He is considered a diamond in the rough and, riding the Triumph Daytona Street Triple RS, made it onto the podium twice in his very first full IDM Supersport. For 2025, Luca Göttlicher will join Emil Weber’s Kawasaki team.
Weber has thus secured his top choice. “Lucky Luc,” who turns 18 in April, knows all the race tracks and is highly motivated. In the junior classes, he’s won just about everything there is to win. But sometimes he had to hold back and couldn’t move up to higher classes because he didn’t meet the minimum age requirement. That was also Supersport with the IDM Supersport . In 2023, the Bavarian from Schwifting could only race in the second half of the season because he hadn’t yet turned 16. In 2024, he really took off and finished seventh overall.
“We can work well with him,” says team manager Emil Weber, expressing his confidence in the new Kawasaki rider and handing him the brand-new Ninja 636—the same model used in the World Championship. Until now, the team had been using the ZX-6R, which was based on a 2009 model. The Ninja 636 not only has a larger displacement but also an improved suspension. “We have more potential than with the previous bike,” says Weber. “A lot is new now, but even during the first test, we were on par with the old ZX-6R. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
Göttlicher was able to ride the Kawasaki for two days in Almeria, completing six stints each day. “He was very focused, worked closely with our data-recording specialist, and also talked a lot with the technicians,” Weber observed, adding, “The basic suspension setup is complete. Considering that Luca is only 17, he’s provided some very insightful feedback. He’s very mature and a pleasant young guy. Everything is going well right now. Work will continue in Valencia in March.” Until then, Swiss rider Emil Weber, in coordination with Kawasaki Germany, will also be bringing in a second team rider.