Recommendations when moving from 4 stroke to 2 stroke .

Hindsight 20/20- Recommendations when moving from 4 stroke to 2 stroke, what products or advice would you offer your younger self when moving up?

Fuel
Chains
Gearing
Coolant
Driving

Whatever comes to mind . . .

Chain tension matters a bit more. Pay close attention, and you’ll run it slightly tighter than most 206 set ups.

Generally speaking, the faster you go, the more maintenance to do. So whatever you’ve been doing when it comes to session to session checks on the motor, plan to check a bit more often and replace chains and lube chains a bit more often.

Driving wise, a lot transfers. You’re just getting on power a bit later in the corner since you’ve got more of it to play with.

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Don’t forget to add the oil to your gas. I’m only half kidding because I saw this happen to someone recently.

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Skip all of the 219-chain-and-lots-o-wires classes and go directly from 206 to shifter.

From a FB post? I saw that too and genuinely felt bad for the guy.

@IRQVET you need to tell us more…do you want to race or just lapping for now? Shifter or single speed?

If it was me, I would have never bought a 4 stroke. It’s like putting pineapple on a pizza, you just don’t do it :person_shrugging:

All jokes aside, if I wanted to jump on a 2 stroke, in today’s US environment, I would either go OK-N (learn&race) or old school 100cc ICA (learn only, the hard way). Shortly after, KZ shifter.

If I had to go the easy road (e.g. busy at work, can’t find time, realistically hitting the track less than 10 times a year) then Rotax. Not my favorite, but I have one and it’s the most user friendly platform I can think of.

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This looks like a good thread for folks doing research.

I started in two-stroke HPV/Yamaha, added CR125, then added Lo206, and now building up/resurrecting a Rotax. I just like to hammer laps to find time and consistency and any racing is local club stuff.

Replies could apply to hobbyists or racers but may not apply if in one camp exclusively.

Fuel
Standardize on whatever oil/fuel you’ll race on if going that route. OR
Castor oils in leaded fuel are arguably the best for two-stroke engines. Whatever quality oil is used in local/regional racing is going to be adequate, but avoid bottom-shelf hardware store two-stroke oils. If in a pinch and need to buy local, something like Lucas semi-synthetic two-stroke oil from O’Reilly’s has been fine for me.

Chains
219 chains with two strokes become consumables, keep tension and stretch in check and replace on the early side and you’ll extend the lifespan of the driver and sprocket.

Killing a 428 chain is a bit of an accomplishment honestly and there is a reason for Sprag hubs on road race karts.

Gearing
Continue trying different combinations

Coolant
Always run a good catch can and be fellow driver-friendly.
If running water-cooled, seriously consider the hot head pre-heater, which makes warmup easy and extends top-end rebuild times.

Driving

100cc is a really good way to go, the HPV4 I started karting with is still probably my favorite to drive, it is such a lightweight and simple package.

I wanted more, so a shifter was next. Went with a mod CR125, and shifters can be a lot more work but nothing compares and everyone should get seat time in a shifter at some point.

I then went LOo206 just for the simplicity and most folks were on that anyways. I would recommend 4 strokes for anyone, there is no substitute for seat time, and 4 strokes make that easy. The majority of my driving today is 4 stroke.

Around my local track, I find a shifter to be a lot of one-handed driving, and a TAG125 to be the best balance of speed and ease of use. I’m resurrecting a rotax which I know will be a solid all-around package.

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Check your spark plug between sessions and start to study about jetting coz 2 strokes needs some time spend on adjust and check your lean or rich fuel ratio as you start to go faster .

Lean about cold seizing (and consider that anything shy of cold seizing shortens top end life). Budget for the race engine, the practice engine, and the back up engine. If you are sending out for work you will hopefully always have 2 on hand. Budget for using up tires quicker. Budget for more clutch/chain expense. Otherwise get some ChapStick because your lips won’t be used to the extra big smile you will have and could crack.
P.S. I don’t race 2 stroke karts but I have had many in other performance hobby/sports. They are the best thing that will ever be and we must demand that they stay around.

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not sure this I’d agree on this part, you can easily run on one engine no problem. At National level or big events, sure you may want a backup plan, but otherwise I really see no need for 3 engines…otherwise anybody running KZ would have to dump $20K in engines alone just to get started

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Yeah no need for multiple engines for 99% of racers. Nice to have maybe, but the rebuild intervals these days are much longer than before, reducing the need to have to keep a few on hand.

Curious to know where that idea came from and which engine package.

I have an X30 TAG kart on the local track hero scene, nowhere near good enough to compete at a higher level like the national scene. And I’m not looking to travel like I did in 206 on the CKNA scene. Hope that helps guide the conversation.

@ Xander Clements- I know what a chain tensioner is, not sure I’ve never seen one on a kart. Unless I saw one and didn’t 1 and 2 together. :interrobang:

probably a confusion of terms. Chain tensioner is the M10 bolt that pushes against the engine or engine mount to push it forward, tensioning the chain. Not the same as a dirt bike

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