2008 Rotax MAX Engines

The ‘new’ 2008 version Rotax FR125 MAX engine is now available in Australia. However, despite the rumours, the engine is no different technically or performance wise.

“Rotax have had to replace the tooling, but in doing so the barrels manufactured with the new tooling carry a new part number” Steven Engel from IKD informed KartSportNews. “Under the AKA rules, there is a specific part number for the class, so we have had to homologate the new part number. Technically, the barrels are the same. Rotax assures us there is no performance difference. It is only the part number that is different.”

The introduction of the new barrel is being used as the first step in realigning the Australian Rotax rules with the World rules. As such, ’08 series barrels will not be allowed to have the combustion chamber machined or the barrel length modified – they must be used exactly as suppled from Rotax.

Apparently Yamaha replaced their tooling for the KT100S barrel a few years ago, but as they continued to use the same part number, the new barrels were simply released onto the market without the need for the extra paperwork.

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