My first track day with my Kart will be on Sunday at AMP.I will gopro it so I can learn from my errors hopefully not too many.Definately will be different than my badass Superbike I had.
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AMP is gonna be WILD in a shifter. Have fun!
Have a blast. I hope you get great weather. Don’t forget to hydrate properly and bring a hat. It’s easy to get fried out there.
I may not bring the shifter because I am still not entirely happy about the brakes and besides the tires need new rubber.
I never made it th o the track,my friends SUV was too narrow for the CRG DD2.I could have taken the shifter but to be honest with you I think my friend would have hurt himself real bad.I was teaching him about the Karts.I first started with the DD2 and taught him the paddle shifter low and high.
He couldn’t grasp the idea of when to shift.I then taught him the shifter kart.He drives a standard trans car,nope he still couldn’t get that right.Besides he went so fast in the parking lot where I work he got air,not Dukes of Hazard style but maybe 3 to 4 inches coming up over the hill.
When he landed he realized he was going way too fast and the fence was coming quickly.He locked the brakes up for at least 40-50 yards.I called him over and told him to shut it off.I told him to just take it easy and get a feel for it,instead he went ballistic.
And my friend wants to buy a Sportbike,he asked my opinion and I said if you want to live don’t buy one.I grew up as a young kid riding two stroke mx.I have had so many Sportbikes in my days also.I know I am going to have a learning curve with both Karts but as a person who has had insanely powerful motorcycles I learned to never ride or drive past your skill or limit.Maybe that’s why I never wrecked on the street.
Now that the shifter kart tires are flat spotted it’s a good excuse to find new or like new tires.I didn’t go off on him but told him he’s going to get hurt if he tries that on a track.
Funny how fast isn’t what folks think it is. Glad you were able to shut it down before someone or something got broken.
This does brings up a good question. Let’s say you have a pal that is pretty competent but takes risks too often and crashes out frequently. Let’s also say that their driving is way better than their results would suggest, but overall aggressiveness is holding them back.
How do you change someone’s mindset and get them to find speed?
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I really can’t answer that question because I haven’t gotten up to speed on a track but I will say one thing about my experiences.When I first moved here to GA I belonged to a facebook motorcycle ride group.
A young lady hit me up for a ride in the North GA Mts.She had a brand new Suzuki GSXR 750 and I was on my R1.She asked if I’ve been on Wolf Pen Gap a very technical and dangerous road.Well she seemed pretty good I gave her plenty of room up front but I was hanging with her.She then upped the pace even more,I think because she was trying to be competitive or maybe wondering why I was still there.My front end was pushing hard and I told myself that if she ups the pace even more I was going to lay back and just let her go.
Well we hit a technical downhill corkscrew.She was carrying way too much speed,she grabbed her rear brake really Hard.On a down hill your rear brake is pretty useless because the weight is more on the front wheel.She turned the wheel to the right and grabbed the front brake way too hard and I watched a high side crash for the first time my eyes were around the corner but my peripheral saw her rolling down the ravine.
I turned around and she was climbing up the ravine.I told her to keep her helmet on because it had a crack in it.She sat down more in shock than hurt.She said what she did was stupid she agreed that she rode way past her limit.She said it was partly her competitive nature.Maybe your friend is like that girl competitive but rides past the limit of their skill.
I think he does as well. He’s found the front of the pack very quickly in his first season. Loads of talent, I think. He just keeps getting DNF due to big-ass shunts. He flipped the kart first race, at speed.
It’s kind of like I should tell him to stop fucking around and go tent with Mike Doty Racing and go hang around the fast kids. I bet a competitive team boss would straighten him out.
Anyone got thoughts for how to tell a friend to cool his jets and use brain?
I’ll share an anecdote…of the deaths in karts that I know of…. Literally 90% happened on streets or in lots.
DD2 is really not much slower than the six speed in the scheme of things. Stay at a track. Also keep in mind that slicks need time to build heat and offer only a fraction of their full grip until they do so.
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I was gonna mention that too…
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Can’t agree enough with James on this one. Sorry, but putting a complete newbie in a shifter kart in a parking lot is about the most irresponsible thing you can do.
It could end very badly.
You guys are completely correct,I use judgement when I drive or ride something,I’m glad that nothing happened and shut it down when I did.
smart to shut it down, your motorcycle skills probably helped you realize your mistake. I’ve never driven in a parking lot, but I would feel much safer at a track. Damage to you, your kart, and cars will be much less likely.
Its extremely tough to just toss someone in a shifter, especially if they are aggressive and want to go fast. Just like you wouldnt want to toss a noob on a liter bike. You are in a tough spot with two very fast karts, so a track would be safest and create the best learning space.
In terms of transport, we have an entire thread on that that could be very helpful for you.