Karel Abraham to Ride Honda Production Racer for 2014 MotoGP season

MotoGP team Cardion AB announced it plans to field rider Karel Abraham in the 2014 Championship on Honda‘s new RC213V-based production racer.

Cardion AB becomes the second MotoGP team to select Honda’s production racer. The Gresini Racing team will also use the Honda machine, which is no surprise considering the team’s history with Honda prototypes. Cardion AB will be working with a Japanese machine for the first time after competing on Italian motorcycles. Prior to running with the Aprilia ART bike this season, Cardion AB and Abraham raced two seasons on a Ducati Desmosedici.

The Czech team says it considered several options including continuing to use its Aprilia-supplied machine, going back to using a Ducati machine or running on a Yamaha, but decided in the end to compete on the new Honda. The team says a contract should be finalized in the next few weeks, but there are several details to be worked out including the use of Cardion AB’s existing suppliers.

For example, Cardion AB would like to continue to use Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes instead of the Honda machine’s Showa suspension and Nissin brakes.

The engine will be based on the RC213V’s powerplant, only with conventional spring valves instead of the factory prototype’s pneumatic valves. The production racer will also use the standard Magnetti Mareli engine management hardware and software.

[Source: Cardion AB]

By Dennis Chung