Transition Reduces Delays to Shipment and Service of the HKS 700E Engine

Light sport engine manufacturer HKS recently announced that it will be relocating its parts supply and distribution operations to the US. Since it was previously based in Japan, this transition will drastically chop time for shipping and servicing.

HKS has operated almost exclusively out of Japan since it opened its doors in 1973. The manufacturer has utilized New York-based Quicksilver Aircraft Northeast as its dealer for HKS engines since 2001 and as its HKS 700E Distributor and Authorized Service Center since 2014.

This has proven to be an effective system for the duo, with only one issue: time. Shipping full engines and replacement parts overseas can be an extensive, and expensive, process and leave planes grounded in the meantime. Now, with the manufacturing of the HKS 700E light engine being put on the backburner for other projects, HKS and Quicksilver have come to an agreement to get things moving more quickly.

"We have negotiated with HKS to purchase the remaining inventories of spare parts and engines, and move them to New York to avoid delays in parts shipping and service of the HKS 700E engines in the field,” stated Quicksilver Aircraft Northeast LLC owner Chris Hatin. “The inventory available is enough to service these engines for decades to come, given the engines reliability and simplicity.”

The HKS 700E is a 60-horsepower, two-cylinder, four-stroke engine that falls within the ASTM Consensus Standards for Special Light Sport Aircraft installation. The powerplant has a 1000-hour TBO and typically burns just 2.3 gallons per hour in cruise. It has been a favorite within the experimental community since its debut in 1998, with upwards of 1,500 engines being sold for ultralights, microlights, trikes, and LSAs across the globe.

“And because we are managing all the inventory, we have been able to lower prices on many of the more expensive parts. Overhaul costs and turnaround times will be reduced, and parts orders will usually ship within 24 hours", continued Hatin.

FMI: www.hksengines.com