On the Eicma in Milan, Bimota was unveiled last year the KB998 Rimini, the new one -liter superbike with which the Italians will make their comeback this year in the WorldSBK. On European roads, the engine will only be shown at the earliest next year.
When Kawasaki announced in April last year to participate in the WorldSBK in 2025 as a Bimota factory team, nothing of the new engine was known at all. The Japanese, who acquired a minority stake of 49% in Bimota a few years ago, kept the lips stiff together, only on the eve of the very first winter test in Jerez did the canvas of the KB998 Worldsbk machine lifted.
However, technical information was not yet shared, except that the block came from the ZX-10RR and the bicycle part was developed entirely in-house near Bimota. But of course everyone already knew that.
A month later, the street version was finally unveiled on the Eicma in Milan: the KB998 Rimini, named after the place where Bimota is located. There was still no richly scattered with information, but now we already knew something more. According to the technical sheet, the new Bimota Superbike has a top power of 200 hp by 13,600 rpm with a dry weight of 195 kilos.
The one-liter four-in line taken from the ZX-10RR was mounted in a completely new frame that in good Bimota tradition from a combination of a half-timbered frame with screwed aluminum-milled sketches are provided with eccentric set rings to easily be able to handle the geometry of the bicycle part to fit. The only thing that was mentioned on that was the wheelbase of 1,454 mm.
As far as suspension was concerned, Bimota had joined Showa, which is quite remarkable in itself. And not somewhere. In the past, Bimota has often done business with Öhlins, but Showa has been two hands on a stomach with Kawasaki for years. That was pretty much all that Bimota had to say about the KB998 Rimini. Oh yes, and that he has brembo brakes, but that actually speaks for itself.
In just over 2 weeks, the KB998 Rimini will officially make its debut in the WorldSBK on Phillip Island on 21 February, which means that by that time the first hurdle must have been taken to take the Italian manufacturer with regard to the Homologation. That is, if they want to officially score points. Without homologation, participation is still (temporarily) allowed, but then rider, brand and team are not awarded points that were scored in the races.
The FIM Regulations stipulates that 125 engines must be presented to the FIM inspectors before the start of the season. At the end of the year, another 125 must be offered and 500 at the end of the following year.
If those requirements are not met, the engine will not be met and all results achieved will be deleted. What Bimota happened in 2014, when it had made a comeback with the BB3 (BMW Bimota 3), but did not have the financial means to produce the required number of engines, on which they were deleted from the results.
With Kawasaki now as a floating (and also financial) strength, nobody doubts that Bimota will meet those homologation numbers, but there is a big one for the European market. The homologation of the FIM only prescribes how many engines must be produced, not where they should be sold.
And that is bad luck for us. Bimota has chosen to market the KB998 Rimini this year alone in Australia, the Philippines, the Middle East, China, the US and Canada. Countries where the emission requirements are less strict than with us in Europe. The European Euro 5+ version will follow in 2026.
It is also not yet known how much the KB998 Rimini should cost, although the FIM also partly offers a definitive answer here. The maximum price for a super bike to be homologated is € 44,000. Which will be around 50,000 euros thanks to the BPM in the Netherlands. That’s a bowl of money, but view it positive, you now have a year longer to save.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.