Alex Lowes (Bimota) warns: “We’re reaching a dangerous point!”

The World Superbike Championship’s balance system is increasingly becoming the focus of discussion in light of Ducati’s dominance. However, the parties involved are by no means in agreement. Whilst Bimota and BMW are keen to strengthen their own positions, Yamaha is calling for the powerful bikes to be reined in. Reaching a consensus will be a challenge.

“It really is difficult,” said Bimota works rider Alex Lowes. The Englishman rode for Yamaha between 2016 and 2019 and then for Kawasaki until 2024. “The Yamaha is an older bike, whilst the Ducati is the latest model – and an excellent one at that. It won’t be easy to keep everyone happy. I can understand the arguments on both sides, but I don’t have a solution ready.”

There is no doubt about the outstanding performance of World Championship leader Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Ducati), who has secured 23 out of 24 victories this year. The Italian’s only defeat came at the hands of his team-mate Iker Lecuona, who secured his first Superbike victory in the first race at Donington Park.

“I can only congratulate the lads, who are doing a brilliant job, but the issue is far too complex for me to comment on. On the one hand, you have to take your hat off to them, but the situation is gradually becoming critical,” emphasised the 35-year-old from Lincoln. “A manufacturer that sees no chance of being competitive is still investing a lot of money. In that respect, I think we’re approaching a dangerous point. Ducati are naturally happy, but no one else is. That’s the situation.”

What Lowes is alluding to is that unsuccessful manufacturers such as Honda – and, increasingly, Yamaha – could lose interest in the Superbike World Championship and scale back their involvement. If that happened, the top category would degenerate even further into a Ducati Cup.

However, it’s clear to Lowes that the Ducati V4R makes all the difference. “You can see it with Iker, who’s racking up second places in succession, and Xavi, who’s finishing in the top 15: last year, both achieved comparable results. There are plenty more examples,” said the Bimota rider. “How can this be changed? I don’t know! My job is to do everything I can with my team to close the gap to the front-runners.”