Alex Lowes initially felt uncertain about moving from Kawasaki to Bimota. Following Jonathan Rea’s departure to Yamaha at the end of 2023, Kawasaki reinstated Bimota in the 2025 World Superbike Championship. They recognized that the ZX-10RR was no longer competitive in a production-based series and that Kawasaki’s versatile sportbike approach was outdated. This led to the creation of the Bimota KB998, a track-oriented motorcycle with a new aerodynamic design and an Italian-built chassis, set to replace the ZX-10RR in 2025.
Lowes had a strong 2024 season with Kawasaki, securing seven podiums, two wins, and finishing fourth overall. Given his success on a proven bike, he was understandably cautious about starting fresh on a new, untested machine with Bimota. “2024 was one of my best years,” Lowes told Crash.net at Motorcycle Live. He enjoyed the performance improvements he had achieved on the Kawasaki, making the prospect of change nerve-wracking since riders often fear losing competitiveness. Yet, being part of building something new from the ground up was rewarding.
The transition took some adjustment. Lowes joked about his attachment to Kawasaki’s green color in 2024 but acknowledged the thrill of trying a new project. Despite a generally positive 2025 season, he was frustrated with the Portuguese round at Portimao due to a yellow flag in qualifying that dropped him from fourth to last on the grid, causing difficulties and crashes during the race. Apart from a couple of rough races, his performance after mid-season was solid, consistently finishing in the top six.
If not for a crash at Donington, Lowes’ season could have been highlighted by that race or his triple podium at Magny-Cours. He reflected that adapting his riding style to the Bimota’s unique characteristics took time because of ingrained habits from years on Kawasaki bikes, but he has grown to enjoy the new bike and aims to keep improving.
One clear challenge for the KB998 is its straight-line speed. The combination of the Kawasaki engine and the more radical aerodynamics compared to the ZX-10RR results in the bike being one of the slower ones in speed traps. Since the rules restrict engine modifications, addressing the horsepower gap against rivals like Honda, BMW, and Ducati is limited. Nonetheless, Lowes and the team are exploring areas for performance gains, aiming for incremental improvements in both electronics and chassis for the upcoming season.
Looking ahead, the British Superbike (BSB) team announced it will switch to the KB998 for 2026 and collaborate with WorldSBK to develop the project. Lowes will be a key part of this process, supported by engineer Ian Prestwood, who has a successful history with BSB championships. Lowes described his role as advisory, enthusiastic about helping younger riders and growing the Bimota brand.
Fan Take: This transition highlights the evolving dynamics in WorldSBK, where innovation and adaptation are crucial. For racing fans, Lowes’ move and Bimota’s progress introduce fresh excitement and unpredictability, potentially reshaping competitive hierarchies in future seasons.
