Club karting Rotax max (Pre evo) vs Leopard which and why?

2 Stroke Kart Engine Forums
1

If you had to choose a club engine for a local tag series which would you go with?
Im not racing any rotax sanctioned events so i dont care if the rotax is legal(updated parts) or sealed etc.

Track is a parking lot with barriers and is very tight with short straights, competition is very lax, i was lapping people in shifters in a prd fireball to give you an idea.

Leopard- you can tune the carb with needles, revs higher, battery recharges, short lifespan, starter sucks, high rpm, would probably gear it to 16,000 rpm nothing higher.

Rotax- Easier jetting (jet station), longer rebuild time, better starter, no battery recharge, have to roll on throttle

My prd’s starter sucks and i know its down on power which is my reasoning for the change. I like the rotaxes jetting as i have heard you can leave the jet alone for the most part and as long as the battery is charged and the power valve closes with the exhaust matting being in good shape you should be good to go. I also heard they have better power coming out of a corner.

What would you get?

2

What engines do other racers have?

3

Rotax has the advantage of long long rebuild times for 2-stroke.

I hear it’s a bit different in how you roll in power at lower speeds.

Leopard I see rarely as it’s only used for gear-up Ironman around here I think.

4

Mix of pretty much everything. I have seen soniks, rotaxes, leopards, x30s

5

Having had to work both a pre-EVO Rotax and a pre-My09 Leopard, my choice between the two would be the Rotax. Have no idea as to the current costs on maintenance on either one. Once you get the Rotax properly jetted, you should be able to leave it alone. Basic maintenance on the newer style clutch, keep the power valve clean, change the packing in the exhaust and rebuild the fuel pump once in a while.

1 Like
6

This was my thought process as well

7

The Leopard’s powerband will be more suited to the track layout you’re describing. Start-stop style tracks are it’s strong suit. The Rotax is more of a mid-range dependent engine. From an ultimate performance stand point, the Leopard would get my pick. Especially an MY09+ Leopard, which is a bit more reliable and a bit better package overall.

The Rotax will be more reliable.

8

ugh you’re tossing it up here lol. I got offered an 09+ leopard for $450 complete minus battery. Its a bit tempting.

9

That’s a damn good price. You could buy the Leopard and rebuild it a few times and still be less than a comparable Rotax I would imagine.

1 Like
10

Pre-Evo Rotax is a bit of a dog off the bottom. And limited at the top. But the midrange is awesome. Leopard is good off the bottom, meh in the mid and when you hit jetting right it’s a rocket at the top.

You’ll enjoy the Rotax a lot more as it’ll actually start when you hit the button and if you are even mediocre with maintenance it’ll last 3-5 times longer than the Leopard. Like TJ said though, the MY09 is at least an improvement over the original Leopard.

If you can find a Rotax with an updated clutch, that would be a win. The old ones kinda suck.

1 Like
11

Well, i found a 2019 TB kart aj5 with 9 hours on the motor and chassis. Motor is a 2019 rotax max evo sr. I think im going to hop on it and sell my 08 kali with the 14 prd both my chassis and motor has 2 hours on it so i think i can get $2500-$3000 for it