After a robust first season in WorldSBK with KB998, Bimota tried some “radical” adjustments for the primary check of 2026, stated Alex Legal guidelines.
Lowes was the one Bimota rider to complete on the rostrum within the 2025 World Superbike season, ending second within the Tremendous Pole race at Misano and third thrice at Magny-Cours.
The British rider has clearly tailored properly to the brand new bike, however Kawasaki’s rebranding undertaking within the manufacturing spinoff collection was by no means supposed to peak at sixth on the planet rankings, so growth continues.
The week after the ultimate race of 2025, Bimota returned to the monitor for a post-race check at Jerez, with Lowe’s trying a extra “excessive chassis route”.
“Actually, I am optimistic,” Alex Legal guidelines informed WorldSBK.com on the post-race Jerez check on Wednesday (October 22).
“Mainly, from every thing we realized in yr one, there have been some issues to attempt when it comes to extra excessive chassis instructions, completely different swingarms, Showa parts, and so forth.
“It is troublesome to make adjustments all year long. Particularly if you go to the monitor on the bike for the primary time, it’s worthwhile to be near the essential settings.
“So we took some concepts from that and tried it out in fast succession this morning (Wednesday, October twenty second) and felt we had some good steps.
“We have been hoping that the temperatures can be a bit hotter (…) as a result of we’ve got to attempt the bike and new settings in scorching situations. However every thing we tried was very optimistic.
“The event of the bike over the previous yr has helped us to discover a good route. I believe we’ve got a transparent route once more heading into the winter. So it was a optimistic morning and I loved using the bike.”
“It is at all times troublesome to say at Jerez, as a result of the monitor felt actually quick this morning. So was it a superb setting or only a quick monitor? It is exhausting to say. However total it was enjoyable. It was fairly optimistic.”
Lowes was in a position to discuss particularly about the place he noticed optimistic elements of the brand new adjustments to Jerez’s structure.
“It is a bit simpler to experience,” he stated. “Clearly, this bike is simply enjoyable to experience, however I actually felt some good advantages in some elements of the monitor, particularly sector one.
“As soon as I finished the bike and altered route from two to a few to 4, I felt way more snug dealing with the bike. I hope I can preserve this subsequent yr and naturally on the opposite circuits.”
Arguably the important thing difficulty for Bimota in 2025 is straight-line velocity, with the identical engine that powers the Kawasaki ZX-10RR mounted behind a fairing that has a better drag coefficient than the Kawasaki due to its entrance wing.
There does not appear to be a brand new engine coming subsequent yr, however Lowe’s recommended there could also be issues you are able to do your self to enhance nook exit efficiency.
“We nonetheless must deal with this space over the winter,” Legal guidelines acknowledged.
“There are some issues we are able to do. Clearly the foundations are fairly restrictive in World Superbike, however we are going to deal with that space to enhance our acceleration and attempt to get higher myself as properly.”
“Maximizing our potential on the straights is what we’ve got to attempt for subsequent yr.”
