2027 Announcement

RHPK 2027 engine choice considerations

by Mark July 8, 2026 0 comments

RHPK will have to decide quite soon, whether to remain with the GX160 engine for 2027, or move to a sealed GX200cc engine. There are three quite simple choices.

Stay with the un-sealed160cc engine, move over to a single-supplier sealed 200cc engine or allow multiple-supplier-sealed 200cc engines. Buy-back could be added to any of these choices.

Definitions

Sealed Engine

Let’s be clear about what a sealed engine is. Sealing an engine doesn’t make it good or bad, illegal or legitimate. It is how it is prepared before the seal goes on that is so significant and engines need to be prepared to a standard, to give equality. There is only one technical document covering the preparation of 200cc engines, and that is an MSUK paper which is the technical guidance for preparing a 200cc Honda engine for Cadet use. It is derived from the technical regulations formulated by Kelvin for the 160cc engines. This engine has a restrictor fitted at the inlet manifold, and is known as a Blue Seal engine. There are currently five engine preparers certified to prepare engines to the Blue Seal standard, Tornado, Monkey, RPM, GXT and Venom. BPEC use a Red Seal engine. This is an engine prepared to the same standard, but without the restrictor. RPM are the only suppliers of the Red Seal engine. If multiple suppliers were to be chosen to supply engines to RHPK next year that would be possible, with a different coloured seal denoting that those engines had been prepared to the Red Seal standard.

Buy-Back

If it were to be the will of RHPK, a buy-back system could be applied. This would enable any competitor to purchase another competitor’s engine at the end of a race meeting. At current prices, the cost of the buy-back would be £1,000. This would cover the cost of the seller purchasing another engine, a period of running-in and a change of lubricant. For this to be achievable, it would have to become a condition of entry into the series, that all competitors would be prepared to sell their engine, if requested to do so. Obviously, this is not enforceable, so should a competitor not sell his engine if challenged to do so, or if the purchaser subsequently failed to pay the full amount required, then they would forfeit all points gained in the series up to and including that date.

A Un-sealed GX160cc engine.

This can be inspected at trackside, with legality known immediately. Since it is never known in advance if an engine will be inspected on that day, and if it were to be what components might be inspected/measured, hopefully that deters engine preparers from trying to circumvent the regulations. Kelvin authored the current technical regulations and designed all of the methodology and check tools used so is well placed to spot anomalies in engine condition.

B Sealed GX200cc engines from a single engine supplier.

In theory, there is some reason to believe that all engines would be supplied in a similar condition, although this relies solely upon the integrity of that supplier. However, performance parity can only be relied upon if consistent costly dynamometer tests are performed on engines, and that cannot be achieved post-race. BPEC have a series of replacement engines on hand which can and are substituted with “winning” engines. RHPK would have to be responsible for this, it might involve an additional cost, I don’t know. Additionally, any minor mechanical repairs and servicing would need to be referred back to the sole supplier. There would be no control of future costs or price amendments.

C Sealed GX200cc engines from multiple engine suppliers.

All of the above applies, with the added complicating factor that competing engine suppliers might attempt to outdo each other to gain more customers, with the seal in place who is to know, with technical inspections not permitted? As above, there are currently other engine preparers making the Cadet Blue Seal engine, perhaps a different colour seal could be used to identify these engines as unrestricted sealed engines to Red Seal specification. Conversely, price stability is more likely as preparers would be in competition with each other not only in performance but also on price.

As a team captain, you are expected to ask the views of your team before providing one response on their behalf. Your single response should be either A, B or C. If your response is B, additionally please include the name of who you believe should be that single supplier. Similarly, add a comment if you feel that a buy-back clause in the regulations would benefit the series.

You are welcome to make any additional comment you consider might contribute to parity of engine performance going forward.

Kelvin