Kawasaki looks to be building momentum in the right direction as the Jerez test gave their rider a chance to get a feeling with his new bike
With the two days of testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Andalucia, all wrapped up, American rider Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) has wind in his sails as the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season approaches with a new bike and new crew chief in his garage. The #31 took to the track on both days of testing, and while poor weather prevented a more comprehensive shakedown, early indications sing the praises of his new bike.
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: “I got to feel a bit of a difference on the aero package from last year to this year”
After taking time to disconnect and recharge his batteries, the Texan had been chomping at the bit to get rolling in 2026 and at last get his first feelings with the 2026 ZX-10RR Ninja. Jerez presented itself as that opportunity, but rainy conditions on Day 1 severely limited riders. While Day 2 provided a slight window around midday where the track had dried off slightly, Gerloff was still held to a cumulative 49 laps, his fastest a 1’40.445s time to place him 11th on the timesheets
On the limited running at Jerez, the Texan said: “It’s a bummer, man! I’ve been waiting two months to get out here and ride this new bike. I’ve been really looking forward to it, but the weather’s been horrible the whole time. Frustrating for myself and the whole team. In the end, we got 20 laps in the dry-ish; it was like half-wet, half-dry, it was sketchy, and a lot of guys crashed in the water at Turn 5. Luckily, we stayed up on two wheels. I felt a bit of a difference in the aero package from last year to this year. That was positive. In the end, it wasn’t enough laps to get a full feeling for everything. We still need more time.”
FRONT END FEELING: “I had the front a bit more planted on the ground, and that’s what we were all hoping for”
The new Kawasaki bike’s most distinctive upgrade is the addition of canards on either side of the fairing to provide additional downforce, aiding grip at the front. A lack of feeling with his front tyre was something that Gerloff has mentioned bothering him throughout the 2025 season, and now with his new bike delivered and making its debut on track, the American has an ace up his sleeve; he just needs to hope for better weather to be able to test its full potential
Despite limited running, Gerloff was able to give some initial thoughts on the new-for-2025 aero package on the ZX-10RR machine: “I felt like I was able to turn better in the faster corners. I had the front a bit more planted on the ground, and that’s what we were all hoping for. That’s something that’s good, but we need to know what it’s like when it’s hotter, and the track has less grip, because if the track’s got more grip than it did last year, because of a lower temperature, I’m going to have better turning anyway. It’s like trying to cancel out the variables and make sure we’re making progress forward. So far, I think that’s the case. That was the biggest place. I only got 20 laps, and let’s call six of those in and out laps, so they don’t really count! I didn’t get a whole lot of time at all to do back-to-backs. We only used the new aero package on Thursday; we didn’t get to compare the old to the new. Really still in the dark about a lot of things.”
