Chad Reed will switch from Honda to Kawasaki for 2014. Image: Simon Cudby.

Chad Reed has confirmed his decision to compete aboard a Kawasaki KX450F with Discount Tire Racing in 2014, detailing the move on this week’s Pulpmx Show.

Reed announced TwoTwo Motorsports’ title sponsorship agreement with Discount Tire this month (click here for details), however an official announcement is yet to confirm the team’s manufacturer alliance for next year.

After posting multiple films and images via social media testing the Kawasaki, Reed said he’s confident in his KX450F reunion despite a dismal season with the brand’s factory team alongside Ryan Villopoto in 2010.

“I still haven’t signed the contract, but clearly I posted the video on a green bike and it’s pretty obvious what bike I’ll be riding,” Reed told the Pulpmx Show.

“I’m excited to be riding Kawis, it ended bad last time, so it’d surely be nice to have that experienced changed. I had an amazing experience with Kawasaki in 2001, my first international factory ride, and dealing with them then was a pleasure.

“2010 was rough. I wasn’t healthy, didn’t love the bike or necessarily some of the people – management in particular. But a lot’s changed, the management’s changed and the bike’s changed drastically. You live and learn.”

Reed was close to campaigning a KTM for next year with links to Husqvarna – now owned by KTM – but his comfort on the Kawasaki was a major piece of the decision-making process.

“I tested them all and actually went quite a long way down the road with KTM and kind of was feeling like that was the direction I was going to go,” he continued. “It seemed like the further down the road I went with it, it seemed like it got away from me a little bit.

“So I revisited the Kawi thing, and yeah, that’s where we’ve ended up – it suits my style the best.”

Click here to listen to today’s edition of the Pulpmx Show for more from Reed and more.