Alex Lowes stated there are reasons to be “optimistic” for the upcoming WorldSBK season after a “positive” test at Portimao.
Over the winter break, after announcing its 2025 plans, Kawasaki and Italian marque Bimota began its new working venture together.
Bimota has worked on the chassis, while Kawasaki has collaborated on the engine, with the team operating under the new title of Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.
Despite the interchangeable track conditions, Lowes made use of the time allocated in testing to try out various parts.
The Brit was left feeling “positive” after the first day at Portimao where he posted a best lap time of 1.41.819s after completing 58 laps in the afternoon.
“It was good. We had just half a day because the weather was bad in the morning. We have a long list of things to try, but no time really! We picked three main priorities,” he revealed to WorldSBK.
“We had two different specs of forks from Showa, also something on the chassis at the back of the bike. It was good. I used the SC0 tyre all day so, at the end of the day, I dropped down but for most of the day, I was in the top three or four positions for race pace.
“This is quite good considering it’s testing and we’re trying to find the balance. Didn’t really work on anything specific settings to improve my feeling at Portimao because we still have too many things to do on the list. I’d say it was a positive day.
“It was my first time on the Bimota here at Portimao. All the positives I found on the bike at Jerez, I feel the same here.”
Kawasaki 2024 and Bimota 2025 bike on ‘the same level’
Lowes will kick off his sixth year with the same personnel at the season opener at Phillip Island, aiming to emulate his two wins from last year’s round.
The 34-year-old assessed the performance levels of his Bimota, despite the project being in its early stages of development.
The Lincolnshire-born rider compared the performance levels of his 2024 and 2025 challengers.
“Normally, when I put soft tyres on, I’m able to go fast. Superpole and the Superpole Race are normally one of my strongest points, so we sacrificed that to try and improve our bike because it’s so new and we have so many things to try. Happy with Tuesday’s work,” he said.
“I spent quite a few years on the Kawasaki, and I feel that we’re starting immediately from at least the same level we finished on the Kawasaki, which is impressive, to be straight out the box like that.
“I’ve been trying to work hard on the test items to make sure I choose the right one. I’m quite optimistic we can have a good season.”
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