Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 2 JANUARY 14, 2014 Ward team, so there was a lot of Kawasaki stuff laying around. The Kawasaki guys have been helpful, so I think for the most part, I wouldn't say it was an easy transition, because the guys had to work hard, but as far as getting the bike where it needed to be it seemed like it happened in good time. Each time I came to California [for testing] it seemed like the guys were making good progress. Each time I go to California, that's when the real work starts, then they go to make it better again. So overall, I think it was a good transition." Unlike last year, when Reed was getting bikes and parts from Honda, with Kawasaki, he's, pretty much having to buy everything out of his own pocket. "For us, we are 100 percent on our own this year, where the last few seasons we have been based out of a factory race shop and we could kind of pick and choose what parts we wanted," says Reed. "So that was kind of the hard part, you're kind of by yourself and left to do your own program. We are buying stuff from Kawasaki, but we are getting help, I would say they are helpful. We are working together and I think they've got a great bike and I think we can do them justice. They've got the numberone guy that's won the last three years, and hopefully we can add a Kawi to the podium every week and try to challenge those guys and make it four in a row for Kawi, but not RV." Reed rode a Kawasaki in 2010 for the factory team, and it was widely known that he was unhappy there. When asked what is different this year, he points to several factors. "The bike is different, for sure, especially the chassis, although the engine is the same," says Reed. "I guess the biggest thing is, obviously, it didn't end well there, everyone knew it ended badly, but when you look back you try to learn over the years at why it didn't work out. Basically it was a recipe for disaster from the beginning. I literally did the contract in the middle of November and I was already racing. It was just hard; I was kind of the Monster athlete that put on a Kawasaki and I got like literally a day and a half of testing, and then I went to Australia for three months. I couldn't get out of that, so I just think it was a disaster from the beginning. You can't expect to be really happy on a team [after being on one] you really love and didn't want to leave in '09, and then go to that team. I would have loved to have taken my mechanic, but I wasn't able to. When you look at the hard facts, it was just one of those things that happened. This time around I think they have a lot better bike, there're a lot of sane people [there now], and I think there are a lot of people who are a little more open minded, so hopefully the second go-round will work out a little better." Like last year, Reed was hoping to add a second rider to the P53 team, and confirmed the rumors that he had been talking to Davi Millsaps. "I had a verbal commitment, but as with all things in this business, verbal means jack shit, so as a team owner, that was my first time to learn that lesson. We went down a long road with [Millsaps] but unfortunately it didn't work out. And honestly, I think it was for the best. On paper it seemed like a good idea, but I think it's better that it's just me. The budget this year isn't ginormous so I think to do it times two would be hard for us. Like I said, the off-season was good, but it was a grind all the way through to get parts and bikes and get everything race-ready. It's easy to make a practice bike to run but to get practice bikes, test bikes, race bikes, show bikes, all those things, it's a massive workload on the team. So I think the fact that a second rider didn't work out is for the best." According to Reed, the outdoors are in his plans for this summer, and when asked how much longer he can go, he points to the fact that he is still capable of getting on the podium, so he's taking it year by year. "For me, it can go a couple of ways," says Reed. "I mean, I have a contract with Fox through 2019. I don't think I'll race that long, but for me I'll go until I feel like it's time I can bow out. But for now, I still feel I can contend week in and week out." CN

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