I’ve always looked at Bimota as a boutique, luxury brand specializing in ultra-rare, high-performance motorcycles. And so it took me by surprise when it was announced that Bimota was set to compete full-time in the WorldSBK.
As you all know, motorcycles that race in WorldSBK need to meet certain homologation requirements. After all, the WorldSBK was designed to feature road-going motorcycles mere mortals like you and me can ride on the street. That is, provided we have pockets deep enough to buy these top-tier supersports.
Nevertheless, bikes like the Bimota Tesi H2 always seemed to sit a notch above even the fanciest Yamaha R1 or Honda Fireblade, at least for me. But now that Bimota’s hopping in full-force in the WorldSBK train, we just might see more of this Italian brand’s bikes on the streets.
Bimota and Kawasaki have long been in a partnership, with a number of the former's models being based on Kawasaki machinery. In fact, Kawasaki purchased a 49-percent stake in the Bimota brand back in 2019. As such, the fact that KRT is transforming into Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team might not be as big of a change as some of us may have thought. But rules are rules, and the fact that Bimota is a new player in the WSBK means it needs to follow homologation requirements.
So, what exactly does this mean?
Well, for starters, Bimota will have to field its own motorcycle that meets WorldSBK specifications. In other words, a bike similar in principle to a liter-class supersport. In this case, it won’t just be a rebadged Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, but rather, a new model with its chassis built by Bimota, and its engine supplied by Kawasaki.
Now, in order for the bike to be eligible to race in WSBK, Bimota will need to produce at least 250 units for public sale by 2025, and an additional 500 by 2026.
The upcoming model is expected to be called the KB5, and will have a price tag under 44,000 euros, or about $47,600 USD, per WSBK homologation guidelines. The ZX-10RR-powered sportbike just might go on sale before the year draws to a close—fingers crossed.
