BbKRT Heading To Misano To Test

Even with the fifth round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship very recently concluded in Czechia, the workload for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) squad continues apace, with a two-day track test at the Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli.

Between 20-21 May, Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes will aim to find improved settings on their already podium-capable bimota KB998 Rimini machines, at a circuit which will host a full WorldSBK race weekend in a few weeks.

Misano is always a favourite for the WorldSBK scene in general, as it takes place on a layout with several types of corners and sectors along its 4.226km length. With an almost completely flat nature, and being located close to the many holiday resorts of the Adriatic coast, Misano offers an almost unique on and off track experience.

Several of BbKRT’s rivals will also take to the track at Misano, making this a good opportunity to measure any performance increases on a like-for-like basis, under the same track and atmospheric conditions.

The next round on the 2026 WorldSBK calendar will take place at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain, between 29-31 May. The Misano race weekend itself will take place between 12-14 June.

Alex Lowes stated: “This test has come at a good time for me, because last weekend in Most I lost a bit of confidence. We have the style of always trying to be on it every lap of the weekend to use our experience, to be fast in FP1 and from there adjust the bike to be as competitive as possible. At Most we had a crash early in the weekend and I never really recovered the feeling. The target of the Misano test is to get the feeling back with my confidence in the front of the bike. Then we have some other items to try, using the data that we have collected in the first part of this season. There is also the ongoing task of trying to get a little bit better and a little bit better. I am really looking forward to Misano - a fantastic track - even though it is coming up straight after a race weekend. I can’t wait to get back to work there - and have a pizza!”

Axel Bassani stated: “We have two days of testing at Misano and they will be very important because the Misano race weekend will happen not so long after this test. We will work on the set-up for the Misano races and maybe some new items on the bike. We have some ideas for the areas we want to work in and especially with the electronics, where we can make a good step. That should also help us in the next round at Aragon. We will see how we go with the work and try to enjoy the next two days.”

Guim Roda, BbKRT Team Manager, stated: “We join this test to continue making KB998R Rimini development steps at different tracks and prepare in the best way for when we come back to race at Misano in June. We need to explore what is possible to do inside the current regulations to close the gap with Ducati. It is not easy but we will keep fighting and doing our best as always.”