Mid Corner Speed

I have seen it a few times now on a few different topics talking about low hp classes (206, for example) having lower corner speed.

Is that actually the case? Do people actually believe that?

At the same weight and on the same tires, why would a 206 be going slower in the corner? Now, I am not arguing braking force required or acceleration forces, because more hp obviously effects those. But what about mid corner speed?

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Mid corner speed should be the same (all things be equal. chassis, tires, setup). Just got done running KA and Rotax back to back, nearly the same weight with same tires. Mid corner speed was nearly identical. If anything I was a touch faster in corners were I normally needed to tap the brakes all I was doing was lifting.

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I doubt it would be lower with a 206. If anything, the chassis is probably “freer” on the 206. Especially compared to a shifter that’s more likely to apex later on tight turns and is probably carrying an extra 40lbs. Arguably even more magnified with modified motos that have compression braking.

With that said, I don’t have any personal data that would be a true comparison in terms of conditions.

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It’s the same. In fact when I’m doing data for a 206 driver and I don’t have a good data set of 206 data to compare to, sometimes I’ll pull up a different class on similar tires and just compare apex speeds, because they should be similar.

Only difference would be that a 206 doesn’t power through the cornering force as hard, so has a tendency to scrub more speed off at the apex where a higher hp kart would be able to accelerate more easily in the center of the corner. That’s the adjustment I always have to keep in mind when jumping between a 206 and something like a KA. I get on the throttle at the point and am actively anticipating the kart to rotate on-throttle a bit because that’s how I’m used to feeling in the KA or something faster, but when you get on the throttle for a 206, there is no kick or power-induced rotation. So I always have to remind myself just to jump onto the throttle 10 feet earlier because it won’t spool up and rotate like a faster kart does.

But tires and weight being equal, they should be the same, as those are the main things dictating your traction potential.

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