[Rod Hawkins]

Wow, this post hits the nail on the head. All this was done and it was called “progress”. I am not sure what kind of progress or how some people define success, but this isn’t a way to do it. I have gone from checking this site almost daily to checking it a couple times a week. There just isn’t enough content or new activity. No matter what BS excuse is given, those are the facts.

[quote quote=34438]First you take all the threads posts and comments acumulated over 10 years all the stuff that posters took the time to think about , put into words and create threads or reponses and you throw it all into an archive to die.

Then you make all the members sign up all over again. At first the process is clumsy and frustrating.

Then you make posting photos a mystery obvisouly it still is to some and it is not the same or as easy as the old forum.

Then somehow you make difficult or impossible to copy and paste without turning your post into some that looks like a secret code.

So some get frustrated and walk away. Then some that aren’t frustrated get bored from the lack of content and walk away and so begins the death spiral.

WAKE UP it’s not social media or the time of year or the economy and people didn’t suddenly decide to stop talking and just read. Who ever decided to make the switch in the manner it was done knowingly or not came up with the perfect formula to kill a forum.

Brian

[/quote]

[Rod Hawkins]

Updated availability and pricing

[Rod Hawkins]

Depends on what is supported in your area.

Kt100
Kpv100
World formula
Etc. These are all options

[Rod Hawkins]

Dan,

If you are coming from other sports like I did, the eye candy at shops is very disappointing in karting. The money and population just isn’t there to support it. I also ride dirt bikes, mountain bikes and surf. I love to check out equipment before I purchase. If you are looking for a local kart shop to compare to a motorcycle super store, or bike shop, it just is probably not going to happen.

Stu has a couple new karts and a BUNCH of used (but nice) used karts (used isn’t even a good word. Think of them as certified pre owned. Almost. He usually takes them all apart, powdercoats them, gets all the parts running correctly and sells them. Then he will go to the track with you to help tune it). I live in SoCalif and was surprised at the inability to walk into a shop and get tempted to buy something. I had been to several and stu’s is the best, but it still isn’t like a motorcycle superstore if that is what you are expecting, but you get way more than that in someone who will be straight up with you and talk karting and support his product.

[Rod Hawkins]

I have been researching this a lot lately as well. I have the banana brakes on my birel and I recently bought a tony chassis. I hate the otk brakes. Hate them. Some people like less braking power and more modulation. The brakes are so different that the braking points are totally different and I can’t get use to it. I recent bought a banana brake set up to throw on the otk (with a lot of modifications).

Just depends on what people like. If you like powerful braking, people say the banana brakes are the best ones ever made (from the research I have done).

[Rod Hawkins]

I have only raced about 6 or 7 races. Half of those races have been cut short by either crashing (hurting myself and/or kart) or mechanicals.

Every time I think I am prepared, something else breaks. Blown engine (only my 3 time out on it), broken header (who could have predicted that?) and broken clutch. That doesn’t could the numerous broken chains or stripped drive gears I have gone thru in practice or a race. Just when I think I have everything in working order something else breaks. Last race it was my clutch and it wasn’t found until I went to start the final race. The worst part is, I had a spare kart and another spare engine I could have run.

For now on, I am going to have both karts go through tech check, and bring both to the grid. If one has an issue right there my back up will be sitting in last place and I will hop on it and go. I can’t afford to keep going out and paying and come away without racing. One of the most frustrating things in the world.

If I were you, I would take 2 karts ready to race and bring all the typical maintance parts (chains, gears, etc). The other kart can work as a back up or a donor.

[Rod Hawkins]

Bump. This kart is in great condition. First one to see it will buy it. It is that good.

[Rod Hawkins]

Carlos. Sent email and texts. No reply yet. Is this still available? Please send me pictures.

[Rod Hawkins]

Wow. Just tried to check out getting that beadlock repair kit. $15 seemed like a reasonable price for 3 beadlocks and a tool to rethread. But $18 shipping from PA to Ca? Holy crap, looks like I will do my own. What a joke.

[Rod Hawkins]

After a lot of searching, looks like I found another option. 5mm to 6mm repair kit. Anyone have any experience with this kit?

http://www.zero-error.com/whats_new.php

[Rod Hawkins]

Agree 100%!!!! I have a few other hobbies and visit sites on a regular basis to feel my interest and learn more. This sport has by far been the hardest to learn about. And it isn’t even close.

I understand the lack of magazines on the shelf, but I am really surprised at the lack of tech info, product tests, and DIY stuff.

Know how hard it is to tune a kart without some pro sitting next to you all day at the track. Just to find baseline info and ask questions regarding, “if my kart does …… Around these types of corners, how do I begin to solve that problem?”.

Lukily I know a couple people that do give me some advice, but I get tired of bugging them, so I go back to guessing.

Examples. What should the baseline set up be for me at XYZ track running my Birel R31 with a kpv?

Or

Since I hate the OTK brakes so bad, how can I improve the braking power and how could one modify it to put a Birel brake on an OTK (I have seen this done using a custom bracket, but I don’t feel too comfortable asking how to do it, since the person is so busy, but it seems like an easy enough modification people would talk about it.).

Or

How to modify the 180mm OTK brakes to the 206mm?

The list goes on. I google a lot, but this sport, as technical as it is, has very little information.

Maybe all the experts that set these things up like to keep the secrets to themselves, that’s the only thing I can think of?

[Rod Hawkins]

Reggie,

You want to scour the classifieds section. Here is an example of something that you might look for. This is at the low end of the price scale and used for a KPV with a chassis and full set up on the higher end will be $3-4,000. Without knowing the condition of this chassis, it is a pretty good deal. I bought the exact chassis model a year ago with a leopard motor for $2400 (I got ripped off, but didn’t know better). Got interested in F100 and sold the leopard for the same price I got the KPV (used) for.

https://new.ekartingnews.com/forums/topic/socal-2005-margay-brava-1-4-hpv-100cc/

If you are looking to spend $2500-4000 range, contact stu, he gets karts and basically strips them, paints them and gets all parts in great working order and sells them for about 1/2 price of new (but your kart will look new). He will also take you out and teach you how to drive, and tune it to your liking. Think of if kind of like a certified preowned car, since he will back lot of the parts for a little while (opposed to buying a used one and it braking on the first race and you are left fixing it on your own).

Actually I think my brother has a spare roller (everything but motor) he might be looking to sell, send me a PM if you might be interested in that too. I think with a motor you could do it slightly less than that ad I posted.

[Rod Hawkins]

This is a great idea for a night sprint. Too bad the wt classes don’t fit my equip list with my body type. I have a tony and a birel and with my wt using my KPVs I am at 365-370. For me to race this I’d have to lose over 30#. Not many 5’11” 44 year old dudes that weigh 150 or under. Too bad.

[Rod Hawkins]

Reggie,

Come to the next F100 race, walk the pits, introduce yourself, etc. if you get to the pits, just ask for a guy named “Stu”, everyone will know who he is. He is a good resource and will get you familiar. He does race as well, so he might be busy tuning and fixing or racing, but if you get there early enough he can introduce you to several of the racers and we can all answer your questions. It’s a great atmosphere and tons of fun.

The biggest problem you might have is bring competitive with 3 brothers sitting on each other’s laps while trying to race. Iirc, Stu might have some rental karts available too.

[Rod Hawkins]

Duplicate post

[Rod Hawkins]

Depending on condition, sounds like a decent price. Someone buy this and join us for the F100 series!!

[Rod Hawkins]

Tom,

It probably depends on what equip you run and what level you are use to racing.

I love the F100 series. We race every track in the area (grange, calspeed, parris, Adams and willow springs). Best of all the guys are super nice to hang out with and very helpful. There are 3 levels, so if you are experienced, you will race against some of the fastest people around, if you are a beginner, the class still has 12-15 people in it every week.

Check out f100 karters online.

Some people will race the F100 series along with other series as well. The F100 series also has a shifter class as well (obviously not the same 100cc motor, but some guys like to run shifters and 100cc on the same day).

[Rod Hawkins]

[quote quote=28687]I have seen the same setup as pictured, problem is for me is that a car is to low to the ground so the setup does not work. If you use a truck or SUV why not just put it inside.[/quote]

I don’t like having to take off the wheels and the Nerf bars to put it inside also it takes up a lot of storage space so if I need to bring a lot of tools or other equipment.

[Rod Hawkins]

Ya. I already have a trailer like that, just wanted something quick and easy. Getting the trailer from my sideyard to the street and setting it up can be a little bit of a pain

[quote quote=28669]I shopped these for a while and just recently gave up and bought a folding Harbor Freight 4×8 trailer. I have a large enclosed trailer/toy hauler for long trips, but for just quick trips to the local track that was mega overkill. I just wanted something small & light that didn’t take up much room for storage to use on short trips – which is why a hitch carrier would’ve been perfect, but pre-made ones were way overpriced IMHO, and I’ve got too many projects to take on building my own right now.

I had this same HF trailer a few years ago with my formula 500 car (about 600#, 55″ wide, ~9′ long), and it worked great. It only takes up about a 5′ x 2′ area in the shed for storage once folded, and has proven to be easily capable of handling the load for several years of service – all for about $230 out the door if you find the right coupon.
[/quote]

[Rod Hawkins]

Yep, although that is way more than what the motorcycle carriers cost and other hitch haulers. The kart is under 200 lbs, so it isn’t like it has to be a huge deal

[Rod Hawkins]

Looks like I finally found it, they are same

http://www.franklinkart.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=3654

[Rod Hawkins]

Run the Kosmic/otk with Yamaha in F100 series in SoCal. Great racing and not too expensive.

Do a search for f100 series

[Rod Hawkins]

No one prevents you to wear leathers. I sometimes where my dirt bike pants and jersey (very breathable).

[Rod Hawkins]

My username is “Rod Hawkins”.  If I try to login using that user name it doesn’t work.  I know the trick now, because I have done it enough times, but the trick is to login using “rod-hawkins” and it will work.  It is very frustrating to figure out at first and I almost gave up, and if I weren’t so OCD, I would have long ago.  Which makes me wonder if that is why the site seems slower than it did before the change?

[Rod Hawkins]

[quote quote=27380]We are receiving at least 20 new members a day. To me, that’s growth. It’s taken people time to adjust to the new forum, and like the old forum, many just watch without posting. The forum is to answer questions about the sport. We’ve eliminated all the drama BS that occurred on the old site. Our mission is to provide a place for karters to ask and discuss the sport.

Rod, for someone who seems to think the site is a ‘ghost town’, you are posting one classified a month. Classifieds continue to be our busiest section of the forums. – AND YOU SOLD YOUR LAST ITEM. I’d say that’s a success, wouldn’t you?

Regarding the ‘New Post since Last Visit’ – we have been unable to adjust the standard system in place for the forum. It is a something that we have not been able to find an adjustment for. However, there are other options

New Posts: Last Day

New Posts: Last Three Days

New Posts: Last Week

New Posts: Last Month

You can find those at the top of the screen where it says EKN Forums with the little logo next to it.
[/quote]

No. Just any growth isn’t much success to me. I guess it just depends on the goals you establish. It just seems like before I would go to the general discussion area and the front page there would be several new topics and chatter. Now on the front page there are topics that haven’t been replied to in almost 3 weeks. I use to come and be able to spend a lot of time learning and watching people discuss topics, now I can come and look at classifieds, look at general discussion and a few other things and be done in 10 min with all the new posts I want to read.

The lay out it great, graphics are great, everything seems to work very well, but I think something happens with the quarky way the login works that people just give up trying to join or log in.

Is the site a “success”? Those are relative terms, but I think it could easily be 3 times more busy.

[Author]

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