A prestigious name (Honda), that is motorcycle-derived, and "preparation" for karting (by SwedeTech). This is what the Honda CR 125 engine looks like for racing in the SKUSA (SuperKartsUSA) Honda Shifter S4M class.

If you say "Honda", European enthusiasts automatically think motorcycles, or at most, McLaren F1 engines. To an American, however, Honda, besides all this, also means karts, since the brand is one of the most widespread even among kart drivers, with different categories dedicated exclusively to motorcycle-derived engines of the Japanese company. The Honda CR-125 engine has, for many years, been an example. In fact, taking advantage of the SKUSA stability regulation, the characteristics of engines have remained almost unchanged since the first years of production (1999-2002). In addition, being derived from a motorcycle, albeit with some technical changes, allows maintenance intervals that are less frequent than a conventional KZ engine, albeit with markedly different performance. To better understand the characteristics of the engine and differences compared to the KZ, TKart went to Las Vegas to talk to Jason Barry, manager of the important specialised team in the preparation of 2T engines, SwedeTech.

Among them, the exhaust for a specific karting application, clearly different from the original motocross exhaust, is approved by SKUSA. Even the plate that allows the attachment of the engine to the chassis must be purpose-made: SwedeTech builds them "in house".
As for the silencer, with the Honda it is free, but if the noise is excessive the judges can get it replaced.
The air filter is also free, with a circular shape and retina system, while for the KZ has a plastic "air box" approved according to strict noise and particulate emission limits.

There are 5 transfer ports on both cylinders. The Honda exhaust instead has two main lights separated by the central bridge, while the KZ has a rounded central light with two boosts at the sides.
The carburetor is always the guillotine type: the Japanese Keihin for Honda; the Italian Dell'Orto for the KZ.
In addition to the greater power, the best performance of the KZ compared to the Honda also stems from being "native" to a kart. In fact, this allows the design of the engine so that it is perfectly suitable for to the chassis, ensuring significantly higher final performance. In contrast, the Japanese engine has more torque at low revs.