Rick
The DD2 engine package is roughly $4,000 retail and is complete. No additional parts need to be purchased.
The 4 cycles are $4,600 to $4,800 retail and need some additional parts such as radiator, mounts, hoses and such. Comparable packages are at least $5,000 to $5,500 onces all parts a factored in.
The DD2 requires no maintenance on a regular basis. A change of transmission oil every 10 hours and regular cleaning of the power valve are the extent of maintenance. The motor should go at least 50 hours before it needs the top end serviced. That is more than a year for most karters. There is no chain to service.
The 4 cycle will need at least the chain serviced every race weekend (if not every time on track) and replacement every other weekend, just like a normal 2 cycle chain operated engine.
When it comes to regular maintenance, Stuff that needs to be done every race weekend, the DD2 will be less than the 4 cycles.
Everyone talks about speed, how fast? At IMI where there are no slow corners, things are very different than at tracks that have slow corners. At Grand Junction, our FR-125 (standard Rotax) was faster than all but two of the 4 cycles. We were pulling better off the slow corners, they were faster on top. Of course, driver may have had more than a little to do with that. Both engines have roughly the same hp, 34. But the DD2 has a high/low gear box. It will pull out of slow corners better than 4 cycle. At a track like The Track, the DD2 will have a clear advantage.
I did some searching for times at the Track comparing the DD2 with the 4 cycles. On any given day, the DD2’s were on average significantly quicker (usually around 1 second). The majority of the 4 cycles were in the 55 second range, the DD2 in the 54’s. AJ did have a best of 53.954 but I could find no other driver to get in the 54’s. The best for a DD2 was Kyle with a 53.0.
The DD2 heavy class that The Track will run next year is intended to be a true masters class of 35 and up.