Jerez Test: Alex Lowes fastest but warns Bimota: "Caution"

Lowes is satisfied with the work done in the Superbike test at Jerez, but he prefers to keep a low profile ahead of next year.

At the end of the two-day test in Andalusia, it was Alex Lowes who set the fastest time. His 1'37"825, naturally set on the SCQ tire, is more than a second off Nicolò Bulega’s Superpole 2025 record (1'36"629). The different conditions at the Jerez track must be considered and, of course, the very high level of the Ducati rider. In any case, the 35-year-old Englishman was the quickest and wrapped up the 2025 Superbike season on a positive note.

The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team fielded test rider Xavi Fores on day 1, then handed the reins to the factory riders on the second and final day of testing. On the KB998 Rimini they evaluated some technical updates and setup changes. There were definitely more smiles in Lowes’ garage than in Axel Bassani’s, who had to contend with a bit of the flu that held him back.

Lowes is fairly satisfied with the intensive work done, but at the same time he emphasizes that the particular conditions at Jerez make judgments tricky: "It’s always quite difficult to test here in winter - he told the official WorldSBK website - because the track has good grip and the temperatures are cool, so you have to be very precise about what you’re testing, because everything seems more or less fine. My best lap was on the SCQ tire, I did it around midday. We changed the bike’s chassis quite a lot, in terms of setup; we used a different swingarm from the one we used during the season, different Showa components and a different bike balance. We tried to see how that affected things. The balance was pretty good, so we started working on other things, like electronics, corner entry, and other aspects."

The British rider feels that the Bimota KB998 Rimini has improved, although he needs to run elsewhere to confirm the feeling he had at Jerez: "It’s hard to know for sure, especially because the Ducatis weren’t here and not everyone was on track, plus you have to factor in the grip and temperature conditions. But I think we’ve taken a couple of steps forward since the last race of 2025. We’ll find out when we start riding on different tracks, but I think we’ve improved our package. We’re happy with the work done."

Lowes explained his impressions after testing the chassis changes and other updates: "It’s an evolution of what we did this year. We had some fairly extreme ideas about the bike’s balance and we tried them in the post-race test. We worked hard and the chassis seems to work well; improving isn’t easy, but we made a big change and on this track I felt more comfortable. We need to be careful and not get carried away; we have to try again on different tracks and in different temperatures. Still, I’m happy and I’m confident."

The British rider preaches caution, even though the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team is made up of experienced people who are unlikely to get overexcited after the Jerez test. Everyone will work hard to study the data and deliver new improvements ahead of the 2026 Superbike World Championship. Lowes certainly expects to be stronger in his second year with the KB998 Rimini; the project will no longer be making its debut and therefore the bar for their goals will be higher. The aim will be to fight consistently for the top 5-6, to take podiums, and also to stand on the top step whenever the opportunity arises. Without Toprak Razgatlioglu, there should be greater chances for everyone.