Go Karts - Becoming a Racing Enthusiast

Written by Michael Walker


Imagine – ripping your torso as you hit a curve launching your sprint kart downrepparttar circuit. Pressing onrepparttar 102676 accelerator as you exercise dead-on hand-and-eye coordination determiningrepparttar 102677 smartest way to turnrepparttar 102678 drift inrepparttar 102679 21st minute of an hour-long enduro race. Or perhaps be a spectator – routing forrepparttar 102680 likes of Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher as they race neck-and-neck onrepparttar 102681 last lap. Guess what – you are breathing and witnessing (even smellingrepparttar 102682 distinctive aroma of clay dirt onrepparttar 102683 dirt track)repparttar 102684 atmosphere that comes with go-kart racing.

Developed inrepparttar 102685 1950´s by pilots with a zest for tinkering with motorcycle engines to propel simple frames, go-karting extended internationally afterrepparttar 102686 construction ofrepparttar 102687 first go-kart by Art Ingels in Pasadena. Before dwelling on it’s mass European appeal and discussingrepparttar 102688 pinnacle of Formula 1 racing, let’s backtrack for a second. Riding go-karts (or karting) isrepparttar 102689 best way to break into professional racing. It isrepparttar 102690 simplest means of exploding your chassis downrepparttar 102691 track before getting intorepparttar 102692 sophisticated arena of professional racing. Single cylinder engines, basic chassis models, and lack of speed producing components provide go-kart racing withrepparttar 102693 air of simplicity, geared towards beginners and novices.

The concept of sprint karting comes to our mind when we think ofrepparttar 102694 prototypical kart & track in amusement parks, recreational areas, and arcade palaces. Impeccable karts with sleek designs and sturdy frames rip through on short tracks, usually made from asphalt or concrete – ranging from half a mile to a mile in length. Sprint karting is divided into classes (think boxing middleweights and welterweights) that distinguish engine-types (two-and four-cycle), driver (classified according to age and weight), brand of kart (Yamaha and Honda are popular choices), and specifications. No carbon-fiber made frames and McLarens built with lightweight materials here! Sprint karting is a simplified, scaled-down form of professional go-kart racing with shorter tracks, downgraded technology, less experienced drivers, and downgraded components acrossrepparttar 102695 board.

Other forms of karting include enduro racing. Endurance racing, or “enduro” for short is a prolonged version of sprint. Propelled by aerodynamical butterfly steering, enduro karts are an upgrade over sprint karts – participating in races lasting an hour or more. Dirt, oval tracks isrepparttar 102696 staple of endurance racing and is more prevalent inrepparttar 102697 Midwest than anywhere else. Because ofrepparttar 102698 long racing period, special emphasis is paid to durable karts and pit stop maintenance than focusing on just speed. In runner’s terms, enduro is a marathon - not a sprint. If you sacrifice chassis and tire maintenance for speed throughoutrepparttar 102699 course of a race, reachingrepparttar 102700 finish line is out ofrepparttar 102701 question.

Behind every successful sprint car are its well-performing components, specifically its frame, engine, and tires. The dynamics of a go-kart is two-fold: to be built to withstandrepparttar 102702 rigors of racing and to serve asrepparttar 102703 backbone for speed. Usually made of steel, frames haverepparttar 102704 option of being flexible or not. Flexible frames mean easier maneuvering alongrepparttar 102705 track, especially when turning as to maintain good “side bite” and control ofrepparttar 102706 kart. Because non-professional go-karts have no sophisticated traction and suspension system to withstand bumps, frames are usually subject to more punishment. Sprint kart tires usually do not have indented grooves, as they are soft in nature and more suited to all-terrain.

Go Kart Frames - Choosing the Right One for You

Written by Michael Walker


Karting enthusiasts emblazonrepparttar image ofrepparttar 102675 perfect chassis in their minds: lightweight, yet powerfully durable material capable of launching a kart forward withoutrepparttar 102676 slightest wear or tear. Rare material that comes withrepparttar 102677 likes of professionally built popular race-cars likerepparttar 102678 illustrious McLaren. What about karts that could rip through side turns at speeding bullet speeds without raising a wheel a centimeter aboverepparttar 102679 ground, gliding swiftly like a falco such asrepparttar 102680 futuristic cars in I, Robot? And along with perfect frames comes perfect tires, tires “grooven” to perfection providingrepparttar 102681 finest traction and downright freakish controls when runningrepparttar 102682 curve.

Let’s discussrepparttar 102683 intricacies and place a perspective on frames for your go-kart. The chassis as it is called in professional and enthusiast circles, is by farrepparttar 102684 most important piece of this machine. The construction is paramount in maintaining a solid go-kart. What constitutes a frame? Think of a frame simply as parts holding a component together. Inrepparttar 102685 case of these speedsters,repparttar 102686 frame is welded together by torsion bars. Stiff frames are a result of shorter bars crossed together, and more flexible frames are associated with longer bars.

Stiff frames that do not provide flexibility wererepparttar 102687 backbone of earlier go-karts and broke down easily. First off, simpler go-karts do not haverepparttar 102688 specifications needed (most important, suspension and tire traction) to easerepparttar 102689 punishment frames go through while turning, accelerating, and stopping. Running on 2 or 4 cycle engines does not help compensaterepparttar 102690 health of a frame. A lack of traction on your tires will cause uneven weight transfer and stability on your frame, ripping one or both sides loose atrepparttar 102691 same time. In essence,repparttar 102692 frame is responsible for determining how well your vehicle moves zipping on asphalt, concrete, or dirt – dictating your performance on wide turns and shorter turns.

A sturdy, well-built frame isrepparttar 102693 key to manoeuvring well onrepparttar 102694 track, especially when turning. Wait, isn’t a frame supposed to be resistant torepparttar 102695 rigors and demands of punishing your go-kart as it explodes forward? Of course – butrepparttar 102696 most important criteria for an excellent frame is to negotiate turns well. Frames are directly responsible for how well go-karts turn left and right. Weaker go-karts with cheap components are known to slide and drift along turns – in some instances, flipping to its side entirely with careless driving. “Side bite” is referred to keeping a go-kart planted torepparttar 102697 track without sliding. Withoutrepparttar 102698 proper frame, go-karts will manoeuvre out of control, even shutting off in some cases due to over pressure torepparttar 102699 engine.

The design ofrepparttar 102700 go-kart chassis has everything to do with how well it moves on turns and maintaining side bite. Ifrepparttar 102701 width ofrepparttar 102702 rear rails (go-kart frames constitute front rails and rear rails) is narrow, with measurements ranging from 24¨ to 25¨ - from “kingpin” to “kingpin”,repparttar 102703 ends ofrepparttar 102704 rail – it will have less side bite. Wider rails barely ever exceed 30¨ on standard go-karts. The dynamics ofrepparttar 102705 front and rear rails can be effectively pictured using this example: suppose you had two bottles – a two-gallon jug and a 16 oz. Water bottle. Giving it a swift, hard poke to its side – which container hasrepparttar 102706 best chance of tipping to its side? If you guessedrepparttar 102707 water bottle, you guessed right! Wider rails provide stability and “foundation” while turning, reducingrepparttar 102708 side bite overall.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use