250cc two-stroke engines for sprint shifter karting, available soon

Ryon raises a good point. What’s different in terms of driving experience with this new 250 (Assuming KTM’s OEM) vs the single cylinder “ICE” engines, or even the plain old CR250. As fun as the CR250 is to drive, it’s pretty lumpy and doesn’t like overrev at all.

Six gears? Wet clutch? Analogic igntion? Carb?
If the testing is done, this info should already be known

Hate to be a pest, but like I said, this is a bit of a tease post, not to mention it’s leaning on the commercial promotion side of things

They’re not KTM’s, they won’t be fuel injected or anything exotic. They’re built by one of the major Japanese manufacturers who isn’t Honda or Suzuki.

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So how does this work exactly? Factory convinced them to sell a bunch if engines and will run a local series based on that? Or is it bigger? Straight to national level stuff?

I wasn’t thinking injection (Hopefully). I was guessing it might be excess KTM engine inventory without the branding.

Sounds like Yamaha then, who I think has all those size engines in two strokes.

Whatever the maker, I like the concept. Pump gas, minimal maintenance, good power, parts availability.

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They should just copy 250 National here. Extend wheelbase. Don’t de-tune them. Make it a class for old-timers who want to go fast and not have to mess about with KZ. Just lay back and chill a bit. Obviously here a lot run long-circuit chassis but Jade have a Birel with longer wheel base.

The older I get the more I appreciated what 250 has to offer. Just for everyone’s interest here in the UK they will run different track layouts. This is helped because most of our tracks are old RAF Bases so skipping a chicane or extending a straight isn’t a big deal. That way you’ve got a bit of an advantage over a KZ in some form. Just make it an around different experience for short-circuit

Normal 250 Nat for reference

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Here on the US east coast, we barely have tracks that are big enough for kz driving. Unless you do road racing I dont see a 250 showing up on a sprint track any time soon here.

I’m sorry, a cadet shifter kart???

That pipe though :flushed:, I’m getting 90s Rice Boy exhaust vibes. :rofl:

Now that you mention it, isn’t that gonna be hot? There’s ample surface area for cooking on the fly.

Cadet shifters used to be a thing. I think they were 65cc.

Yeah there’s some packaging challenges with the 250.

Mine was ridiculous :laughing:

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Cadet 65cc
Junior 80cc

I think a couple series ran these early 2000s.

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Nice!
Also, that’s a pretty zippy looking boat in the background! :+1:
#WILDBOAT :rofl:

Yes. We held races for the 6 prototype mini-shifters this year. There was plenty of passing and I think no internal failures.

Oh, it’s absolutely a tease post, and absolutely commercial advertising. If the teaser is outside of the scope of this forum, you’re welcome to drop this thread, and if you’d like me to cut a check for commercial advertising it might be available.

Five gears, wet clutch, electronic high energy ignition, 38mm carburetor. If you don’t like the sound, the manufacturer also builds excellent saxophones.

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I detest weakness. Smaller track the better. :slight_smile: We used to have full on 250 twins on the short circuits here.

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good god can you imagine the 250 going around east lansing kart track?

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Closest track to me I have my lowest speed gear ratio on my Modena and I can’t even get out of 5th gear! Tops around 55mph lol, KA100 are almost faster than kz there

Fulbeck is pretty gnarly

Dunkeswell

Blackbushe is like 8 corners.

Jersey has a tight track

They used to run 250s here at Guernsey (only have VERY OLD video of 125s)

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Lap time don’t matter as much as the challenge. Vastly over-powered karts round tight tracks are a unique proposition.