They are back. The Italian company that took some of the engines from other manufacturers and wrapped them in its own custom-made frames will return to World Superbike in 2025. This time, Bimota will return in partnership with Kawasaki, who is the majority shareholder of the formerly all-Italian manufacturer.
Bimota’s new World Superbike entry will have a frame designed and manufactured by Bimota. However, the machine’s engine and associated technology will be sourced from Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-10RR. In addition, the personnel who currently work at Kawasaki and support its World Superbike effort will be transferred to the new Bimota project.
The number of teams competing in the World Superbike Grid will not change as a result of Bimota joining the championship. Bimota will replace Kawasaki as the manufacturer for the series. The team designation will become “Bimota by Kawasaki” which will maintain the Japanese brand’s legacy while promoting the Bimota brand. Ultimately, the racing machine will be developed by both manufacturers with a new team that the manufacturer believes is essential in enhancing Bimota’s visibility to the global market.
Kawasaki President Hiroshi Ito on Bimota
Hiroshi Ito, the President and CEO of Kawasaki Motors, explained the change to Bimota for the World Superbike grid this way:
“Bimota has an enviable reputation for excellence in motorcycle design and manufacture. As part of our vision for the evolution of this world-famous brand, we see racing as a logical next step in terms of both product development as well as brand exposure on the global stage. Our commitment to WorldSBK is as strong as ever, and we hope that this new racing project will energize fans of both Bimota and Kawasaki. The passion for race success remains and we look forward to the presence of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team on the 2025 WorldSBK grid.” – Hiroshi Ito to Motorcyclesports.net
The new team hopes to revive some of Bimota’s previous successes in motorcycle world championships. In 1990, they won the now-defunct 350cc World Championship. The 1980s and 1990s saw the then-small Italian company have some memorable moments as well. In their premier year in 1988’s World Superbike Championship, Bimota captured five race victories. But as time went on, the race victories became fewer and fewer. Their last World Superbike victory racing occurred in 2000, with Australian Anthony Gobert aboard in a wet race.
The Bimota name has some significant heritage, and it will be interesting to see what Kawasaki plans to do with it. At first blush, it seems that Team Green wants to grow Bimota not to their former glory but beyond.
