Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was once again on the KB998 Rimini during testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as the Italian gears up for the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign. After a dry Day 1, ‘El Bocia’ took to the track on Day 2 in wet conditions – the first time he’d ridden the bike in the rain – and, speaking after his day ended, Bassani revealed more about his test, how it felt in the wet and where he’s looking to make gains.

With dry conditions on Wednesday and rain on Thursday, everyone’s best times came on Day 1. Bassani completed 52 laps in the dry with a best time of 1’39.463s, around seventh tenths away from the fastest time set by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati). The Italian added another 36 laps on Day 2 in the wet with a best time of 1’54.426s. This was around 1.3 seconds slower than Jonathan Rea's (Pata Yamaha) best time.

Reviewing the test and explaining how the bike felt in the different conditions, the #47 said: “It’s been two good days of testing, but we only did half days on the first and second days. We didn’t do a lot of laps, but we got some data, so this is important. Day 2 was the first time in wet conditions, and, for us, every day is important to understand what we need to do and what we have to improve. It’s been a good test. I think the team now have some data to work on for the next test. In the dry, it was good. It was difficult as there was a lot of wind, so it wasn’t easy to ride. In the wet conditions, we have a lot of work to do because it was the first time on the bike in the wet. We have to improve everywhere because it’s completely new. The base wasn’t bad, and the lap time wasn’t so fast, but also not really slow. I think we have a lot of things where we can work and improve.”

With Bimota returning to WorldSBK for 2025, both Bassani and teammate Alex Lowes are getting up to speed with the KB998. Bassani had one season on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine prior to the switch, while he was on the Ducati Panigale V4 R between 2021 and 2023. With several testing days under his belt, the Feltre-born rider will know the strengths and weaknesses of the machine and also where he’s looking for improvements, which he detailed after Day 2’s running.

He said: “On the rear, I don’t have the feeling that I want. We’re trying something and with Showa, we’re working hard to find a solution because, at the moment, we’re struggling too much to go fast. We need some improvement and I hope it’s before Australia.”

Can Bimota make a successful return to WorldSBK in 2025? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!