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Testing in preparation for the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues as a handful of teams head to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for two days of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Pata Prometeon Yamaha squad will take part in their first winter test after opting to skip the post-round test earlier this month, while the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team outfit will join them.

FIRST 2025 TEST FOR YAMAHA: all eyes on further changes, new crew chief for Rea

With Yamaha introducing wings on their R1 machine for the final four rounds of the 2024 campaign, and ending the year with strong race pace, attention will turn to see whether there is anything new on the bike for riders Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli to try. It’ll be an important test for the Japanese manufacturer as they look to head into 2025 on the front foot after a winless 2024 campaign. For Rea, he’ll get to work with Oriol 'Uri' Pallares as his crew chief for the first time as a change is made on the #65’s side of the box. Pallares moved from Kawasaki to Yamaha with Rea and will take up a new role for 2025, having been chief mechanic in 2024. Elsewhere, Yamaha Motor Europe have secured the services of 13-time WorldSBK race winner Eugene Laverty as a rider coach. The Irishman raced on Yamaha machinery in his debut WorldSBK campaign in 2011, while he raced on Aprilia, Suzuki, Ducati and BMW machinery in his 10-season career.

Speaking at EICMA, Rea previewed the Jerez test, saying: “We’re trying to put everything together in the off-season. Yamaha are working really hard in the background to continue developing the R1 so I’m looking forward to going to the next test and understanding exactly our level and introducing the new parts. We’re working all over the bike, from performance, in the engine, electronics and chassis, it’s like everyone; always constant development. It seems like in WorldSBK now, if you stand still, you get left behind.”

Locatelli also spoke about the test, with ‘Loka’ stating: “We didn’t make the first test at Jerez as we wanted to stop and reset everything. We have some new parts on the bike to try. We need to improve in many areas but we already know where we need to look and try to improve so the guys start to prepare the new season in the best way. It’ll be important for us. We need to hope for good weather. We’re looking at 2025 in a positive way.”

BIMOTA BACK ON TRACK: Alex Lowes and Bassani on the KB998

After its public debut at the first Jerez test, the KB998 machine will be back on track with the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team squad in the hands of Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani. The latter finished the first Jerez test on top of the timesheets after testing the bike on Day 2 and went faster than he had with the Kawasaki machine during the round. For the #22, he’ll be aiming to continue adapting to the new machine after so many years on the ZX-10RR as the team look to refine the package ahead of its race debut in Australia in February.

INDEPENDENT TEAMS: Sam Lowes, Gerloff to hit the track

As well as the two factory teams, there will be some Independent outfits at Jerez too. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) will get his first winter test on the Panigale V4 R machine after he also skipped the first Jerez outing. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) will be back for his second go on the ZX-10RR as he prepares to race with his third manufacturer in WorldSBK.

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