The launch of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team was announced in April 2024, and the machine has finally been unveiled. The name of the car will be KB998, and it was also announced that the name is a reference to the 998cc ZX-10R engine.
Expectations are high for a commercial version to be announced at the Milan Show
It was announced that the operation of the ZX-10RR factory machine in SBK will be taken over by the Italian-based Kawasaki Puccetti Racing from the 2025 season, and it was highly likely that the Kawasaki factory team would withdraw from SBK.
Meanwhile, the new Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team was launched, and KRT will continue its racing activities in collaboration with Bimota. And the KB998 was unveiled for the first time in preparation for the Superbike Championship, which starts on October 22nd.
Although details are unknown, the chassis and body are different from the ZX-10R, such as the hybrid frame of a trellis frame and aluminum parts and the cowl with winglets, which are fresh. At the same time, the center ram air and the Kawasaki-style upper cowl with a protruding chin inherit the bloodline of the ZX-10R.
Since the Superbike is a race using production models, there is no doubt that the KB998 will be sold to the general public. We hope to see the road-going version announced at the Milan Show in November. First of all, we'll be paying attention to how it performs during the test at the Jerez Circuit.
KB998 [BIMOTA] New model with a parallel 4-cylinder engine from the ZX-10R series. This was the fifth model released as a supersport for the new Bimota, now under the Kawasaki umbrella.
Ninja ZX-10RR (2025) [KAWASAKI] A new RR model that is not currently on sale in Japan. Due to exhaust gas regulations and the withdrawal of factory teams, it is highly likely to be the last model.
Bimota's participation in SBK was announced in April 2024. It was revealed that the team name will be "Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team." The KRT name will remain Bimota.