Pedrosa to try pneumatic at Brno test.

The Repsol Honda Team has told Crash.net that injured world championship contender Dani Pedrosa will try the pneumatic-valve RC212V during post race testing at Brno, on August 18-19.

Problems with the pneumatic-valve engine during winter testing saw Honda switch back to the conventional valve-spring design for the start of the season, with 'parallel development' of both powerplants continuing ever since.

Pedrosa, German MotoGP 2008
Pedrosa, German MotoGP 2008
© Gold and Goose

The Repsol Honda Team has told Crash.net that injured world championship contender Dani Pedrosa will try the pneumatic-valve RC212V during post race testing at Brno, on August 18-19.

Problems with the pneumatic-valve engine during winter testing saw Honda switch back to the conventional valve-spring design for the start of the season, with 'parallel development' of both powerplants continuing ever since.

Pedrosa has stuck exclusively to the proven valve-spring engine, with which he has taken eight podiums - including two race wins.

However, team-mate Nicky Hayden never felt comfortable with the valve-spring engine in the '08 chassis and switched to the pneumatic as soon as he could, at the British Grand Prix on June 22.

Honda had warned that the pneumatic still needs refinement and, although Hayden's form has improved significantly since making the switch, he has also suffered niggling technical problems - most notably when he ran out of fuel on the exit of the final turn at Assen, costing him his first podium of the year.

For such reasons, Pedrosa is justifiably cautious about making the switch, but - having now dropped 41 points behind world championship leader Rossi - may feel prompted to make the change sooner rather than later.

"The motorcycles will be worked on in Japan during the break," said a Repsol Honda spokesperson. "The factory is working on two different directions - spring valve and pneumatic valve. They are parallel developments.

"After Brno, there will be two days of testing and Dani will test the pneumatic valve. At this point it's not known when he will race the pneumatic valve. It's up to Dani to decide as he's fighting for the championship. He'll see after the test."

Pedrosa was holding the world championship lead until a high-speed accident in the wet Germany Grand Prix on July 13 left him with hand and ankle injuries, which also ruled him out of last weekend's US Grand Prix.

Honda is the only Japanese manufacturer still using valve-spring engines in MotoGP.

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