I have talked to davin and a few others. But I’m on the hunt for a new chassis. I run lo206. Support is all over the place. So it seems like most parts will be online anyway. I have a 13 year old monza chassis that lacks a lot of adjustment.
So what I’m looking for as requirements is pretty basic. Metric wheel pattern. Lo206 friendly. Used is ok. But not opposed to new.
Right now the best new chassis for 206 (in no particular order) Birel/Ricciardo, MGM, Comp kart and Comet Eagle. Generally you can find chassis that are 2 or 3 seasons old that are still great to use. Some of the fastest guys in out club are on old Tony Kart chassis that had a Yamaha strapped on them.
I don’t know where you’re located but the OVKA swap meet is coming up in February and is a great place to pick up a chassis.
LO206 friendly? None other than the “Lefty” Nitro. The only kart on the market specifically built for the intricacies of a 4 stroke.
Abel basically summed it up the best someone can. Eagles, MGMs, BirelARTs seem to be the front runners everywhere. I’ve heard good things about the Compkart, too. Margay Brava 4.x and Brava 206s run good as well. Never seen the new adult Nitro, I’m sure it’s fast, but none of them are a magic bullet over the others. I’ve seen TopKart Twister non 4 stroke chassis whoop the others with the right driver.
Basically find something straight and not abused if you go used, or pick whoever is going to support you the best locally if new.
Are you located in PNW?
See also:
Everybody has an opinion, sometimes based on affiliation with a brand, vs what might work best for the person asking the question.
Yeah I’m in the PNW. Really the only desire for for a new chassis is that mine really lacks tunability based on limited adjustments. So I can’t really even experiment much. And being 13 years old replacement parts are few and far between. Sure I can make stuff work. But trackside repairs are near impossible
Being from the NW myself i would recommend looking into a brand of kart which has a dealer close to you. There are numerous brands in the area, but picking one that is close and has parts on hand can be huge plus.
It has been something I have considered. But I live an hour and a half from the closest shop. So it is all kinda the same. Mail order turns out to be my biggest friend
When you’re at the track though that support is valuable, perhaps moreso than getting parts between races. Id still seek a brand that’s supported locally, or at least at the races you’ll be attending.
Off the top of my head, Topkart and Italkart have good support in PNW. I’d start there.
Yeah top kart is the one I’m looking at now. Roger from kart o Rama has a little of everything it seems and he supports all the races.
Been seeing lots of birels showing up lately.
Well found a happy medium. A price I can’t pass up. And somewhat close support that does all the travel events I’ll be going to. So looks like I’m making the switch to a 2019 Atomica.
I never heard of Atomica until now. The more you know…
Basically a parolin from all the info I have gathered.
This is the first I have heard of them but if you have the support that’s great and is always a huge help.
reached out to them via Facebook for just some general advice. Then spent the day walking me through the kart and base setup. Will be at all the big events I travel to. Parts are only 1-2 days shipped for the events they don’t go to.
The Atomica and the parent manufacturer Parolin have been around a long time and make great karts. I have been racing a subbrand of Parolin called a DC-One in the Briggs class for many years now. This chassis is a 2004 and has consistently been a front runner on all the tracks that I have gone to in all sorts of track conditions. My point is that Parolin makes high quality karts but doesn’t do a lot of marketing in North America so they aren’t that well known. You will be very happy with that chassis.
John K
kind of off topic but how much of a difference does a chassis make? Like comp kart vs CRG for 206, is there a noticeable difference?
I guess it depends on what kind of difference you mean?
I mean I’m super new here and faking it until I make it. But so many variables in just the question you asked. Just based on tubing size etc
The chassis can make a MONUMENTAL difference. Even within a single brand, one design of frame to another will work differently. Being on the wrong chassis, or a poorly setup chassis can make the difference in winning and being mid-pack or worse. Some chassis can work in certain conditions like low grip track, but really struggle when the track builds bite.