General Comer c50 Price

[tehvlb]

Just to manage some expectations here, be prepared to find out that your engine may not be up to par with some of the better ones.

The Comer c50 is not a racing engine so there are wild variances in performance. There are rumours of top level Bambino engines going for 5 figures...

In terms of an engine, even a new one out of the box needs 10 hours or so, a fiche, possibly selected carb to get the best out of it. Which obviously means added costs for practise, tyres, fuel etc.

Feel free to touch base with any questions as we've had 2 years of Bambino now. We refuse to throw money at it as there are more gains to be had later on in my little one's karting journey...

Hey man, I was interested reading your post as i am just prepping my 4 year old to get into the Bambino level.

Being so new to this i didnt realise there would be differences in engines at this level, are you basically saying that its luck whether or not you get a good performing c50 if bought new? That surprises me as naively i thought each engine would be the same. I know later on in different categories you can pay for better equipment but i thought the whole reason for the restriction on this type of 'pay for success' in the Bambino catagory was to even out the field.

Also, lf engines are being rebuilt after lets say 10 hours couldnt that turn a good c50 into a bad c50?

Forgive my ignorance, i really have zero experience with anything motorsport or mechanical.

 

[Wolemid]

Hey man, I was interested reading your post as i am just prepping my 4 year old to get into the Bambino level.

Being so new to this i didnt realise there would be differences in engines at this level, are you basically saying that its luck whether or not you get a good performing c50 if bought new? That surprises me as naively i thought each engine would be the same. I know later on in different categories you can pay for better equipment but i thought the whole reason for the restriction on this type of 'pay for success' in the Bambino catagory was to even out the field.

Also, lf engines are being rebuilt after lets say 10 hours couldnt that turn a good c50 into a bad c50?

Forgive my ignorance, i really have zero experience with anything motorsport or mechanical.

Basically Bambino Engines (c50) are Mass produced Italian Water Pump engines. So there are massive variances between each batch as they arnt designed to run at 11k revs but more like 4K revs.

 

[Team13Karting]

Hey man, I was interested reading your post as i am just prepping my 4 year old to get into the Bambino level.

Being so new to this i didnt realise there would be differences in engines at this level, are you basically saying that its luck whether or not you get a good performing c50 if bought new? That surprises me as naively i thought each engine would be the same. I know later on in different categories you can pay for better equipment but i thought the whole reason for the restriction on this type of 'pay for success' in the Bambino catagory was to even out the field.

Also, lf engines are being rebuilt after lets say 10 hours couldnt that turn a good c50 into a bad c50?

Forgive my ignorance, i really have zero experience with anything motorsport or mechanical.

As has been mentioned below, the engine isn't really meant to be used for racing. To that end there are massive variances between how quick the engines are. The only way you'll find this out is by buying a new engine, running it for 10 hours and then sending it to a rebuilder to get it fiched (i.e. Getting it as close to the legal limits that you can). However, the massive variances elsewhere mean that it doesn't guarantee a quick engine. However, if you've got a good one, it'll generally get quicker the more time you put on it, thanks to the Castor based oil coking up the engine and aiding compression.

However, the variances don't just apply to the engine. There are carburettors, then there are CARBURETTORS. Again, you'll be paying your engine rebuilder here to find you a good one. We paid £150 for one for our little one's kart as it added another 0.3bhp to the motor. Given that they only put out around 3bhp anyway, that's a big gain.

If I had any advice for anyone wanting to do Bambino, I'd say enjoy it and use it as a learning tool to develop your driver. If you want to be competitive at most places, then you'll find it's a good way of emptying your wallet unfortunately. One of our friends was offered over £10k for an engine, that tells you everything you need to know I think....

 

[Adam]

As has been mentioned below, the engine isn't really meant to be used for racing. To that end there are massive variances between how quick the engines are. The only way you'll find this out is by buying a new engine, running it for 10 hours and then sending it to a rebuilder to get it fiched (i.e. Getting it as close to the legal limits that you can). However, the massive variances elsewhere mean that it doesn't guarantee a quick engine. However, if you've got a good one, it'll generally get quicker the more time you put on it, thanks to the Castor based oil coking up the engine and aiding compression.

However, the variances don't just apply to the engine. There are carburettors, then there are CARBURETTORS. Again, you'll be paying your engine rebuilder here to find you a good one. We paid £150 for one for our little one's kart as it added another 0.3bhp to the motor. Given that they only put out around 3bhp anyway, that's a big gain.

If I had any advice for anyone wanting to do Bambino, I'd say enjoy it and use it as a learning tool to develop your driver. If you want to be competitive at most places, then you'll find it's a good way of emptying your wallet unfortunately. One of our friends was offered over £10k for an engine, that tells you everything you need to know I think....

10K for a Bambino Engine?!!! For any engine...that is just crazy. I would like to add though, don't let that put anybody off. As you say, use it as a learning tool and have fun. Let the crazy people spend their money and smile There is being competitive to a certain level, then there is more money than sense imo. I'd gladly sell my engine for 10k though....

Good on ya helping follow members out as always gents, very much appreciated!

 

[Dafdyka]

Hey all,

Sorry in advance if this might be a little off-topic.

I just ordered a brand new C52 engine but on the engine cover, the the sticker says C50. Would you know of any easy way to find out if the engine is a C50 or C52?

I was told all new engines are C52 as the C50 is not being produced anymore but again, I have no clue.
Also, I've tried to search the serial number of the engine but I couldn't find anything useful.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Adam]

Hey all,

Sorry in advance if this might be a little off-topic.

I just ordered a brand new C52 engine but on the engine cover, the the sticker says C50. Would you know of any easy way to find out if the engine is a C50 or C52?

I was told all new engines are C52 as the C50 is not being produced anymore but again, I have no clue.
Also, I've tried to search the serial number of the engine but I couldn't find anything useful.

Thanks in advance,

@VenomRaceEngines should be able to help you out!

However I assume if it was a 52 it should say it on the cover? I however could be totally wrong! I would for sure investigate and ask some questions. Let us know what your findings are!

 

[Team13Karting]

I believe the new C52s have a green seal on them

 

[Adam]

I believe the new C52s have a green seal on them

Always turn up with some informative info Thankyou! They still have C50 printed on the side? Unless there is a few crossover batches, new engine/old covers?

 

[Dafdyka]

@VenomRaceEngines should be able to help you out!

However I assume if it was a 52 it should say it on the cover? I however could be totally wrong! I would for sure investigate and ask some questions. Let us know what your findings are!

Hi Adam,

So Basically, I called the e-shop I bought the engine from, to confirm it was a C52 even though it had a C50 sticker on it and they told me that it was a C52. They asked me for a serial number which is engraved on a metal plate which is attached.
Would you have any idea where I could trace the engine with the serial number to check for myself? I bought the engine from mondokart, a larger Italian karting parts supplier so I do trust them, It's just that double checking is always better .
I've also attached a picture of the front side of the engine so you see the sticker. I figured most C52 engine pictures you see on the web are photoshopped. On these pictures, the C52 looks odd and absolutely not the same font as Comer right above it. So I'm wondering if the C52 sticker really exists or if it's just a way to tell them apart orally.

Cheers,
Max

 

[Team13Karting]

Your best bet for checking whether it was a C52 would be through Comer themselves. From what I understand any new motors are C52. They've also been designated as C50G in this country (G standing for Green).

The issue you might have with your motor is that if you want to race it in the UK, it has to be tagged. As you've bought it from abroad, I believe you won't be able to use it in MSUK governed events because Zip Kart do the tagging and log booking over here. You might be able to run it in IKR events though. You might want to touch base with Zip Kart to see if they can do it, although if you could, then I'd imagine everybody would be doing it.....