Looking at the X30 and wondered what the overall pros and cons are up against a Rotax at a competitive level
Any help appreciated
A rotax is much more cost effective to run, a 50hr rebuild interval vs less than 10hrs for the x30. The Rotax is also much more robust and reliable, with really good midrange. So much so that in medium speed corners you are able to steer the kart more with your feet compared to the x30. But the x30 has better top and bottom end, and is easier to get speed out of given the broader powerband. Which is faster can depend on the tracks you race at. An x30 carb is also a bit easier to tune and not as punishing if you get the gear wrong.
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I disagree. 15hr top end, 30hr full rebuild unless you’re racing at the front then yeah reduce to 10/20.
However, where I am at least, Rotax engines are sealed, IAME are not. I can rebuild the top end myself 7 times for the same coin a Rotax dealer charges for one top end rebuild. Full rebuild every second event comes in at a little over half the cost of a Rotax full rebuild.
For me, Rotax is the more coin hungry, one of the reasons I don’t run it. The other big reason is Rotax doesn’t run a masters class and chasing (read watching them scamper away) teenagers half my weight isn’t fun 
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For top end rebuilds on the X30
Do you hone the cyclinder yourself or do you send it away to be honed
I hone it myself (I’m an aerospace engineer it’s Childs play) then I take it to a local workshop who has a 3 prong micrometer to measure the bore. Order the piston, pin, bearings and gaskets/seals from kartstore Italy
Also Rotax - anyone I know here that’s racing Rotax gets a top end done around 25hrs. I know they can go to 50 in theory but they lose a ton of performance by that time and sound like a bag of spanners 