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From the track to the road: this is Bimota's philosophy, as well as the approach the famous Italian manufacturer took to build the KB998 Rimini - the bike with which it returns to World Superbike this year. A challenge full of ambition that began to take shape about a year ago, when "we had decided that it was time to return to Superbike and we started working on this project," recalled Pierluigi Marconi, Bimota's director of operations, in this long chat with our Riccardo Guglielmetti.
"This is a project that took us back to the past, because we were born making racing motorcycles that we then transformed into road bikes, making the bare minimum of modifications in order to homologate them," the engineer, father of this fascinating creature born from the joint venture between the Rimini-based company, Kawasaki and the Provec Racing team, told us: "Having the good fortune to be supported by a fantastic team like KRT, which has already won six World Championships, and by Kawasaki, which has provided us with exceptional motorization and electronics, we thought that maybe it was just the right time to start doing as we did in the past: to start developing the racing bike right away, and then turn it into a road bike. So that, in the end, the user will really have a race bike, developed by two of the best riders in Superbike. That was the start, and now we are here: we have started the first 2025 tests, and although the weather has not been great, development is continuing."
Bimota is looking to the future without forgetting the past, and this is immediately apparent by taking a look at the KB998's aluminium and steel composite frame.
"It is our trademark - our history has developed around these frames. The key today is the tyres and the suspension, which we have to exploit in the best way, and we decided to build this composite structure, which we know very well, precisely to get to the right stiffnesses as soon as possible to be able to give good grip at the front and good traction at the rear."
In this Superbike that is developing faster and faster, what is the biggest hurdle to overcome in terms of evolution?
"I see that in MotoGP they are reducing the displacement to decrease the performance, but in Superbike I think it is impossible to do that, because otherwise there would be no market: no one today would buy an 800cc displacement bike. That's why I think one very important thing would be to limit consumption, as Dorna is trying to do already this year. I think it is the right way, because it improves fuel consumption and pollution by allowing us to keep the 1000cc displacement. It is a big challenge for us, because we have to develop an engine that is in the right operating terms for it."
This project is the sum of different worlds coming together, such as Italy and Japan.
"For me it's something great, because the Japanese is someone who uses a lot of experience and has the ability to bring technology to a very high level with extreme reliability. The Italian, on the other hand, is more imaginative, and then there is the Spanish team, which has a very similar culture to the Italian one and has been a key player in the development of this bike. We have formed a team that I think is exceptional, because from a technical-motoristic point of view we have Japan, which has the best tradition ever. And from the logistical, performance and chassis one, we have the European imagination brought by Italy and Spain. Part of the credit for this project is definitely the Japanese ownership, which has always left us free to work. They asked us what we wanted to do, and we told them that we could try to build the bike if they would give us the engine, the team and the electronics. That's how this Kawasaki-Bimota-KRT triptych was born."
Another striking aspect of the KB998 are the movable wings, which are very reminiscent of the Formula 1s of the 1990s.
"These variable wings go in the direction of helping both the chassis designer, who needs the load to get more traction and more grip under braking; and the motorist, who is interested in having the least amount of drag under acceleration and a bike that doesn't wheelie. They are designed to make the most of both the engine and the chassis, giving advantages from an aerodynamic point of view in braking, entering and mid-corner, and on the straight. The shape harks back to that of the rear wing of Formula 1 cars of the past because of the structure, which has to rotate on a central pivot. We did it all in a short time and it was one of the biggest problems in getting the vehicle into production, because we had to make a road bike with these wings."
Winter testing has been very encouraging and now everyone is just waiting to see what impact Bimota will have on World Superbike.
"Our philosophy is to make the bike easy to ride, and I think that's exactly what we managed to do with the KB998. Having done that, you have to think about performance. So I think this year we will be focused on that aspect. I think the start has been positive, though."
There has also been a lot of talk in recent months about the name of KB998 Rimini.
"The name is another one of those things that we have changed from the traditional Bimota, because we were bought by Kawasaki, whose engine we have not only the engine but also the technology. At one time, each of the Bimota motorcycles had an engine identification, but not today. So, we decided to change the name of the next motorcycles and identify them with the displacement. So that the identification is stronger. As for Rimini, it is because we are in Rimini and we believe that the culture of the city is very important for motorcycling."
It is often said that it is not easy to relate to the Japanese. Is this also the case for you?
"It is very easy for us, because the method we have established with them is based on certainties that can be demonstrated on both sides. You cannot start from the assumption that 'I can do it, therefore it works.' To have certainty you have to do tests, and for every test that is done we have a double check: when we do something they check and vice versa. Once we designed the bike, for example, we tested it in Kawasaki's wind tunnel and together with them we developed the best solutions to make it fast. I think this is the right way to work and it leads to the result even with different methodologies."
How would you define this Bimota in one word?
"It is a unique object. When Lowes and Bassani got off the bike they said they felt like they were riding the race bike, and that's really the pinnacle of what we wanted to achieve. They tested it without even touching the suspension, because it was already perfect as it was. They rode it in both dry and wet conditions and were incredulous at the confidence it gave in wet riding. To think they were riding a Superbike is the biggest compliment you can give the bike."
