Kawasaki's competitive roots in motorcycle racing stretch back decades. The company achieved its first world title with Dave Simmonds in the 1969 125 cc World Championship and subsequently dominated the 250 cc and 350 cc grand prix classes from 1978 to 1982, claiming four titles in each category. When MotoGP transitioned to four-stroke machinery in 2002, Kawasaki returned to the premier class, racing under the banner of Harald Eckl's team management organisation.
Kawasaki Motors Racing was established in 2007 as a European subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, created to manage the manufacturer's MotoGP effort in-house after the relationship with Harald Eckl was terminated. The split was triggered by Eckl's involvement with a rival MotoGP team, which made the arrangement incompatible with Kawasaki's interests. The 2007 season marked the first time Kawasaki had run a fully factory-controlled premier class team since its return to Grand Prix racing.
In 2007 Kawasaki fielded Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque on the new 800 cc Ninja ZX-RR using Bridgestone tyres. Jacque suffered a series of injuries throughout the season and ultimately announced his retirement, being replaced by Australian rider Anthony West. The team's highlight of the campaign was a second-place finish by de Puniet at a rain-affected Japanese Grand Prix — one of Kawasaki's best MotoGP results.
For 2008 John Hopkins replaced de Puniet alongside West. Results remained solidly midfield throughout the season. In August of that year, Kawasaki announced Marco Melandri as a signing for 2009, but the onset of the global financial crisis led the manufacturer to reconsider its entire Grand Prix programme.
On 9 January 2009, Kawasaki announced the suspension of its MotoGP activities, citing the need to reallocate management resources. A scaled-down team called Hayate Racing Team carried Kawasaki machinery through the 2009 season, running Melandri as sole rider with limited factory backing. That arrangement produced unexpectedly competitive results, including a second place at the French Grand Prix — matching Kawasaki's best-ever MotoGP finish.
Following the MotoGP exit, Kawasaki placed its factory racing emphasis squarely on the World Superbike Championship using the ZX-10R road-derived superbike. Initially the factory programme was entrusted to Paul Bird Motorsport from 2009 to 2011. From 2012 onwards, Provec Racing of Granollers, Spain, became the primary operator of the Kawasaki factory Superbike effort, trading under the Kawasaki Racing Team banner.
The ZX-10R proved a formidable Superbike weapon. Jonathan Rea joined KRT and transformed the team into a dominant force in WorldSBK, claiming an unprecedented run of consecutive World Superbike titles. The team's green livery became one of the most recognisable in the paddock during this era.
From 2019, Kawasaki became a major shareholder of Italian motorcycle manufacturer Bimota, deepening its involvement in the production-based racing landscape.
Ahead of the 2025 season Kawasaki undertook a significant structural reorganisation of its WorldSBK programme. Direct factory KRT support — including the iconic Ninja green colour scheme and branding — was transferred to Puccetti Racing, previously operating as a satellite team, with rider Garrett Gerloff. Kawasaki simultaneously entered a partnership with Bimota to create a new entity called Bimota by Kawasaki Racing (BbKRT). The 2025 Bimota entry, designated the KB998 Rimini, uses the ZX-10 Ninja powertrain but is finished in red, white and black rather than Kawasaki green, reflecting Bimota's distinct brand identity.
Kawasaki Racing Team's pivot from MotoGP to World Superbike following the 2008 financial crisis proved strategically sound. The ZX-10R-based programme delivered sustained competitiveness across more than a decade of Superbike racing. The team's period of dominance with Jonathan Rea at the helm redefined expectations for factory Superbike squads and cemented Kawasaki's reputation as one of the most successful manufacturers in WorldSBK history. The 2025 restructure — with Bimota carrying the manufacturer's premium technical ambitions and Puccetti Racing stewarding the green factory lineage — marks a new chapter rather than a reduction in Kawasaki's commitment to production-based world championship racing.