Bimota, big comeback in Superbike
Bimota in Superbike
Bimota will return to racing in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship: it will happen in 2025 thanks to a collaboration with Kawasaki through which we will see a Bimota chassis and a Kawasaki engine on the track. In addition to the Ninja ZX-10RR, we will also see a major commitment from Kawasaki, which will transfer part of its members to Bimota’s racing program to kick off an important path in the sign of the Kawasaki Racing Team after almost four decades of presence in the world’s top championship for what concerns production derivatives.
In 1980 it won the World Championship in the 350cc class with Jon Ekerold riding a twin-cylinder, two-stroke Bimota, with some great satisfaction also coming in the Formula 1 TT with legend Virginio Ferrari, who on a YB4R conquered the title in 1987. Present in the first year of the World Superbike Championship – 1988 – with a four-stroke, Bimota in that season won seven races, five with Davide Tardozzi and two with Stephane Mertens. Victory also in 2000 along with Anthony Gobert on an SB8R that crossed the finish line ahead of everyone at the end of the race staged in the wet at Phillip Island.
Recognizing not only Kawasaki’s tradition in motorcycle racing but also the close cooperation and synergies between the majority of Bimota’s shareholders, namely Kawasaki, and the Rimini-based manufacturer, in 2025 the new team will takeà the name ‘Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’. We will see a motorcycle jointly developed by Bimota and Kawasaki on the track, with the new team playing a key role in the Bimota brand’s wide global notoriety and market presence, as well as the significant importance in recognizing craftsmanship and care, all of which can be found in every Bimota product. Considering this broad appreciation towards the Bimota brand and its DNA for racing, è growth in demand and sales of Bimota road motorcycles is expected.
Bimota COO Pierluigi Marconi said: “The engineering aspect, technology and day-to-day support already offered by Kawasaki has brought Bimota considerably back into the interest of the media and potential customers; now è the time has come to take the next step in our evolutionary process. BIimota has always had a passion for racing in its DNA; getting on track in WorldSBK and developing our new product range while also expanding our European and global dealer network è obviously a logical aspect. The unprecedented experience of the existing Kawasaki Racing Team in addition to the full support and cooperation of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. in Japan fills us with pride and optimism. The Bimota Kawasaki Racing Team will undoubtedly represent the foundation of the next chapter in the history of Bimota”.
