After making its debut during the first winter test at the Jerez circuit, Bimota has presented the new KB998 Rimini at the EICMA in Milan, which has been sent to the home of the famous Italian brand as a tribute to everyone involved in the project. mentioned.
Bimota has not yet released much information about the new KB998 Rimini, the inb, in consultation with Kawasaki, developed the new Supersport with which the famous brand from Rimini will make its comeback in the WorldSBK next season, with full support from Kawasaki. All resources of the Kawasaki Racing Team have been transferred to the new Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.
The new KB998 Rimini immediately set the tone during that first winter test by setting the fastest and second time on the second day, with Axel Bassani 2 tenths of a second faster than teammate Alex Lowes. Although a small comment must be made: the fastest time of the 2-day test was set on day 1 by Nicolo Bulega, who had not driven on day 2, while BMW had only been on the track with the test drivers and not the newly crowned world champion. Toprak Razgatlioglu.
The KB998 Rimini uses the engine from the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, which is specified for a top power of 200 hp at 13,600 rpm – exactly the same value as that of the current ZX-10RR. The block is mounted in a completely new frame consisting of a half-timbered frame constructed from oval steel tubes, with screwed-on gusset plates milled from solid aluminum. The gusset plates are equipped with eccentric adjusting rings, with which the geometry of the bicycle part can be easily adjusted.
The bodywork of the KB998 Rimini is Bimota faithfully made from exotic carbon fiber, equipped with large winglets that have become indispensable in WorldSBK these days. With large winglets you may compromise slightly in terms of lightness, but in return you gain enormous stability when braking and wheelie suppression when accelerating.
According to Bimota, the winglets automatically maintain the optimal angle at all times and emphasizes that the primary focus of this machine has been on the track – a true high-performance racing machine.
The street version of this new WorldSBK racer is now in production. 125 units will be built before February 24, 2025, while a further 125 units will be built before the end of 2025. To meet WorldSBK homologation requirements, a total of 500 units must be assembled before 2026.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.