Yeah the Formula Atlantic racecar driver told me the shifter was brutal.I do like cars or bikes that get my attention.I could never use all the Yamaha R1 190hp while riding but it was sure fun to use.
Keep in mind, even a KA or VLR 100cc single-gear kart is going to blow away any car on the street in all handling metrics, and be an insane ride with a high skill limit. It might not have the acceleration of a shifter, but if you aren’t able to use the shifter to its limit, it might make more sense to go with something a little slower and less headache and be able to get closer to the limit.
I’m thankful for your input.I already know and feel like someone who can’t swim and just dropped off in the middle of the ocean
I got mine for $140, not carbon but carbon isn’t needed.
I feel like some people who have experience in fats cars or motorcycles tend to try and start out in the fastest kart possible (shifter) than they realize it’s extremely hard to learn how to drive, very expensive to maintain, and a lot of work. Then they tend to just quit. I’ve seen at least 3 guys go through those stages. (I’ve only raced for 3 years). The first step here is knowing all this, which I think will make it easier, and doable, to start with a shifter. So one option would be staying with the shifter, knowing what you’re going into and the challenges ahead, and getting help when needed.
The other option is selling one kart, keeping the shifter engine for later maybe, buying whatever engine is popular in your area that’s similar to a KA or x30, putting that bad boy on your chassis and start racing. That option will be more wallet and user friendly.
Hopefully I don’t make this sound daunting, in the end it shouldn’t be.
Just do whatever you gotta do to get your a** in a kart, because it will be a shitload of fun.
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Throwing in my 2c, I think its a mistake to start in shifters just because you will miss so much of the fun. Take a trip up the engine ladder, starting at a lower rung, so as not to make everything else seem tame in comparison.
Yeah I can tell for sure just how brutal they will be.Test riding it at work I came up the hill so quickly and got air from all 4 tires.It may have been a couple of inches but gave me a good idea that these are more vicious than any car I’ve driven,wait I’ll take that back my customer wanted me to take his highly tuned Ferarri 488 for a ride His car is putting down over 750hp at the tire.The car was fun but I still think any kart with a good pilot can out handle most street cars
All cars. Period. At least in terms of cornering forces. Gs on a kart can easily go over 2, cars range from .8-1.4
If you’re not going to race and just run for fun, then use the shifter by all means but if you want to race competitively in karts, start with a 4 stroke or 100 cc 2 stroke. The shifter become brutal when the rubber gets laid down on race day but on practice days the track grip is low and driving the shifter can be fun.
Both these Karts will be for fun.Racing you need extra cash for sure.
I don’t know if a shifter’s any more expensive to run than a TaG.
Here’s a list of the parts I broke in a full weekend at New Castle:
Yes, you have to rebuild the engine more frequently. Yes, it will chew up tires, but until you’re within a quarter second takeoffs are cheap. Yes, there’s more energy going into the brake system, but you’ve got three rotors and six pads to dissipate it instead of one and two.
Would love to hear more about the costs of a shifter.
Are DD2 engines cheaper to maintain than KZ and CR125 equivalents? I assume the general rule is that more horsepower equals more dollars.
Do gearboxes bring much drama/upkeep?
Figured this stuff is relevant to the OP
The TM TaG KZ & IAME SSE have comparable maintenance intervals to the stock moto, sans fueling/carburetion headaches. Gearboxes are bullet proof, & the 428 shifter chain is more durable than the the 219 used on TaG 1-speed class.
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