Maybe next year i will be ready to try KZ kart as an owner , but i really like the idea of having a honda cr 125 engine on my side and dont go with the europian italian way . Here in europe i must buy a honda cr 125 motorcycle and take all those parts from the bike to make that happen .
on the other hand , in the states the used honda cr engine pachages is something common and almost cheap to find and buy .
is there any way to get an engine but with out paying those horrendous taxes as my engine enters Greece after the trip from there ?
maybe if i got patience and waiting the box throw a cargo ship ?
any ideas ?
anyone got any big pachage from the States ? With out paying one more time the value of the prise in taxes ?
I don’t suggest importing an engine from us to EU as trade regulation are super strict in Europe.
You might face hard times with customs and duties/taxes would be very high.
parts availability is going to be an issue for you if you go with a honda just because I’m pretty sure Honda stopped supporting the SKUSA efforts when everyone started switching to KZ powerplants.
Have you looked into a Rok Shifter at all? More power than a honda but still reliable and parts availibility is fantastic (at least where I’m at).
Why not the Euro version of the IAME 175 Supershifter (with the electric start and 36 mm Dellorto)?
I’ve had a great run with it mixing with KZs at my local sprint track as well as testing on long circuit with my Superkart friends as a replacement to the CR125 which we/I still run here (albeit on long circuits no end of resistance to change from some, so that endeavour is very much work in progress). I find the 175 easy to run, it’s very forgiving (with the Dellorto not the 34 mm Tillotson) and the electric start is fantastic. There must be a number of used packages out there in Europe (I believe the engine is still actively raced in Belgium and France). I get 15 hours min on the piston/top end and min 30 hours on the bottom end. I hear others have gone much longer (perhaps I’m too conservative).
Don’t get me wrong; the only reason I’m in karting is because of the CR125, but both parts (some, not all) and use of non leaded fuels (in Australia) have been a problem. On fuel alone you may have a big issue in Greece with Euro standards. When we had to move from LL AvGas to the likes of Elf Race 102 in 2019, it was bang bang on numerous engines. Main jetting went from 175 to 200 (and still detonation/seizing issues). I got lucky with seizes (none) but dusted a barrel with repeat detonation on the top edge.
And finally the 175 SS has no problems running standard 98 from the bowser (I tend to use BP Ultimate) mixed with Elf 909. I run that fuel on sprint and long circuit all day long - zero signs of detonation.
My humble opinion: just get a KZ and don’t look back! (former Honda owner here, only because it was the only option here at some point). If you want to “ease” into it, then ROK is a better option, like somebody pointed out. If you are looking for nostalgia or cool factor, slap a TM KV95 rotary valve shifter, with a 38mm carb and go make some noise!
