The Bimota KB998 WorldSBK racer has finally been revealed.
Bimota had already voiced their interest in rejoining the superbike race series since Kawasaki took over the brand. Known as Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT), Bimota will supply the chassis and Kawasaki provides the engine which is from the Ninja ZX-10RR.
Speaking about the new partnership, team manager Guim Roda said: “Of course, there has been much work to do behind the scenes to get us to the eve of unveiling the new bike and testing on track in public for the very first time.
“To have Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani onboard as riders – plus the associated pit crews and support staff – means we can concentrate on the core tasks at hand, testing our new KB998 racing machine and accumulating data across a testing schedule, inside the test limitation rules set by BWO and the FIM, reaching from tomorrow and across the Winter.
“This is a very new bike and will need our full commitment. We are very enthusiastic to be part of this fascinating project and honoured to take responsibility for making the new Bimota KB998 perform on top as soon as possible.
“We have updated all our social media accounts so we encourage fans to follow BbKRT and play their part in this exciting journey.”
One question remains, though: Will there be a Bimota KB998 homologation model for the public?
It is well known that some F1 drivers also ride motorcycles.
Motorcycle riders can agree that motorcycles offer the most visceral enjoyment. There is no roof and huge windscreen to block the wind, the controls that require the entire body’s muscles. The most powerful street motorcycles may have “only” 200+hp compared to some supercars that sport 1000+hp, but the motorcycle accelerates harder and faster. And that feeling of dragging a knee through a corner… ah heaven.
Lewis Hamilton
Seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is visibly passionate about riding motorcycles, both on the road and track. The peak of this was swapping rides with Valentino Rossi (in Hamilton’s F1 car) at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.
The Briton even has motorcycles dedicated to him, namely the MV Agusta F4 and Brutale LH44.
Now and again the MV is paraded in front of the world’s press as Hamilton takes the short commute to ‘work’ at the Monaco Grand Prix from his nearby home.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso tested Marc Marquez’s Honda RC213V MotoGP at the Motegi Ciruit bike in 2015.
Since then, after parting ways with the Honda days now way behind him, Alonso returned to F1 with the Alpine team part-managed by ex-Suzuki MotoGP boss Davide Brivio. The driver purchased an Aprilia RS 660 to get around.
Sebastian Vettel
The four-time World Champion prefers classic motorcycles. Although he keeps his collection away from public eyes, he had been spotted on a Kawasaki two-stroke triple in the past and a Suzuki GS550. There are also rumours that he regularly visits classic motorcycle shows. He has also been see several of KTM and BMW motorcycles.
The German says he loved motorcycles after buying a Cagiva Mito 125.
Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc’s Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen is a one-off special created by French custom house Bad Winners. The ‘Apex 2.0’ used a Vitpilen 701 as the base, and spec’ed it up with a unique frame and bodywork, a full system exhaust, and gorgeous looking DYMAG carbon fibre wheels. And oh, a KTM headlight.
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen had been spotted riding motorcycles in his native Netherlands.
Like Leclerc, the current F1 World Championship leader has commissioned his own custom, but prefers a cruiser in the shape of a Montois-custom Harley-Davidson.
Kimi Raikkonen
The “King of One Liners” in F1 loves his motorcycles and owns a large collection of motorcycles in his native Finland.
However, his passion is primarily for ‘Choppers’ and Harley-style cruisers and even has a series of special customs made under his ‘Iceman’ nickname.
Having retired from F1 at the end of the 2021 season having started more grands prix than any other before him, Raikkonen spent approximately five minutes with his feet up before taking everyone by surprise by being announced as the new team manager for the factory Kawasaki team in MX1.
Nico Rosberg
Being an outspoken environmentalist, Rosberg has popped up now and again touting the advancements made in automotive technology and electric transport. That laid the way to collaborating with Italian manufacturer Energica. Rosberg was hired to launch the company’s latest generation Ego sportsbike in 2019.
Michael Schumacher
Unlike others in this list, seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher not only loved motorcycles, but he even raced them. It led to him bringing his megastar status to the comparatively modest German IDM Superbike Championship in 2008 aboard the factory Holzhauer Honda.
He wasn’t a front runner on a bike that his team-mate Martin Bauer was winning the title, but he didn’t disgrace himself either. Alas, a heavy crash led to a shoulder injury that not only ended his motorcycling aspirations but ruled him out of a planned return to F1 with Ferrari to replace the injured Felipe Massa.
Ayrton Senna
The Brazilian won devoted fans around the world for his passion for anything fast, including motorcycles.
He particularly loved Ducatis and would often arrive in the Monaco Grand Prix paddock riding a Ducati Monster. The Italian firm later created the Ducati 916 Senna.
Alas, the man himself never got to experience his dedication, being launched the year following his tragic and untimely death during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The 2025 BMW S 1000 R naked sportbike is currently in the works and it looks extensively restyled.
The last update for the bike was in 2021, following BMW’s four-year model refresh schedule. The last redesign saw the headlight evolve into a rounder and smaller profile while the rest of the bike looked similar. The higher spec M 1000 R variant gained winglets similar to the M 1000 RR WSBK homologation model, as with the inline-four engine’s tuning.
Coming back to the 2025 model, it features a dual-headlight arrangement with what looks like a central air intake. If the air intake is a functioning part, it means that air will be fed through an opening in the upper part of the frame the same way as the S 1000 RR. In any case, we feel that this revamp makes the bike look more aggressive among its competitors namely the Aprilia Tuono V4, Ducati Streetfighter V4, Kawasaki Z H2, Yamaha MT-10, Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS.
However, there is yet news regarding its engine and performance.
One of the most irritating (and dangerous) thing to pick up a tyre puncture. Good news is, plugging a tubeless tyre puncture is rather straightforward as you do not have to remove the tyre, unless the hole is too large to plug. On the other hand, a tube tyre requires you remove the tyre from the rim.
What we need
Firstly, you need an Oxford Tyre Repair Kit. The kit is complete with:
1 x Connector complete with valve.
1 X Cutter.
5 x Sealing strips, also known as rope strips (also colloquially known as “cacing” in Malaysia).
1 x Plug insert tool.
1 x Hole routing tool.
1 x Tube of glue.
3 x CO2 canisters (avoiding the need for an air pump).
Secondly, you need the Oxford Tool Kit Pro. The set includes further pieces of tools including pliers to pull the thing that punctured the tyre. You may also consider the Oxford Tool Kit.
Plugging the puncture
Usually, the hole is easy to find as there is still a nail, screw or some object embedded in it.
1. Rotate the tyre and check for other signs of puncture.
2. Pull offending item out with the pliers.
3. Pick up the corkscrew-like tool and ream in and out of the hole to rough it up a bit.
4. Apply the cement into and around hole. The cement is to hold the rope plug (also called ‘cacing‘ colloquially in Malaysia) in place.
5. Insert the sticky rope plug through the eyelet of the needle.
6. Push the needle with the rope plug through the hole and pull the needle back out quickly.
7. Cut off the excess rope plug, leaving just a little higher than the tyre’s surface.
8. Place the metal part of the valve adapter on the tyre valve.
9. Push in a CO² canister into the red end of the adapter.
10. Check again to see if air is escaping from the repaired hole, by sprinkling some water on it or spitting on it.
11. You can ride away if there’s no further leak, or you may need to insert another plug if there is.
After plugging
You can ride away after inflating the tyre with the CO² canisters. Ride slowly, not over 80 km/h for 15 minutes to let the plug settle in.
However, the tyre pressure may not be correct after doing so, thus the first thing you should do is head to a petrol station or workshop to reinflate the tyre, whichever comes first.
Also do visit a motorcycle workshop to have the tyre removed and patched from the inside, as the rope plug is NOT a permanent fix. After that, remember that the tyre’s top speed is reduced by one level i.e. Z => V.
The best solution is to replace the punctured tyre completely, as its structure has been compromised.
The biggest milestone in motorcycle safety is the one which protects your head. It was in 1963 when the first ever full-face motorcycle helmet called the Bell Star, was designed and developed in the by Bell Helmets.
Motorcyclists (as well as drag, car and boat racers) were faced with limited choice in safety headgear. back then. There were only either three-quarter open-faced or half-helmets. Some car and bike racers wore so-called “helmets” made from leather or cork. Deaths due to severe head trauma were common.
According to Bell, it was motorcyclists that pushed for a better helmet design. Bell engineers finally came up with the first full-face motorcycle helmet called the Bell Star.
The rigid outer shell was constructed from stain weave fibreglass cloth, which was used in the aircraft industry. The direction of the weave was crucial to ensure maximum strength across the helmet’s surface and it was bonded with a high-impact polyester resin that was then coated with a scuff-resistant epoxy coating. Inside there was a conventional EPS liner, not that dissimilar to type you find on today’s helmets. In the 1960s Bell made a point of marketing the fact that the liners used in all of its crash helmets were made from the same material used by the U.S. military in its HGU 2/P flight helmet and by NASA astronaut helmets.
The Santa Cruz-based company began selling the Bell Star in February 1963 and described the helmet in its catalogue as being revolutionary, with maximum face protection, better visibility and breathing for the wearer than a conventional helmet.
But of course, being the first full-face helmet, it did not have the features of modern helmets. Firstly, there is no flip up visor. Instead, it was a shatterproof plastic lens that had to be popped out of its rubber mouldings. The eyeport was also rather small vertically, more like how auto racing helmets would have. And there were no openings for airflow.
Still, it was a good beginning. The Bell Star met the crash criteria set up by the Snell Foundation independent safety organisation. The requirement simulated crash tests to see if the helmet could withstand serious damage to the helmet or the wearer’s head. The impact test involved holding up to a 162.7 Nm impact, or the equivalent of a 7.3 kg (16 lb.) weight traveling at 25.7 km/h (16 mph) and hitting the helmet.
The Bell Star sold at USD59.50, and was the most expensive in Bell’s helmet line-up. It quickly found a big following among motorcycle enthusiasts, including racers, as well many of the world’s leading race car drivers.
Today’s crash helmet technologies are light years away from the 1963 Bell Star in terms of design, construction, materials, and features. But every single one can trace its heritage back to the iconic Bell Star.
Ride a motorcycle and hang around with other motorcyclists long enough and you will start to hear all sorts of myths. These myths involve every aspect of riding from riding techniques to components to maintenance. Today, we will look at the 10 most common and alarming tyre myths.
Tyres have come a long way since the invention of pneumatic tyres. Unfortunately, myths started to appear along the way as there is more and more misunderstanding when it comes to the technology and science of modern tyres.
1. “Racing compound tyres faster, safer.”
First and foremost, not all products meant for racing are suitable for everyday street use. For example, racing brake fluid is totally unsuitable for road use as it is super hydrophilic.
Back to tyres, there are reasons why there are different types of tyres for different purposes. Each type is designed to accommodate variables such as grip, longevity, weather, heat cycles, comfort and feel, warm-up times, etc.
That said, leave the racing slicks for the track and stick to sport/track, sport, sport-touring, road/adventure tyres for the road.
2. “Ride aggressively to break in new tyres.”
While it is true that tyre makers have stopped using mould release agent during the manufacturing process, a new tyre still needs to be broken in. Heat generated from riding further homogenises the different compounds in the tyre’s compound (because it is made up of many different materials hence the word), while friction with the road scuffs away the smooth surface of the tread.
As such, riding too aggressively on new tyres will cause the compounds to not break in correctly, and will usually result in a bad tyre by the time you get their midlife. So take it easy for at least the first 300km.
3. “Breaking in new tyres is faster with lower inflation pressure.”
Best to stick with the recommended tyre pressure. Running a tyre with lower inflation pressure will generate too much heat too quickly and can result in overcooking the elements in the compound and destroying the tyre in the process. Also, running lower pressures on the road may cause bump damage to the tyre and rim, apart from higher rolling resistance, more steering effort, and increased fuel consumption.
4. “Traction is due the tread compound.”
It is true that traction is the result of friction between the tyre’s tread and road surface, thus a softer compound offers more traction. However, there are also other complex mechanics at play that influence a tyre’s grip performance.
The construction of the tyre’s carcass and sidewalls also play a large factor in traction. More malleable carcass and sidewalls allow the tyre to absorb bumps and conform to irregularities of the road surface, enhancing traction. Conversely, a harder tyre will bounce over road irregularities, thus compromising grip.
5. “Lower/higher inflation pressure is better for traction.”
There are road riders who intentionally overinflate their tyres (by way too much!) because they want to “feel the tyres.” On the other hand, there are riders who lower the inflation pressure by too much to promote grip.
Truth is, the biggest issue here is due to incorrect riding techniques. Sticking to the recommended pressure is the best way, although you may increase or decrease the pressure slightly to cater for bodyweight, passenger, cargo, tyre construction, and such, but not by a whopping 30-100 kPa!
6. “Sport-touring tyres are for slow riders”
The question here is slow in what sense? On the road? On the track? For the daily commute? In good weather? Under heavy rain?
Of course, one should not use sport-touring tyres for racing, but there are sport-touring tyres that can be used on the track for high paced riding, just not for all-out racing. Truth is, there are current sport-touring tyres can outpace sport-oriented tyres of just two generations ago on the track! Sure, sport tyres are grippier, but sport-touring tyres are by no means inferior especially when the road conditions get gnarly, and in the rain.
7. “You can just leave a ‘cacing’ in place.”
Using the rope repair (‘cacing’ in Malaysia) is a temporary fix for a puncture, intended to get the rider to the nearest workshop. Leaving the rope in place will cause the hole to grow bigger over time. Instead, the puncture should be repaired with the proper tyre plug as soon as possible. However, remember that a punctured and subsequently repaired tyre has its speed rating dropped by one level.
8. “Old tyres are bad.”
There is no “used by” date on any tyre. Why? Because there is no true expiry date. The condition of a new tyre depends more on how the workshop stores it. Improper storage such as leaving the tyre on a concrete floor and stacked to the ceiling, in a hot and humid environment will cause the tyre’s compound to oxidise faster. Conversely, an older tyre which was stored properly (stood up, rotated once a while, in a climate controlled area) will still be in great shape.
9. “No need to follow the tyre’s intended direction of rotation.”
No, you should not. Tyre manufacturers designed and constructed a tyre with a certain rotational direction to optimise their performance. Mounting it backwards can lead to dire consequences. There are bidirectional tyres in the market, but the majority of road tyres are unidirectional.
10. “Mixing tyre type/brand is okay.”
Different tyres have different properties and performance envelopes. As such, they are designed to work in pairs. Combining different tyres will compromise the bike’s handling characteristics and even safety. And no, it is not a conspiracy to sell more tyres!
