Hi all, been karting on/off, love it, but have only used arrive and drive karts.
My favourite track have karts with super long brake pedals, really different from how my car brakes feel. Anyone have any advice on how to be better on brakes?
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This is taken from Terrence Dove, it covers trail braking, he also has an excellent book that you can get at his website.
http://www.evenflow.co.uk/
"How to do it
The key to getting this skill is in appreciating the importance of how to release your braking pressure as you enter a corner. You need to lock the rear a little when you first hit the brake, which is the easy bit and amply described in previous articles of mine. But the tricky bit is regulating the brake after that initial lock up.
When you get into trail braking you might find at first an overriding temptation to release the brakes suddenly to bring the kart back into line. However if you want to hold that slight degree of slide all the way into a late apex so you look like an seasoned pro, you’ll need to learn how to resist that temptation to suddenly get off the brake.
Instead, practice gently regulating the braking pressure just enough to maintain the angle of the kart.
Release the brakes too much and you will straighten up requiring you to steer the kart into the corner. Use too much brake and you’ll need extra opposite lock leading to some ugly angles caused by the extreme geometry built into karts.
You need to find a sweet spot, where you will be able to directly control the angle of the kart with your left foot. You might be making multiple tiny adjustments of pressure to hold the kart at an angle, or you may be able to hold the pressure almost constant.
When you get the hang of holding a kart at an angle using braking pressure, you will feel like the kart is saying ‘yes!! this is how I want to be driven’. Karts love to be put in a set like this and they will reward you with a lovely sense of constant grip and stability, and will guide you through a corner without drama…if you let it.
It is not easy at all, in fact I think it’s what separates a good driver from a master so it will take time and patience - but when it clicks you’ll be buzzing like never before in a kart.
Understand the hidden benefit of trail braking with style.
These days on ‘modern’ karts there is no great requirement to brake so stylishly. You can brake in a straight line mostly, and carry your braking gently into an apex without having to set the kart into any kind of over-steer.
However, if you learn to trail brake and hang the rear out ever so slightly you can develop a heightened awareness of pre-loading a kart, and ultimately push the development of your senses beyond those of other more regular drivers.
You’ll be able to extract that little bit extra out of your kart because you will have developed a finer sense of grip and an ability for timing that isn’t normal, it’s extraordinary. Learning how to initiate the turn in of a kart aiming at a late apex not by steering more, but by holding onto the brake while the front tucks in is a special skill well worth learning."
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Great bit of info there, very helpful for us “every now and then karters”
Hey Michael,
Welcome to the forums! Speaking of the long brakes, (@NikG’s comment is great for changing driving technique, but I think he might be asking about the actual engagement point of the brakes on the kart) have you tried adjusting the brake rod on the master cylinder?
If you have adjustable settings on your on your pedals, you can change the angle of your brake rod to change the fulcrum point on the brakes so they engage earlier.
See the area that’s boxed? Those notches on the brake pedal can be adjusted to change the engagement point of how far the pedal moves before it’s pulling on the rod.
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Sounds good, will give this a go. Love a copy of this book.
Will bear this in mind when I get my kart. Cheers
Micheal,
We currently have a contest going on right here on the forums, that if you ask Terence a question before this Friday evening that you’ll be entered to possible get a few copy of his new book. You should check it out, if you’re interested.
Hi, I’d love a copy of the book. After the most important thing for getting a youngster into karting (keep if fun and don’t be one of those dads) what would be the next best thing to help get a child up to speed on the track?
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So, I adjusted my brakes by moving them to the top hole on the pedal, and it feels like I lost a lot of braking power/feel. Is that due to the pedal adjustment or something else
Hi Davin, thats great, think I’ve made a mistake somewhere. I thought this thread qualifies as the book contest. Is it too late to turn this thread into the said Q&A to Terence?
Michael,
Just click on this link and post your question here. Super easy. (But I’ll keep tabs on your question, but copy/paste = super easy 
)
Ah cheers Davin, what a mistaka to maka
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Haha. We got your back, man! 
Welcome to KP. 
Nice one, cheers brother…
Hey all! I’m Jake, the host of Rags to Races, and a newbie to karting. I just bought my first kart, a Praga Dragon Chassis set up for Briggs 206 Cup. I’ve always wanted to go wheel to wheel racing, but until recently looked past karts as a way to get behind the wheel. I blogged about my thought process that led me to karting. Here’s the link: http://ragstoraces.kinja.com/why-the-hell-did-i-buy-a-go-kart-1795635650 Hope you enjoy it!
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Feel free and drop by with any questions you have, Jake! This is what the forums are here for
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