2016 CIK OK engines on show at PFI this weekend

- News and Previews
At last, everyone will be able to see OK and OK Junior - the new CIK engines - in action, this weekend on the English circuit of PF International, during the 2nd round of the European KF-KFJ Championships.

photo D.Pastanella - Wafeproject

In a recent communication, the CIK presented the new engine that will be homologated at the end of the year for the 2016 season as the new course for Kart racing. So not just an engine to replace the KF at international level, but an engine aimed at the base of the sport, in the hope to attract the thousands of fans and drivers lost with the transition from 100cc ICA and FA to the 125cc KF.
"The introduction in 2007 of KF engines has caused a restriction in the international categories at high-level Competitions over the years, while reducing the number of drivers involved in international Competitions. The new team at the CIK-FIA, behind the Vice President Mr. Kees Van de Grint, decided to work to broaden the base of competitors as was the case in the time of the ICA and FA engines. The aim is to extend the use of these engines in the various national championships around the world."

The CIK highlights the characteristics of the new engine: "Simplicity, lightness, performance and cost were the main concerns of the designers of the new OK and OK-Junior engines... the clutch, the electric starter, electric wiring and the battery will go, and the result of this simplification will be less weight and greater reliability. OK engines will have direct drive in line with the origins of Karting. The Karts will have a decompression valve for easy starting.
The engine capacity of 125cc is maintained as well as the internal balancing system, and the water pump can be either internal or external. It was also decided to use the same type of butterfly carburettor as before, with a diameter of 24mm for OK and 20mm for OK-Junior. The respective maximum revs are fixed at 16000 RPM and 14000 RPM. The exhausts for OK and OK-Junior are specific monotypes and must be homologated. The specific monotype power valve must be homologated with the OK engine.
In line with the recommendations of the FIA Safety Commission, the weight scale has been revised downwards: minimum 145kg, including driver, for the OK category and 140kg for the OK-Junior."

Quite surprisingly (and unprecedented), the CIK has also set the price of this new piece of equipment, in the attempt to giving stability to the market.
"The manufacturers have committed to provide new OK engines at a retail price of around €2,000.
With this new regulation, the CIK-FIA wants to reintroduce international categories in the National Championships with a broader base of drivers. Many ASNs, including the largest, have already indicated their readiness to follow this path."

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