I know the answer to this one
Hes a privateer

or is he ?

Lets examine the evidence
his team is owned by..... Chad Reed
his team has how many riders..... one
his teams only rider is..... Chad Reed

So why have I never heard the word privateer in the same sentence as Chad Reed ? . Is being called a privateer considered an insult ?

Because sometime last year Honda started giving full factory resources and parts to 22 motorsports, so he is no longer a privateer.

Even though they are on different teams, Reed has let Kdub test ride his bike because both teams are supported by HRC.

That explanation makes sense. . Im sure without the factory support it would be a real burden to try to get thru a season

Look at this link, (among other things) it tells about why its impossible to be a privateer in FIM Mx1GP

http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/...GIUSE-5553.aspx