[James McMahon]

Check with your org to ensure you can run the ’01.
Otherwise you can swap them yes. ’01 is arguably faster, depending who you ask but harder to tune, YMMV.
Biggest pain is if your stick the ’01 and need to replace it, you cant just transfer your valve plugs over to the new cylinder. $$

[James McMahon]

Seat sime is good, but its overemphasised IMO. Here’s why.
You can drive all you want, and pound laps to your heart’s content but if you’re practicing bad habits you’re going to get nowhere.

[James McMahon]

I had an exhausting trip to come see the Rock but it was worth it, even if it was just to watch other people have all the fun.
Looking forward to ’14…

[James McMahon]

Pre entry for Gingerman closes tonight at midnight. Enter early, save money and bag a good starting position….

msreg.com/CESGingerman13

[James McMahon]

Yep that was me…. If the motor is verifiable as Comet built and maintained I’d go for that maybe, but I’d pass on the chassis unless it was uuber cheap. Like $500.

[James McMahon]

Bob you’re being very vague here. What brands are you talking about that are strong in Europe but not here? I mean core brands here.
Assuming that there is a lot of interest from euro companies (source?!)  in most cases its not really their money on the line, taking the risk.  Its the importers. So yeah, I’d be interested too if I could flog 50 chassis to someone and let them handle the rest!

[James McMahon]

It wont do any harm perse, other than perhaps gum up the ring and or powervalve sooner. Arguably it could affect your jetting too.. Probably the biggest debate would be on issues that might occur when you switch from castor to syth.

Just go with the Motul or XPS. You could sell the castor on ebay or EKN or something. Keep a bottle or two for the KPV if you still have it.

[James McMahon]

I think I spoke to you at rock island (I was wearing the Wildkart\GPI Racing shirt).
$3000 seems a lot for a kart that’s unidentifiable. Doesn’t strike me as a Wildkart at all other than the pedals!

-Frame doesnt look like any Wildkart that I’m familiar with.
-Caster pills look more like the italkart or SKM variety rather than anything WK.

Does it have a CIK\FIA homologation stamped on it anywhere? Given the apparent lack of that, I’m inclined to think possibly an SQ as well…

Nothing wrong with SQ by themselves, they are meant to be a budget kart. Don’t think I’d be parting with $3000 for it.

[James McMahon]

Sore/Bruised/Cracked ribs
Stiff neck
Bruised knees
Forearm pump

You can take measures to mitigate these of course…

A seat that fits and hugs you in the right places (A lot of people swear by ribtect, let’s just say I don’t)
Rib protector that does same but more padding will mean less feel.
Heel stops (helps support your body under the forces)
Overall fitness and weight.

That said, sometimes you catch a bump the wrong way at the wrong time and……pop. OW!

[James McMahon]

There was talk about KMI coming back it doesnt look like the economic climate is quite ready yet.  I would guess the winter kart show in Springfield IL will go ahead though..
http://winterkartshow.com/

[James McMahon]

Neat motor but if you have 250cc displacement it must be single cylinder for UAS/Pro open. So you’ll have to settle for just one.

[James McMahon]

Keep coils and fuel pump diaphragms handy. Even better have a  spare, clean fuel pump.
Head gaskets. Stator too if you can.
Chassis wise, seat brackets and perhaps bearings and heim joints?

[James McMahon]

I get the need for spec, just not the OBSESSION!

[James McMahon]

I break my wallet a lot…

Joking aside, if you keep it on the asphalt not a lot break on them normally. The CRG brakes are very expensive, but they are also very awesome.

[James McMahon]

Karting pictures on your desk at work?
One, yes.

Have you been known to turn any racing conversation into a conversation about karts?
Usually, I mean thats where real racing happens :D

Do offer to help new people out getting started?
Yes, continuously

Do you attend the local club meetings? (Are you on the board?)
Nope.  Don’t even know if they have a board

Do you volunteer at the local club?
Nope

Do you donate used equipment to the club?(Old chassis that could be used for an Arrive-n-drive)
I’ve donated tires and stuff.

Would you race 2 classes if they needed another kart?
If I can physically handle it and can afford it, of course.

What do you do?
Built a clone kart to give my neighbours a sample of karting.
Fair bit of FaceBook activity, video and other promotional-type stuff
Interact and help people where I can on boards like this
Volunteer a lot for the series I run (CES) ( 100hours logged in since March.)
Working on building a website for karting
I try to support the local tracks and kart business whenever I can in whatever way I can. This year I am skipping a regional CES race, and will instead race at my local track at the end of the year.

[James McMahon]

I think the bottom line is nobody really knows. We can all guess and apply our own theories/rationale but I think that’s about it.

Homologation info for the CRF250 package started circling about a year ago.

[James McMahon]

Does the TRX450 have a balance shaft? If not it’s going to SUCK in a kart. MEGA has a balance shaft which I guess makes such a big displacement motor more palatable for a kart. I’ve seen a couple of onboard from the MEGA and its seriously quick, arguably too quick!

[James McMahon]

Set your kart for around 103-105MPH @ 12,800RPM

If you just want to get started, take your pick from 19:24, 18:23 or 17:22 and change as/if needed.

If you don’t already have it John Denmans gearcalc sheet is super handy: http://www.kartweb.com/TechArt/GearMaster.xls

Be sure to correct the tire circumference if you need to.

[James McMahon]

Your 250ICE time was just about 2.4 seconds faster than a 125 Stock Honda over a two minute lap?!? Same track at the same time. I assume you were breaking in?

[James McMahon]

The pair of you need to drop it already.

Manuals are always handy to have, but if one always went with only the “Factory” manual on a lot of things motoring related we’d be pretty screwed. Bentley and Haynes come to mind.

Chris your argument is equally weak when it comes to tolerances unless the manual you are talking about refers to a cr125 running an R4 or SK-1 pipe, 38mm carb (pumparound, magic can or GFS), bolted on a kart running on asphalt getting the absolute piss revved out of it 30+ times a lap. Yeah, its neat to have when you need to assemble it, no doubt but it’s hardly the mecca of information that you claim it is.

I’m pretty sure the CR125 manual you hold in such high regard was written (or approved, whatever) by Honda with no consideration for use in a shifter kart application.

By your own logic, we should be looking for a manual from Honda or HPD that is specific to a CR125 “Stock Moto” in a kart racing application. If you have one, post a link, otherwise drop it.

Homologation sheets are not a replacement for a manual, however Tom does have some good guides on his website that apply to most ICC\KZ motors. Pretty sure there’s a few videos out there on youtube too.

 

P.S. We all get you are a badass driver and motor builder.

[James McMahon]

I’m so pissed I’m going to miss the RIGP this year. I was going to enter a stock Maxter XF2 KF with an aircooled Vortex VR-98 100CC rotary FA as a backup. Wouldn’t have had much on pace, but keeping off the walls is half the battle.

I applaud Lynn, Roger and all those for working to get this class off the ground. If nothing else if gives the spectators something exciting to see, hear and smell and at a street race I feel that this is vital. KOS with stock honda’s just doesn’t offer the same spectacle IMO, even though the competition is fierce.

[James McMahon]

Why does it only have to be gearbox and wankels? My 2c is start with it open and see who comes.

KF is like a Rotax Max on steroids. Single gear, 219 chain. KF2 makes about 32-34 peak HP.  Times are usually on par with a Stock Moto. I figured since you have the Aixro and so on in the list, you might as well throw in KF as well thats all. I like the idea of the class. Would be cool to see all the different types of karts duke it out.

[James McMahon]

Any discussion involving an oil tends to be a slippery one!

Don’t sweat the small stuff and this is small stuff. Dry or wet clutch, I check level and condition each weekend, change it each season when the cases get cracked open. A season for me is about 4 road races though, so say 8hrs of running, some run a lot more in a year. The car oil analogy doesn’t apply as you don’t (or at least shouldn’t) have combustion byproducts in your gear oil!! The gear surface area is pretty large in these transmissions compared to the torque that’s being transmitted through them.

I think you could argue either way as to whether MotoX or karting is harder on the tranny. Sure you are WFO in a kart a lot more, but think of the aggressive loading\unloading that happens on the motos. Then there’s the dust…

Sure, every little adds up, but you have to draw the line somewhere and without any real evidence I think this is where I would draw the line. Check it once in a while, you’ll be fine, and yes I’m talking about oil bath clutches too.

If you really wanna nerd out, get a UOA done on your used transmission oil, that will tell you EXACTLY whats going on: Viscosity, additives remaining, contamination (gear or bearing material) etc etc.
ATF can be used (ever pull apart an auto transmission?….series of wet clutches in there) but I’d only do it with fresh plates. Otherwise, just run a good “racing” motorcycle-type gearbox oil, check it and let’r buck. Personally though, I think in this case its a good idea of have the extra anti-shear properties of the racing gearbox oil.

Don’t overthink it.

[James McMahon]

Online registration at motorsportreg is now open for Gingerman. Come get some!
http://msreg.com/CESGingerman13

[James McMahon]

Sadly I can’t make it, but here’s a track map anyway…

 

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