Honda reschedule pneumatic valve engine development

Monday´s post-bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal test at Estoril will not see Repsol Honda using their new pneumatic valve engine as had originally been planned, but the development programme with the evolving motor is still taking place in Japan.

Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa both used a version of the pneumatic valve engine during winter testing but have reverted to the more traditional spring valve system in the opening rounds of the 2008 season with recent improvements in competitiveness, and although HRC do still plan to re-introduce the new system at some stage soon it was not ready for a new outing in Portugal.

Repsol Honda´s Team Manager Kazuhiko Yamano explained to motogp.com, `We are not testing the pneumatic valve engine on Monday, but of course development is still taking place with it. It has already reached a certain level and its competitiveness is increasing.´

`I can´t say at this stage when we will next test with it, but it will be very soon. The delay has nothing to do with the good results we have had recently. This year we have two engines, the pneumatic valve one and the standard one and when the moment is right we will use it.´