Polini 910 Carena S H2O 2007 — Specifications

In the age of restricted 125cc engines and graduated licenses, we had almost forgotten the smell of castor oil and the shrill sound of a two-stroke pushed to the limit. The Polini 910 Carena S H2O is a brutal reminder, a concentrate of Italian engineering dedicated to the track, or more exactly, karting. With its 39.7cc and single-cylinder two-stroke water-cooled engine, this machine is no joke. Its compression ratio of 16.2:1 and square bore (36 x 39 mm) speak the dry language of racing, where every thousandth of a horsepower is extracted by the mechanics, without the help of any electronics.

The figure of 6.2 horsepower may elicit a smile from the comfort of a modern touring bike, but when related to a dry weight of 19 kilograms, it takes on a whole different dimension. The power-to-weight ratio of this little rocket is dizzying. Equipped with specific tires in 90/65 and 110/50 for 6.5-inch rims, and braked by two 122 mm discs, its behavior is of absolute radicality. The lightweight alloy frame, die-cast, offers rigidity with only one purpose: to transform the slightest impulse of the rider into a change of trajectory.

Everything here is optimized for the stopwatch. The 40 cm high seat is nothing like a bench, it is a minimalist support point. The Dell’Orto SHA 14-14 carburetor ensures a precise mixture, while the final chain transmission transmits power without any play. This motorcycle is not designed for the road, nor even for a traditional circuit. It is the ultimate weapon for minibike competitions on kart tracks, where riding is a matter of millimeter trajectories and maintaining laps.

The Polini 910 Carena S H2O is aimed at a very specific audience: the budding competition rider or the purist of raw mechanics. It has no equivalent in the road world. Faced with Aprilia RS4 50 or Derbi GPR, it represents the pure racing option, stripped of all legal embellishments. It is a demanding and expensive riding school, where one learns that speed is above all a question of weight, balance and courage. A serious toy, which recalls that passion often begins with very small displacements that shout very loudly.