Any serious karters in the house?

[ak]

I would like to know what you started with, your current setup etc.

I went to Englishtown, NJ for kart practice, rented a kart & also rode in a friend's kart and it was a blast(other than bruises and sore back :redface: ) The performance you get for the cost is so much better than HPDE or sunday races.

-ak

 

[stuntman]

Kosmic T4 with KT100.

 

[DocL]

Iv'e ridden many different karts. Tony, Fittipaldi, Arrow, CRG, etc....and although I don't own one, my favorits set up is with a Rotax.

 

[OneRedNSX]

I usually use Toad. He's probably the goofiest looking choice but his kart is usually slightly faster in the top end... unfortunately he dosen't have the ability to use some of the better weapons like Bowzer or Donkey Kong can or the low end performance they've got.




wait, we aren't talking about Mario Kart, are we.

 

[ak]

wait, we aren't talking about Mario Kart, are we.

:biggrin: no, although i got hit by some people who thought it was.

 

[Ponyboy]

Good thread, ak. I've been perusing eBay and various kart websites for deals for the last several weeks. There seems to be a huge variety. So big that I'm thinking of just choosing what the majority of local racers use in a spec series.

 

[NA1/2-R GT]

I am thinking of getting one for next year. A friend told me that KT100 class is the most fun. So I am looking for something that will eligible in that class.
I am in the NW area btw.

 

[ak]

Good thread, ak. I've been perusing eBay and various kart websites for deals for the last several weeks. There seems to be a huge variety. So big that I'm thinking of just choosing what the majority of local racers use in a spec series.

yep, almost too much variety. My friend has a Birel chassis with Leopard 125cc engine which was pretty wicked.

 

[Ponyboy]

Nice. I've been looking at:

Tony Kart
Rotax
Track Magic

But don't know if I should do the 125 or a smaller cc class. Lotsa choices. What do your locals run?

 

[ak]

Nice. I've been looking at:

Tony Kart
Rotax
Track Magic

But don't know if I should do the 125 or a smaller cc class. Lotsa choices. What do your locals run?

To be honest, no idea. There's a club here but they seem to do more enduro racing at road courses which I'm not really interested in... Gotta do some investigation I guess.

 

[Ponyboy]

Quit being a big ball of wuss and man up. Endurance racing is the best way to log racing miles and get experience!

I'm going to put "Big Ball of Wuss" under your HT username.

 

[ak]

Quit being a big ball of wuss and man up. Endurance racing is the best way to log racing miles and get experience!

I'm going to put "Big Ball of Wuss" under your HT username.

yeah yeah. I'm more interested in doing sprint races than enduro.

 

[Todd McKelvie]

I have 4 karts...all for sale!

I have:
1 Cadet Kart: Emmick with a Comer 80cc
1 Adult Emmick Venom Cart with 100cc
1 Adult Emmick Kart with 100cc
1 Adult Tony Kart with Honda CR125 Shifter motor....fast as hell!!!

I have all the gear as well. Would love to sell it :biggrin:

 

[Ponyboy]

Prices would be nice. :wink:

 

[stuntman]

I have 1 kart for sale:

2003 current-spec Avanti 100cc chassis (no motor) $1,000

 

[NSX-D]

After autocrossing a Miata for several years I got into karting. You get more seat time in 1 day than a year of autocrossing. I was told by several, including the loacl kart shop that ROTAX is the way to go (low maintenance). After some debate and trying a beat-up shifter kart I decided to buy a new shifter kart (Renspeed by CRG with stock CR125) and have never regretted the decision. The shifter kart has given me 5 years of trouble free performance. Although I have cut back on the usage over the last 2 years due to work, I probably have over 40 full days without changing the piston or brake pads. I have a few friends that bought shifters and everyone was told to buy ROTAX, trust me buy a shifter and keep it stock. Stock Honda 125 is the class to be in around the country - at local, regional, and national levels. If you know the history of the kart or if you buy brand new, these things are bullet proof. I also highly recommend buying "Memo Gridley's Intro to Shifter Karts" Manual. Most kart shops will have this or you could find it on-line somewhere. I bought mine from Pat's Acres in Portland, OR. The NSX has given me a lot of joy and I have even driven a Ferrari F50 for 15 minutes (THAT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS OF MY LIFE), but the shifter kart will always be the best bang for the buck.

BUY THE SHIFTER KART.

 

[stuntman]

Shifterkarts teach you bad habits and will turn you into a hack.

I would recommend rotax or any rear-brake 'momentum' kart.

 

[NSX-D]

Disagree - then why do a lot of C.A.R.T. and formula one drivers still use shifters for training. Look at our current young American hot shots - Scott Speed, Graham Rahal, Macro Andretti - all shifter karters. Watch a shifter kart race these guys are incredible. Anyways - how many race cars are automatic with only rear brakes. Shifters are a great training tool for car control and set-up. Look up Supernationals XI race in Las Vegas (in November 2007) or check out SuperkartsUSA.com.

Also check out kartsportmag.com, it's probably the best karting mag in the U.S. right now.

I just recommend try the shifter before you decide on a rotax, I have driven both.

 

[stuntman]

Disagree - then why do a lot of C.A.R.T. and formula one drivers still use shifters for training. Look at our current young American hot shots - Scott Speed, Graham Rahal, Macro Andretti - all shifter karters. Watch a shifter kart race these guys are incredible. Anyways - how many race cars are automatic with only rear brakes. Shifters are a great training tool for car control and set-up. Look up Supernationals XI race in Las Vegas (in November 2007) or check out SuperkartsUSA.com.

Also check out kartsportmag.com, it's probably the best karting mag in the U.S. right now.

I just recommend try the shifter before you decide on a rotax, I have driven both.

Ive had a 'little' time in both :wink: . SS, GR, MA all come from sprint karts before that. They've learned how to properly drive a kart, focus on momentum which has become second nature by the time they get into a shifterkart. For most people starting out, Shifterkarts DO create bad habits because its easy to drop down a gear and make up for your mistake, rather than a 100cc where a mistake really affects your laptime.

I'm still highly against shifterkarts for practice, especially practice for car-racing. A shifterkart is almost a perfect scaled-down F1 car. Even a pro mazda, Atlantic, and IPS car are way slower than a shifterkart (in perspective). Then when you get into a car, you are not smooth and a byproduct is constantly sawing at the wheel because things are happing at such a slower, longer level than in a shifterkart.

If you're looking for a thrill, not working on your craft as a driver, then Shifterkart as a toy. If you are looking for practice or advancing yourself as a driver, don't get a shifterkart.

 

[NSX-D]

No Way! Just get the SHIFTER KART!

 

[stuntman]

No Way! Just get the SHIFTER KART!

Are we 5 now?



What are you trying to get out of the purchase of a gokart?

Fun/thrill past time?
Improve yourself as a driver?
Race competitively?

 

[NSX-D]

I own my own shifter, not trying to sell one either. I just find a lot of people telling others that shifter karts are difficult to drive and difficult to maintain, and both responses are not correct. I just want to voice the opinion of someone who has owned a shifter for more than 5 years without any issues at all.

All I'm saying to AK is - drive both then make a decision to buy. Check out your local karting track as well and talk to the karters, they are usually nice and will give you the pros/cons of all classes.

Don't be intimidated by a shifter, even though it may not be for everyone.

 

[SENNAF1]

I raced for about 4 years started out with a formula Y 100cc direct drive and then moved up to the shifters.Shifters are nice but if you are going to race it can get $$$.I would suggest a rotax max.sealed 125cc motor.driver against driver not $ against $.

 

[stuntman]

I own my own shifter, not trying to sell one either. I just find a lot of people telling others that shifter karts are difficult to drive and difficult to maintain, and both responses are not correct. I just want to voice the opinion of someone who has owned a shifter for more than 5 years without any issues at all.

All I'm saying to AK is - drive both then make a decision to buy. Check out your local karting track as well and talk to the karters, they are usually nice and will give you the pros/cons of all classes.

Don't be intimidated by a shifter, even though it may not be for everyone.

They are higher maintenence than a KT100, Rotax, or any 'sprint' kart. You have to bleed the front and rear brakes, constantly be adjusting the bias (which changes all the time) and is far too in depth and technical than a sprint. They are more physically demanding to drive, they are much faster, and overwhelming if you cannot master the basics of driving a sprint kart. So many shifterkart drivers are slower than sprint drivers and just hold people up and are a PITA on the track, then blast away with their HP down the straights to park it in the next corner and hold everyone up again...

Yes drive both, but from a cost/learning/driving improvement standpoint, don't get a shifter.

And yes rear-brakes teach you a lot more than your messed-up biased front and rear (and RF LF) shifterkart brakes. -Much higher maintenence. Granted, with routine maintenence you can own a shifter and it's not the end of the world, but you're working on the kart more than your craft, and when you're on the track, you arent learning to be smooth and improve your self as much as if you were in a rotax or 100cc.

I raced for about 4 years started out with a formula Y 100cc direct drive and then moved up to the shifters.Shifters are nice but if you are going to race it can get $$$.I would suggest a rotax max.sealed 125cc motor.driver against driver not $ against $.

Yay, someone with racing experience!

 

[mdb]

Been running about half a year now with my brother. We have a pair of KT100's (one Tony Kart, one Hutless Corsa) and its a BLAST!!

Run with video cameras too, so a little on board "Me vs Him" video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkje5IAefD4

Easily the most fun I've ever had in a motorsport! We get out a few times a month and run against each other / whomever is at the track. Haven't tried a structured race yet, don't quite have the lap times juuuuust yet to be competitive.

Brother's kart:

Picked up each of them off Craig's list for about $600 a piece, then for fun went with the "Orange Arrows" livery since we're F1 fans. Definately a sport worth trying out!