Arrow has taken an interesting approach to their new chassis design! You can see on the left is their new “regular” X6 chassis, and then on the right is the X6.1 design. Notably, the center rail takes a different shape and there are only 2 bearing carriers - the third rail simply bends and connects to the outer. Note that these are just screenshots, so don’t try to eyeball any measurements
It is interesting to see the waist/cross tube change. That is a very important part of how a chassis handles. small tweaks in that K brace area often have huge effects.
I predict the 3rd bearing is going to be the new norm for low hp chasses. Heck, we have been cutting 3rd bearings out of Arrows for weight savings ever since the original Arrow AX9-4S came out.
This is a rumour that I don’t think anybody can or will confirm, but I heard it was for cost cutting. Taking out the 3rd bearing which a lot of people don’t even use anymore and charging the same for a chassis is gonna net profit in the $100 - $200 AUD region, and when you’re selling as many chassis as they are that’s quite a compounding saving.
If we’re talking about the two chassis pictured above, cost savings doesn’t pass the sniff test for me. While there’s a bearing and carrier saved, there’s some extra tube bending too.
i know a few people that have been running the prototype version of the X6.1 (have been able to buy them through DPE dealers for a while just with the old model plastics) kart is very very good in X30 and KA over here in WA, seems to handle grippy tracks a lot better than the standard X6 kart
The old Bandit Smoke comes to mind with that right rail.
The center bar as mentioned has also been used previously.
Going backwards to go forward?
I know the X5-4s had much promise when we first worked with it but once summer hit and heat climbed it lost its advantage. Unfortunately most racing happens when it’s hot. This new design is supposed to “free” the kart up in these conditions. At least that is what I’ve been told.
Fair point - but they do still sell the regular X6. I think there may be some cost savings, but I think that bend will ultimately effect the flex of the cross bar a bit.
I’m just noticing but is the right seat mount different for the X6.1? Could just be the angle of the photos on the site. Seems like the consensus is the chassis remains free in sticky conditions - my thinking is that is mainly from the waist bar instead of the third bearing deletion.
