Bimota test in Navarra: Routines are in place, ready for Superbike restart

The 2026 World Superbike Championship has been on hold since Donington Park on 12 July, with the almost two-month summer break not ending until 4 September. Many customer teams will not reconvene until they reach France, whilst the better-resourced teams have completed the odd test or two.

Bimota treated itself to a day at the Navarra circuit to build momentum for the final four rounds of the season. The Spanish track featured on the calendar of the production-based World Championship only in 2021 and is around 500 km from the Provec team’s headquarters in Granollers. Various modifications have been made to the circuit since the World Championship event.

“The aim of this test was to give the riders some time after this long summer break so they could get used to the bike again,” explained Pere Riba, Alex Lowes’s crew chief. “It rained a little, and we lost perhaps one and a half to two hours of riding time. That was a bit of bad luck, as the summer has otherwise been hot and dry. Alex was happy to be back on the bike, and we did a few laps. At the same time, I tried out a few small things, and that went well. We’re ready to head to Magny-Cours next week.”

For Lowes and his team-mate Axel Bassani, it was a welcome opportunity to ride their KB998s, set up for the World Superbike Championship, without the pressure of a race weekend.

“It was good to get a few more laps under our belts on the motorbike before we head off to Magny-Cours for the next round,” emphasised the Englishman. “It was nice to be back on the track with the lads from the team. We had a positive day. Improvements have been made at Navarra compared to our last visit here, which is really good.”

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“We had a pretty good test, and it was great to get back on the bike after six weeks of not having touched it. I was also pleased to be working with the team and everyone again,” added Bassani. “The feel on the bike was pretty good, similar to the last time we rode it. We did a lot of laps without trying anything out of the ordinary, as this test was all about getting that feel back.”

Uri Pallares has been the Italian’s crew chief since the start of this year. “We had a very positive test after a very long summer break,” emphasised the Spaniard. “This test wasn’t just good for him, but also for the whole crew, myself included, to get a feel for the circuit again and to refresh our memory of the procedures we’ll be putting into practice next week at Magny-Cours.”