Why Bimota will continue with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani in 2027

Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani will continue to compete in Bimota colours in the 2027 Superbike season. While the British veteran has extended his contract by two years, Bassani will still be riding the KB998R next season at least.

Bimota is therefore focussing on continuity. Lowes and Bassani regularly prove on the race track that they are the right riders to drive the still relatively young project forward and, if possible, take it to the next level.

"It fills us with great pride to extend the contracts with Alex and Axel at the same time. This allows us to strengthen our image as a team, which is essential to move forward and develop the KB998R in the future," emphasised Team Manager Guim Roda. "The commitment that both riders bring to the project are key factors that allow us to move forward with solid and consistent steps. They have both understood the complexity of a championship based on a production-based motorbike and the challenges that manufacturers face when adapting different road bike philosophies to compete at the highest level. We are all working together to maximise the potential of the production motorbike while contributing new solutions that can be transferred back to the road bike. Continuing to work with Alex and Axel allows us to focus on the areas where we can make significant improvements, knowing that we have two of the best riders on the grid. Our task now is to refine our package for 2026 and prepare for a highly competitive 2027 season where the level of performance across the field will be closer than ever before. This will allow us to deliver great racing and an outstanding show for all fans."

"The BbKRT racing project stands for strength, stability and success. We are optimistic about the future, knowing that Alex and Axel will continue their successful collaboration with KB998 Rimini and benefit from the positive force that comes from teamwork," added Shigemi Tanaka, Chairman of the Board of Bimota S.p.A. and Managing Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe. "Of course, our goal is to win on the race track as well as to increase the appeal of the Bimota brand in the trade; this is how we will ultimately measure our success."

Pierluigi Marconi, Chief Operating Officer of Bimota: "Bimota is a racing brand. To achieve our goals on the racetrack, you need a winning combination of machine, rider and team - we are convinced that we have it. Our aim is to continue our growth trajectory and get even more potential out of the KB998 Rimini. With Alex and Axel as part of the project for 2027, we believe we have our 'dream team'. We can look to the future with optimism and be even more competitive on the race track and in the showroom."