Bimota Return to WSBK in 2025, Kawasaki to Withdraw?

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https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2024/Bimota+returns+to+WorldSBK+in+2025
Reading between the lines, this looks like a withdrawal by Kawasaki. They are apparently folding the Kawasaki Racing Team into the Bimota brand, signaling the end of the line for the ZX-10R and ZX-10RR in Europe, perhaps globally.

Best case scenario, Kawasaki are bailing on Superbike due to tepid sales, and they want to dedicate resources to the Supersport and Twins segments. The world will get new Kawasaki middleweight bikes. Worst case scenario, Kawasaki are walking away after 4 decades of SBK competition due to emissions regulations or perhaps expanded presence of aerodynamics in the next WSBK formula.
 
The situation is lamentable. The switch to BoP regulations was supposed to make superbike a production series again. Rather than developing a bespoke race bike from a production bike, the manufacturers were supposed to be selling motorcycles to race teams. Unfortunately, it looks like the homologation rules and procedures are not stringent enough, and Kawasaki is basically outsourcing all of it's chassis development to a third party. Bimota can prototype and homologate whatever chassis changes are necessary to work with the latest Pirelli tires.

Sad situation. The new rules were supposed to create a new global standard for superbike, and boost global sales to professional, club and amateurs. Instead, it is merely hastening the withdrawal of manufacturers, and the abandonment of road-going sportbikes.

I hope I'm wrong, but the trends are not good, and Yamaha are hanging by a thread as well. Maybe Americans will get lucky, and Kawasaki/Yamaha will campaign their bikes in the US series.
 
Good for Bimota, smart move for Kawasaki.
Superbikes in general are a dying species, the bikes are priced out of the market for most people that would want them. And the people that can afford them, usually want a different style bike. To me it doesnt make a lot of marketing sense for these manufactures to be involved in a production series.
 
Really disappointed to see this.

It's the end of an era for Kawasaki. They've essentially done what Suzuki did in GP with SBK in some regard. Maybe it was time to go really since top flight bike racing has gotten so far away from production machines that its really just entirely a marketing exercise. I'd still buy a ZX-10R but not the RR because there's no practical use. Same as I feel with the BMW M1000RR and so on. They are elitist bikes now running the laps in SBK IMO. But I guess all the manufacturers determined there's a segment of the population willing to buy these bikes for the exorbitant prices they go for now. Handing over to Bimota might be the best way to go really. Maybe Kawasaki just figured let them fight it out amongst the specialized bike crowd as it's not their forte. Makes you wonder though if Jonathan Rea knew this was coming and got out for that reason?

Hollywood said:
Good for Bimota, smart move for Kawasaki.
Superbikes in general are a dying species, the bikes are priced out of the market for most people that would want them. And the people that can afford them, usually want a different style bike. To me it doesnt make a lot of marketing sense for these manufactures to be involved in a production series.
Click to expand...

I'll be honest, I still want a 1000. To me that's the pinnacle of it all.
 
JPSLotus said:
I'll be honest, I still want a 1000. To me that's the pinnacle of it all.
Click to expand...
...and who wouldn't want one? but right now they are at a price point that does not make sense for a lot of people who want them. I do still sell a few modern 1000cc sport bikes a year, usually the buyers are older or they are more track day focused, and its usually a 3rd or 4th bike in their garage. There is also market competition for older superbikes, there is not a lot of difference in sport bikes over the last 20 years in the eyes of buyers.
 
Bimota has bounced around different private ownership groups, at one point they were even connected to the Church of Scientology. Kawasaki does currently have a ownership stake in the company.
 
Hollywood said:
...and who wouldn't want one? but right now they are at a price point that does not make sense for a lot of people who want them. I do still sell a few modern 1000cc sport bikes a year, usually the buyers are older or they are more track day focused, and its usually a 3rd or 4th bike in their garage. There is also market competition for older superbikes, there is not a lot of difference in sport bikes over the last 20 years in the eyes of buyers.
Click to expand...

The prices are strange to me. I was looking at a 2015 Repsol 1000RR, they are asking $13,995K. The bike new was I think $15-16K. Has 3k miles which I get is low.

But every time I go on Cycletrader, my head hurts looking at all the variations of pricing. It's not really following any kind of trend.
 
Last edited:
JPSLotus said:
The prices are strange to me. I was looking at a 2015 Repsol 1000RR, they are asking $13K. The bike new was I think $15-16K. Has 3k miles which I get is low.

But every time I go on Cycletrader, my head hurts looking at all the variations of pricing. It's not really following any kind of trend.
Click to expand...

With late model 1000cc sport bikes there are a lot of factors involved, financing options are a little different for a 10 year old bike vs a new bike, usually need a cash buyer or someone with their own financing in place. prices always fluctuate depending on the season and these bike can sit in my shop a couple months before the sell. These bikes can also need a lot of maintenance before they are ready to sell, and they are not cheap to fix. so some people will sell them needing tires, chain or a fork rebuild.
 

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