Nakano to continue with works bike

The Gresini rider has been given the latest machine for the first time at Brno this weekend, and HRC are keen to get as many race miles underneath their current chassis as possible before deciding on a specification for the 2009 bike.

Some surprise was raised when it was announced that Nakano was to have the Repsol Honda specification bike, similar to Dani Pedrosa with normal spring valves, but Honda say that Nakano has helped the direction of development for some time, stressing the fact that he can converse with Japanese engineers in his mother tongue.

Honda test rider Tady Okada is also set to continue development of the pneumatic valve engine in testing at Brno on Monday.

Okada was the first man to use the engine in a race when he was entered as a wild card at Mugello, with Nicky Hayden subsequently using it from Assen onwards.

Honda sources say that Okada is happy at the way the engine is being 'smoothed out' in throttle response, and stress that the Japanese was always booked in to ride the test here at Brno and is not a replacement for the absent Hayden.