Bad News: You Can’t Get Italy’s New 200-HP Superbike In America

Last year, Bimota clarified its aspirations to take on celebrated names in the elite World Superbike Championship. Soon after, the brand took the wraps off the stellar KB998 Rimini–a homologation special superbike that grabbed several headlines worldwide. Fast forward six months, the new sports bike is now going on sale.

The Bimota KB998 Rimini Is Way More Expensive Than The BMW M 1000 RR

According to Bimota’s press release, the homologation superbike is set to go on sale in Europe and Asia on April 9, 2025. The first batch is already in the central European warehouse for further dispatch to new owners. Exact pricing is unknown, but the KB998 bears a £37,777 (~$48,000) price tag in the UK. That is serious money, and over $10,000 more than BMW’s homologation special: the M 1000 RR.

2025 Bimota KB998 Rimini Rivals

• BMW M 1000 RR
• Ducati Panigale V4 R

Why The KB998 Rimini Is Limited To European And Asian Markets

While the 998 justifies the moolah (sort of), the sad news is that the bike isn’t going on sale in North America for now. We believe the tariff war is at fault here. The KB998 is already almost $50,000 in the UK (with current currency rates), and that number could rise a lot with added tariffs. So it’d be nowhere near a lucrative deal.

Plus, Bimota only plans to build a handful of these in 2025, and the company claims it already has a lot of interested parties. Only 250 units are reportedly available for 2025, followed by another 250 in 2026. So going the extra mile to sell a handful of bikes in the US probably doesn’t seem worth the effort.

There is a glimmer of hope, however. Bimota has a private importer in the US, which has said the 998 will be in America, eventually. We’re way past the expected timeline (February 2025), though, so all we can do is wait for an update at this point.

The KB998 Rimini Comes Loaded With Top-Quality Components

What all do you get here, you ask? Well, there’s plenty to like. The frame boasts an oval-section tubular steel construction, paired with unique billet aluminum alloy plates with a CNC-machined section. The CNC section bolts the race-derived, inverted swingarm, carved from aluminum. All this, plus the full carbon bodywork, helps the 998 weigh under 430 pounds (dry).

Cradled in the chassis lies a Kawasaki-derived 998cc, four-cylinder engine. It is good for 200 horsepower and 81.8 pound-feet, all sent to the wheel via a six-speed transmission. An Akrapovic titanium exhaust ensures the sound is as dreamy as it gets. Like the engine, all electronic aids come from Kawasaki, too.

2025 Bimota KB998 Rimini Specifications