[Closed] Anyone Kart?

I've been karting twice in my life. Both times I absolutely crushed the opposition. Either I stumbled across a dormant natural ability for masterful racecraft, or I was just a bit better than everyone else in my group.

Obviously both times I rushed home to research karts and racing, quickly realised I can absolutely not afford to get involved on any level and decided to retire undefeated.

Sorry, not helpful, but I will follow with interest.

Housemate bought a secondhand 2 stroke for a few hundred quid and spent lockdown tweaking it. 2 days of racing later he's popped in a newer more powerful water cooled motor with electric start, has had the chassis tweaked and seems to have at least 3 sets of wheels. He totally loves it. I've only driven it on a local trading estate but golly it feels fast.

Two-strokes are another level of speed/fun compared to the four-strokes that are usually provided for rental - would definitely recommend having a play with them even if just a one off.

Generally speaking I think karting proper can get pretty expensive pretty quickly - I had mates at University who raced in the british championship and the cost can be right up there with racing cars.... I'm sure there are ways of doing it more cheaply though.

The two main 'types' (for two-stroke at least) are TKM and Rotax; TKM being air-cooled and bump started, whilst Rotax are water-cooled and electric start (wo what eddiebaby's mate bought I assume). There are plenty of different chassis options of different prices that can fit either of the two so if you can't find a complete chassis + engine combo then you can relatively easily mix and match.

It all needs pretty good maintenance and at least some knowledge of how to set up the kart chassis (toe, camber, caster, and all that jazz), but I'm sure there is plenty of stuff online.

First stop would probably be to find some karting forums and ask around to see what would be a good package.

I've only ever done a really small amount of very low-level two-strokes (just some racing at University in the Uni championship in our universities E-team.......) but it's properly brilliant fun and when you first get to open the throttle up wide in one it's an incredible feeling.

Hope you find the info you want, and have fun!

TKM and Rotax; TKM being air-cooled and bump started, whilst Rotax are water-cooled and electric start (wo what eddiebaby’s mate bought I assume).

Yep, TKM to Rotax.

You will soon get bored of one track and will probably want to travel further afield. You will probably need expensive trailers and a van etc.to get to the circuits and quite a bit of fuel.i should imagine you have to be committed to it really.youd also need to do all the maintenance.

I’ve been karting twice in my life. Both times I absolutely crushed the opposition.

I'll race you! I've been karting a few more times than you (probably 20+) and have only been beaten twice ever – once by an ex schoolboy champion and once by someone who drove me off the track from behind as I defended my position in first place on the last lap – the bloody stewards didn't spot it and he got away with it.

I used to race a Rotax some years ago

Brilliant fun but by no means a cheap hobby even if just doing single circuits club championships

You can buy a second hand set up reasonably cheaply but then you realise that unless you are Lewis Hamilton (used to race at my local circuit Rye House) other drivers with better gear / willing to spend a lot of cash tend to dominate

And some are serious to the point of aggression - some of the juniors' dads are unbelievable

If you are interested in giving it a go I would recommend getting your racing licence (it's easy) and doing a few races in a hired kart. Quite expensive per race but will allow you to decide whether you really want to buy your own kit

The cost does creep up.
Nathan bought his kart with spares and a trolly/workstand thing for around £500.
He then brought an old railer to fit it in and spent ages getting that sorted. Then he decided he wanted and electric start motor and a bit more power after only 2 days at the track.
He has probably spent well north of £1700 now. Less what he got for selling the old motor.

I think karting is something I'll take a serious look at in a few years if I survive my dabble in motocross. No interest in racing but I do love having a big fast toy to play with. I just can't have more than one at a time.

It can get very expensive, also if you race in a series be prepared for those that bring 6 sets of new tyres and a spare engine.
You can't compete at the same level.

I used to race in the Club 100 Series - it's an arrive and drive series, did it for 5 seasons.
All karts are equal, lighter drivers are ballasted to make it fairer.

At 14 you can go and do the test day to see if you like it, and as long as you are 15 in the same year you can race.

Be prepared these are nothing like the 4 stroke karts - these are way faster!!

I went with a neighbour to Three Sisters in Wigan. Prices have gone up following Covid 19 admittedly but it was £45 each for 30 minutes. Gotta say it was a fantastic 30 minutes and I can see why people get hooked but it even at once or twice a month, it could start to work out expensive.

My best mate at high school was very well off, he used to race karts at club level, they couldn’t afford to be competitive.

I keep looking at karts every now and then, I’ve had a few goes and I faired pretty well, I think I’d do ok club level if I was consistent, but it’s just too much money.

I think just having a kart and driving it on practice days would be reasonably affordable, you could get something like whatever the modern equivalent of a fixed gear TKM is for not a lot of money, but I think I’d be desperate to race in no time and that’s when the costs rack up.

I’ve been karting twice in my life.

I’ll race you!

I've been a handful of times and I'll race the pair of you also. What I lack in ability I make up for with an abject disregard for personal safety. STW kart-meet?

I’ve been a handful of times and I’ll race the pair of you also. What I lack in ability I make up for with an abject disregard for personal safety. STW kart-meet?

Haha, I'd be up for that one too, it might end my 10* year undefeated streak.

I reckon there's something that translates from mountainbiking, that sort of planning ahead where you look down the trail and rather than thinking like a car driver "im going to lift off here and coast and drag the brake to be doing a certain speed at the corner and not slide" you can learn to process it as "hit the brake here, turn in there" so all you're focusing on is making corrections.

*once in

I raced for 15 years, 9 years racing Formula TKM, very successfully and then 125 TM gearbox karts for the remainder, still OK but not quite at the performance I managed in TKM, Both classes at both club and National Championships.

It gets very addictive very quickly, this also means that you need to spend to win. As in most other motorsport.

If you wnat to race 2 strokes properly, then you will need a trailer, awning, spares, and possibly a caravan/motorhome if it gets really serious.

BTW, its about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on !!!!!!

and these things are fast, especially gearbox karts. The 250's have been clocked at Hockenheim at over 180MPH !!!

Ask yourself what do you both want out of it?

I took up racing Rotax's a few years ago. It's great fun, but can be frustrating and its certainly costly. The learning experience has been fun though. indoor karts etc usually have about 5hp, 2t 125's have about 30. They're amazing fun once you get the tyres warm.

My dad used to race gearbox karts when I was small so something I've always wanted to do and cost has put me off. He got us into MTB's rather than cadet racing and I'm glad he did.

We Visited the local club to watch and noticed you could buy a running rotax 2t engined kart for about £1k which seemed reasonable value. so decided to have a punt. Ran with the pre licence group for a while and just doing practice days which was fun.

We got a race licence and went racing which is where the money spirals (had no idea). You soon realise that your budget second hand kart is nowhere near competitive.

Plenty of circuits run open testing so you can just go whenever pretty much and have fun. If you race its expensive but I'd say that just doing practice/test days is 90% of the fun for a fraction of the cost and perhaps getting into racing was a probably silly. Should have been more firm with myself and stuck to practice but racing is real fun.

Visit your local club on a race day. Speak to some people and get a feel for it. everyone will be happy to help out to start with. And learning how to set up it is impossible by yourself with no knowledge (wet/dry/track temps etc). I pay for space in pit and the guy helps me out with that stuff (more money).

Several teams do arrive and drive or will look after you. for the day for a price and I know a few that will run a beginner day (Attaq Motorsport) so they can try it out (well worth it). A bit like a taster day.

where do you live OP? There's usually a facebook group for each local track/club and various buy sell groups.

I'd personally look to buy something with a Rotax senior engine. They're electric starting and pretty reliable. I've heard of ones doing 50 hours. You should be able to get a few years old kart for about £1500 with spares. A recentish rebuild would be good for that money. They should have a logbook for the engine with a stamp.

I raced for 15 years,

You're not invited.

(-:

Vortexracing
Subscriber
I raced for 15 years,

Are you still in touch with Ron Heywood?

yip, but not as often as I would like, how do you know him??

You’re not invited

Spoil Sport 😉

yip, but not as often as I would like, how do you know him??

Used to work with him, think we got chatting on a stw ride once back in the day 🙂

Thanks all.

The intention would simply be to join the local kart club and then pitch up and use their facilities as and when we wanted within their access times. No intention of actually racing. Reality a bit of fun for Jnr and I, plus will give her some 'driving experience' relatively young.

This thread also reminded me that back in the 80's my folks neighbour used to race twin cylinder geared superkarts and often headed to the longer circuits in the UK and overseas. Looks fairly terrifying TBH!

I reckon there’s something that translates from mountainbiking, that sort of planning ahead where you look down the trail

There's something in that. If you're happy to plummet down a mountainside with trees whistling past your handlebars navigating roots, rocks, drops and jumps etc. There's something pretty sterile and none threatening about a silky smooth stretch of tarmac.

Probably explains why last time I went I only really enjoyed the bits where I was elbow to elbow with other people battling for the apex. Racing would be amazing but I can't even consider it. I'd try an arrive and drive experience in a few years if my job is safe.

I think we did Wors, probably around the Rivvy one.

As per Vortexracing, I'm an ex TKM then 125 gearbox karter. Superb amounts of fun for costs that make ebiking look cheap!

When I was keen on 250cc bikes I wandered round to a guy in S London for some Yamaha engine spares. Turned out his didn't have a bike but had a 250cc Kart and the Yam TZ was the hot engine at the time.
I cant remember the numbers but I got the impression that 2 weekends racing and it was pretty much a full engine/gearbox rebuild. Looked bonkers.