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Ya exactly as Steve says, around 20-25 hours between rebuilds on the Max... however I know plenty of people that stretch it to between 40 and 50 hours. One thing to remember about the Max is that in order for it to remain legal for MSA competition it must be rebuilt and sealed by an official Rotax agent... so you can't work on the innards of them yourself. They are quite reliable though. It's the class I currently race in and I've not had any serious engine problems.
In all honesty, I think Rotax Max would be a very good starting place for somebody joining the sport for the first time. It's by far and away the most popular formula with grids run at practically every track in the country. There's a plentiful supply of used rigs for sale all the time. They're relatively cheap and easy to run and when you want to move on, they're relatively easy to sell too. It'll afford you the opportunity to learn how to drive and race a kart before taking to something else e.g. long circuit gearbox racing, or whatever else takes your fancy.
Gearbox karting on long circuits isn't for the feint hearted. The rigs are expensive and complex. The speeds are very high and the risk of serious injury to somebody inexperienced is equally high. A year spent 'learning the ropes' with a Rotax Max on short circuits would be time well invested... just my opinion by the way, I know others might have different views.
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