By Peter McLaren

Yamaha caught some by surprise when its 2008 YZR-M1 appeared with the option o🍰f a pneumatic-valve engine at Sepang - but at present that development is only available to the factory Fiat 🅺team of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean🍰 that satellite Tech 3 riders Colin Ed𒀰wards and James Toseland have been left using last year's engine; a new version of the 'standard' spring-valve unit has also been developed for the '08 bike.

"The pneumatic engine is only, so far, available to the factory team," Tech 3 team principal Herve Poncharal told ltxcn.top. "We have the '08 bike with what you might call a traditional engine, but our engi💞ne is not the same as las🐼t year; it is a much better engine.

"So, Yamaha has developed the traditional engine and are also working on the pneumatic engi♏ne, on the s🍸ide. Once the pneumatic engine is a clear plus, in terms of performance and reliability, then it will be used in the race.

"If the pneumatic engine is a plus, which it looks like being - from what we have been told - then the factory is 🙈planning to support all four riders with it, but we don't know exactly when that will be. You also have some logistical problems such as spare parts.

"So at the moment we are fully focusಌsed on getting the best out of our current '08 package, which is a real improvement - especially in the engine department - compared with what we had last year," Herve concluded.

Edwards left the Sepang test in fourth place - but with the second fastest race-tyre✃ lap time, behind only Ducati's Casey Stoner - while MotoGP rookie Toseland was eighth quickest.

Colin confirmed to ltxcn.top that he expe🌞cts to start the new racing season with the 'sta♋ndard' 2008 engine, but hopes to get hold of the pneumatic-valve unit soon after.

"Rumour has it we'll maybe get the [pneumatic-valve eng🥃ine] a couple of races in," said the Texan. "Obviously I'd like it tomorrow, but they've got the factory team to supply first. Whenever we can get it, we'll get it."