I have a friend who’s not a forum person that has decided to go 206 racing. When I observe 206 classes locally I don’t quite understand the reasoning behind what I feel are some 206 specific setup “things”. Hoping someone can lay out the basic principals that best benefit a 206 here.
For instance. Is the general principal to generate as much grip as possible in order to maximize time on throttle?
I feel like I see the following on 206 karts:
narrow rear widths
aluminum wheels
soft seats
I’ve even heard of tight side pods and max torsion bars.
…but then 6" rear wheels / tires seem popular (rolling resistance?)
So I figured I’d ask here. I’m very happy with where my chassis is at for my 2 stroke racing but IDK how to guide my firend for 206 setup as it “seems” to be a different philosophy.
The goal is always the same; unload the inside rear. Because the 206 has no power and generally races on harder tires on tracks with less grip, the way you get the inside rear to unload has to be achieved with some different setup changes compared to a “normal” kart.
Narrow rear width - it’s harder to generate the sidebite necessary on a harder tire with less power, so narrowing the rear helps the kart tip better.
Aluminum wheels - aluminum wheels are softer and run hotter than a stiffer magnesium wheel, so they’ll help the tires get up to temp better.
Soft seat - softening the seat helps the chassis flex between the rails and gets the tubes flexing more, making it easier to unload the inside rear.
Narrower wheels - less rolling resistance, smaller contact patch, easier to get the tire to work with the lower power/harder tire.
When you get to events with softer regional/national tire you find the set ups are much closer to the 2 strokes. I know many out there running the FA, Tony, Techno KA/KT set ups and when they run 206 it is very close between the two on the softer tire. Not to say there aren’t karts out there built to run narrow(er) then what you see typically on the 2s side of things…
The low grip is dictating the set up, not necessarily the engine.