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!