History was made this weekend at the Misano World Circuit as the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team achieved a milestone moment that had been decades in the making. Alex Lowes rode his bimota KB998 Rimini to a thrilling podium finish in Misano Superpole Race at the FIM Superbike World Championship, bimota’s first in WorldSBK since Anthony Gobert’s legendary ride at Phillip Island in 2000.

Adding to the weekend’s momentum, teammate Axel Bassani started Race 1 from the front row, marking the first time a bimota machine has launched from the front of a WorldSBK grid since 1989, an incredible 35-year gap.

This resurgence is more than just a strong race weekend; it’s a turning point for one of the most storied names in motorcycle engineering. Known for their handcrafted, high-performance machines and legendary Italian design, bimota earned its reputation in the 1970s when co-founder Massimo Tamburini reimagined the Honda CB750 after a crash at Misano’s Quercia turn. That project, the HB1, launched bimota into the spotlight as a brand focused on building the best chassis around the most powerful engines.

In 1978, bimota’s KB1, based on the Kawasaki Z1, marked the company’s first major commercial success, linking the two brands’ fates early on. Fast-forward to 2019, when Kawasaki Heavy Industries acquired a 49.9% stake in bimota, fusing bimota’s design DNA with Kawasaki’s unmatched engineering resources.

This podium at Misano is a full-circle moment, a rebirth for bimota on the world stage, powered by Kawasaki. With Lowes’ podium and Bassani’s front-row start, the team is proving that bimota by Kawasaki isn’t just back, it’s ready to fight at the front.