Garrett Gerloff and the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team are aggressively pursuing performance gains ahead of the 2026 season. The recent testing session proved to be a major step forward, particularly thanks to Gerloff’s reunion with his highly respected former crew chief, Les Pearson.
Key Highlights and Progress
- Rider-Crew Chief Reunion: The synergy between Gerloff and Pearson immediately translated into tangible track results. Pearson’s deep technical knowledge and understanding of Gerloff’s riding style were pivotal in optimizing the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR WorldSBK setup.
- Significant Lap Time Improvement: Gerloff’s dedicated testing work resulted in a lap time faster than his own 2025 race lap at the circuit. This is a critical indicator of motorcycle development and rider confidence.
- Very Strong SEO Keywords: Kawasaki Progress, Garrett Gerloff WorldSBK, Kawasaki Racing Team, Les Pearson Crew Chief, World Superbike Testing, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, WorldSBK Performance, Lap Time Improvement, WSBK 2026.
This positive Kawasaki progress solidifies the team’s ambitions to be a consistent front-runner in the fiercely competitive World Superbike championship. The Gerloff-Pearson partnership is now a key focus for sustained WSBK development and race weekend success.
What specific technical area (e.g., chassis, electronics, tire management) of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR do you think this reunited partnership will focus on first?
That’s an excellent question! The search results and Garrett Gerloff’s own comments give a clear indication of their primary focus.
The initial, and likely most important, technical focus for Garrett Gerloff and Les Pearson on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR will be Chassis Setup and Front-End Grip, directly impacting Cornering Speed.
Here’s a breakdown of why this area is the priority:
Primary Focus: Chassis and Cornering Performance
Gerloff explicitly stated what he wants to improve:
- Corner Speed: Gerloff noted that his main focus for improvement is cornering speed, which is intrinsically linked to how the chassis is balanced and how the tires perform under load.
- Front Grip: He specifically mentioned struggling with front grip in races. This points directly to the need for a better setup in the front suspension (Showa BFF Fork) and chassis geometry to give him the confidence to lean the bike and carry speed through the middle of the corner.
- Stability and Wheelie Control: Gerloff also cited issues with stability and excessive wheelieing. While this involves Electronics (like Kawasaki’s S-KTRC and engine control), the chassis geometry (like swingarm pivot and head angle adjustments) plays a massive role in mitigating these problems under hard acceleration.
The Pearson Factor: The “Feel” Specialist
Les Pearson is known to be a crew chief who listens intently to the rider’s subjective feedback (“feel”) and has a strong history with Gerloff across multiple manufacturers (Yamaha, BMW). Their reunion suggests they will leverage this existing, trusted relationship to quickly translate Gerloff’s “unconventional” needs into technical setup changes.
In summary, expect the initial effort to be highly concentrated on:
- Suspension adjustments (springs, valving, damping).
- Chassis geometry (rake, trail, swingarm pivot position).
- Tire management and how the bike uses the front tire.
This combination of rider confidence (from working with Pearson) and chassis development is the most direct way to generate the improved lap times and race pace Gerloff needs for the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Source
https://www.worldsbk.com/
https://www.worldsbk.com/en/rider/Garrett+Gerloff/8593
https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/Reunited+with+his+former+Crew+Chief+Gerloff+hopes+for+a+2026+step+We+need+to+put+our+heads+together+and+figure+out+what+we+can+improve
https://www.garrettgerloff.com/
https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/racing/kawasaki-racing-teams/roadracing
https://www.global-kawasaki-motors.com/msinfo/sbk/index_e.html
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