Bimota enters the BSB this yr as the latest producer within the championship with the FS-3 workforce, and obtained off to a very good begin within the first official take a look at of 2026, with Max Prepare dinner ending quickest general over the 2 days.
Prepare dinner was not solely the quickest on the finish of the take a look at, he was additionally the quickest over the space. He had a lead of virtually 0.3 seconds over second place Cheshire Moldings Yamaha’s Danny Kent.
Though it was the primary time the Bimota KB998 was in motion at an official BSB take a look at, the bike is not any stranger to racing having competed in World Superbike because the starting of 2025. Certainly, there is a component of cohesion between the WorldSBK mission and BSB’s AJN Steelstock Bimota workforce, which was underlined at Donington, the place former WorldSBK crew chief Marcel Duncker and manufacturing unit rider Alex Legal guidelines have been additionally current.
Not solely the bike but additionally the assist impressed Cooke, who was in a position to document a private greatest lap time at Donington on the second day of testing regardless of windy circumstances.
“To be truthful, it was fairly good,” Prepare dinner instructed Crash.internet.
“This bike is a mega bike, does what I would like it to do, and appears like a race bike.
“Full assist, we’ve got the entire bundle. The World Superbike workers are right here to assist us with all the pieces. So I am actually amazed by all of it.”
“On a windy day like right now (Saturday), I am occupied with (beating my private greatest lap time) at Donington. I am very glad.”
He added: “Something that is new in World Superbike, something that they develop that they really feel is best, can be coming to us very quickly.
“So (…) it solely will get higher from right here.”
Talking at size concerning the bike itself and its traits, Prepare dinner stated that the chassis is so stiff that it’s a must to push it to get any form of suggestions, and that it provides him extra confidence in his braking than on the Kawasaki he rode with BSB till the top of final season.
“I’ve no complaints about me or the bike,” he stated. “It solely works if you’re pushing it as onerous as you may, and that’s if you begin to really feel it as a result of it’s so stiff.
“It’s a extremely nice bundle general.”
He added: “My weak point was the heavy brakes, however with this bike I used to be in a position to pull the entrance brake lever firmly and apply the brakes as late as attainable.
“There’s a little bit of a weak point in that sense, however that is from my aspect, the bike brakes very nicely.
“So I ticked that off and improved on that and that’s the purpose and that’s what I can work on.”
