Ready to Kart

[Birel99]

Racing in general is a rip off! But it is fun as hell!

If you can afford it, go for it!

Yea they have a few gimicks with the neck restraint (collar bone protection) but the chassis is real, the motor, well it makes noise and moves you forward!

I have driven the CRG F1k chassis at a local track, for what it is used for, its perfect! They are going to have rock hard tires, but so what!

The motor is likely a 200-250cc Honda, making around 5hp. It may not sound like much, but it is enough to have fun with, and with hard tires, will keep you smiling.

My local track rents out karts similar to shown above except with intrepid chassis.
Every now and then, the track manager and mechanics let me come out and play with them and it is one hell of a good time! I drive 50hp, 6spd, ICC karts and even after driving that it is still fun to have a go in the rental karts.

If karting is something you are interested in, call up a local team and rent a real kart for a day and see how you like it! An arrive and drive program can be relatively inexpensive, it wont be with the top notch equipment but still fun none the less!

Regards,

[Giblet]

Speed is fun, but so is making something that is not that fast keep improving, and you seem to get what I mean. I like turning lots of laps, perfecting braking points, getting that extra 1-2 mph through the corner.... the momentum driver is what I am right now. Even when I race the Spec Racer Ford (again iRacing) all the momentum work I did made me quick almost straight out of the box when I moved up a series.

I have an 80cc 2 stroke mountain bike, and it is likely about as fast as most low end karts, but it needs pedal assist to get going, but at least it has a real clutch, not the lame centrifugal ones. That thing gives me hours of enjoyment, and thousands of stares.

Something about taking off from a light, beside a car, and then before the next light the driver sees you pass him, is quite a feeling, so long as the speed is below 50km.

These motors have about 4-5 hp as well, but it's range is all up high.

[Birel99]

Giblet,

80cc mountain bike!!! =D> Thats how biking is supposed to be!

It definitely sounds like you have the momentum thing down, you'll be surprised after your first couple outings you will be fighting for .1 to .3MPH in the corners and inches in the braking zones! Plus, learning how to move your weight around (Leaning) in the kart to find a balance.

I say go for it!

[CMSMJ1]

I reckon go for it mate - you want to be able to say "I did it" rather than a lot of what if etc.

On a related tangent I decided that I wanted to go motorbike racing as I had become bored of trackdays and wanted a challenge. I am not the fastest and never will be but I can hold my own and I wanted to improve.

I had a look around, checked what was out there and a forum I use had an advert listed - rider wanted.

I got in touch and after meeting these guys at a test day I was in the team! (BMCracing.net) they were the 2008 champions in the F400 class and I was going to be renting the 2008 winning bike.

This was going to cost me £200 for the bike per race meeting and £135 for the races - 2 F400 and a novice race. - quite a lot of money for what would be 3x10 lap races...

HOwever, I got my race licence, my dog tags and my novice bib and when the lights went out I was a motorbike racer. What a feeling. I knew I would be crap as I have never ridden this bike before, never ridden the track before and was cacking myself and overdosing on adrenaline at the same time.

Fast forward 3 rounds - I was improving 2 secs a lap per meeting and felt I needed more tracktime to get even faster. As the bike I was riding was tuned to the nuts the team owner did not want me to put any additonal miles on it...so we parted ways and I went to build my own racebike and go my own way.

2 months later...I had my own bike, built from the ground up and with DIY porting, tuning and fettling - I was so proud to get out there on my own creation and entered another race series at Cadwell Park (the best motorcycling track in the UK)

I see I am now waffling....so I'll shut up - but suffice to say, get in there and do it - if you get the bug and see how you can improve them you will buy or build your own kart anyways - using a rent-a-kart to get going is a good idea..

An excuse for some picture whoring...I do apologise in advance but the bug has bitten and it was the best decision I have taken yet (wife excepted)

(I am on 136) start of the race....




Me on my own bike... no 136




Sorry for boring you all. - go and do it mate =D>

[ernos5]

yer motorbike racing is another option, if you buy a sports bike you can use it for the track as well, you just need to cover up the lights etc

Nice job there CMSMJ1 i ride a cbr600 and go up in the hills on weekends, i can just get my knee down, still early on in the learning stages though, just been riding a year or so since i was 16

[The FOZ]

ISLAM - Did you really live in Winnipeg?

[Giblet]

This site frikkin rules.

There is a user here, who I won't out since he sent me a PM about this, but he should feel free to take credit for being such a good guy:

The message said this:

"not sure where you live but if you want to pick it up you can have my kart. No motor but has every thing but a few wheels tires and a new gas tank. Comes with 3 axles to help with setup

Its a 99 PTK shifter chassis built by CRG. Its nothing great I was just going to use it for free practice. Im getting tired of moving it.

I live in -=*SNIP*=- if you are interested."

Could this person be any cooler?

I think not. Too far away from where I am for it to be viable, but still, I feel all warm and fuzzy

[CMSMJ1]

That is great work. Kudos to the mystery Kart Man! =D>

Get a quote and get it shipped to you man...sieze the day and all that.

Would be good to hear you making progress and going from Sim to real racing and making it work.

[ISLAMATRON]

ISLAM - Did you really live in Winnipeg?

Frozen Hell no! It might be a nice place but I'm a tropical boy so you wont ever find me there... Toronto(for family) and Montreal(for the race) is as far as I'll ever go.