The liger is flat out ripping the cr 500 cases apart.. After a liger completely destroyed a set of lt 500 cases, Pete built a 1/2" steel adapter plate to prevent making welds on the lt cases and to stiffen the whole set-up up. It still destroyed cases and twisted the steel plate over a 1/4". It doesn't matter what rod you use, that doesn't change your displacement. I haven't heard anyone using the ktm rod on the saber, only the artic cat rod and cr 500 rod.. My saber has ran the same cr500 rod for the last 8 years and is finally receiving a new one as we speak. Pete prefers the cr 500 rod simply due to rotating mass since it's 1/2 the weight of the artic cat rod (not literally 1/2, but a lot lighter).. My motor is currently a 532cc 97x72mm and on top of running methanol I've also put a 50hp shot of nitrous to it without hurting the cr500 rod, so I would think it'd be up to the challenge for any dune set-up.. Oh and my cylinder was one of the very first sabers cylinders and was a 95mm bore. Pete bored it for me to 97mm. They are all the same castings..