[Daniel Wendel]

The flat top piston is from VHM. You would need use their head insert for the flat top piston, which brings it correct combustion chamber volume.
The flat top allows about 2% more airflow at low exhaust port openings vs the 4 degree TM “special”.
I found it made a more power compared to the K9B standard.

[Daniel Wendel]

My wrist pin circlip decided it wanted to break in half this weekend, and damage the cylinder, VHM flat top piston and head insert on my K9b.
So I am in the same boat as Anthony, my rules also allow mixed homologation.

I am thinking about doing the KZ10c cylinder, VHM FT piston, and KZ10c pipe.

[Daniel Wendel]

Just a follow up,
I rebuilt the bottom end. When I separated the case I found the magneto side crank seal to have failed. Which I guess was blowing pulses of air out at high rpm.
Raced it last week and no extra heat was felt.

[Daniel Wendel]

Email sent

[Daniel Wendel]

I can wobble the crank up/down if I rock it where the clutch cover bearing would be. I am just going to replace the bottom end bearings since I have no idea how may hours are on them.

[Daniel Wendel]

Scott, letter summited.
As far as attendance for KM goes, it could defiantly improve on the local level, as well as national.
There is a big hurdle for new drivers entering KM between finding a mod moto engine, or dealing with the extra engine costs of a KZ, and 2 strokes in general. It is not that appealing for new drivers, it is not a class you can just jump in and be fast. That is why street class has taken off, bolt some RE71s on and race the whole season, cheap, fun and competitive.
KM needs to look at alternatives, such as spec Honda as the base engine config of the class, not hidden in mod moto rules. You see listing here everyday for spec Honda engines, how often is a mod for sale?
I have asked a few people why they don’t want to drive KM, most say they don’t want to deal with 2 strokes and the maintenance that is also required. 4 strokes they would like. Currently the CRF250 is an expensive option, and also illegal for the class. If a national karting series starting running them I am sure the prices would drop.
Then there is the L0206/clone, very popular class at kart tracks around the country, while not as fast as a single speed tag. They are cheap, reliable and easy on tires, meaning easier entry to the class. This would be a far stretch to run in the same class as a shifter and be remotely close in times. I hate the ideas of additional classes, but may be we should explore and look deeper this route. Again currently legal but not competitive against a single speed TAG. One thought is to remove the age cap on FJA and make it junior, senior and master in a single class structure?

For the existence of KM to continue I think we should start talking about what needs to be done to get newer drivers into the class.

[Daniel Wendel]

I think the CRF250 would be a better engine for heavier drivers due to the increase of torque the 4 Stoke makes. I think a 415lb min weight would be a good balance. The increased torque and large powerband would make it very good for autocross.

[Daniel Wendel]

Per current SCCA rules it is not legal due to the wording for no engine bigger than 125cc.
I have made the claim that a mod moto that has been overbored is illegal for being higher than 125cc. But never filed any paper work, since it is most likely my driving that lost not an extra 0.2CCs
As nice as it would be for the larger guys to use a bigger motor to be more competitive.  I am still going to say, KM and karting in general is a physical sport and benefits from drivers in good fitness.
Sure 410lb with a KZ engine can be tough to make if the driver is taller, but most race series run around or below that min weight for KZ engines. With a good driver, chassis setup, and good engine, I don’t see why they would not be able to place in the trophies at nationals.

[Daniel Wendel]

I have always felt that you can get a decent base setup at the practice course, but depending on what day of the week it is the amount of OPR and rubber on the practice course can be very different. Also since the practice course is normally the same every year the concrete is worn were the line is and has a slightly different grip level over the main courses.
Keep in mind that Thursday and Friday the temperatures are foretasted to be in the mid to upper 70s so tire temps and surface temps may be a factor.

[Daniel Wendel]

As per facebook:
West: Out
S Lower: Budget
Durr: Forgetting
Boito: Racing Cars and Budget
Langenfeld: Budget
R Lower: Budget
Newton: Baby
Walsh: Baby and move

[Daniel Wendel]

I had my kart on the scales this winter when I was installing a new seat, a friend and I played with moving the engine. Basically what we found is that the engine placement made very little difference. If we moved the engine roughly 4 inches it would only change the F:R bias 0.2% cross would not change at all. I was getting more weight transfer by putting my hands on the steering wheel vs my lap.
This was with my TopKart with a TM k9b. Engines don’t weight that much for a kart, yeah it is 32 lbs but when it is right next to the driver that weighs 150-200lbs. The driver is going to have a much greater influence on the kart.
Not to mention how the engine is mounted to the chassis vs a seat.

[Daniel Wendel]

In Southern VA you have Blue Ridge region SCCA which runs quite a bit in Verona which is not suitable for karts due to the severity of bumps. They do run Salem civic center and Roanoke civic centers which are a bit on the gravely side but can be done in a kart.
If you near the coast then TideWater Sports car club. They have the ACU-4 pad which is a nice site.

If you want to travel a bit to NC, you have Triad Sports car club and Central Carolina region SCCA. Both are very welcome to karts and have some of the best drivers in the area. Also if you have not done an event at Zmax drag way I would highly recommend it.

Triad has an event this weekend in Winston-Salem NC. auto-x.com

Tarheal Sports car has NCCAR in Roanoke rapids but most of the time the course is just too fast and not enough autocross for a kart. Would be great fun in a car but very boring in a kart that can stay flat though all the gates.

Later this year there may be some events at Danville airport.  We are currently on hiatus there due to the runways being repaved. They say it should be done soon, but we are not sure of the currentcondition of the lot.

[Daniel Wendel]

So the little springs get weak over time and not able to ratchet the drum correctly. That would make sense why it is doing that.
It looks like there is also an adjustment pin for the return spring. What is the proper procedure adjust that? I see the lock nut and the the cam adjustment screw. I want that adjuster to hold the ratchet tabs into both drum detents?

Thanks for your help guys.

[Daniel Wendel]

I bought some lead, I just have to make the insert. I finally got to weigh the kart since it is new to me and not thought about weighing it since I have only done locals in it. We found it to be quite heavy it was 220lbs with not much fuel in it. So I think we will be fine with what I have.
How did you construct the insert?  I was thinking about forming the lead into small octagons and then tying them all together with solid steel wire, then making a foam padded cover for it.

[Daniel Wendel]

Me and my co-driver who is currently not registered will there. Got to find him roughly 50 pounds of ballast to be legal.

[Daniel Wendel]

We should also make the Aixro XR50 legal as well.
Change the 19.1.D.4 to

Engines must be either a) mass produced single cylinder two-stroke engines not to exceed 125 cc or b) mass produced single, twin cylinder or rotary, four-stroke engines not to exceed 295 cc of total displacement. No prototype, pre-production, “works-type” motors or road race engines are allowed. Shifter or gearbox type motors are prohibited. Karts with engines under this specification must run at a minimum weight of 360 lbs.

[Daniel Wendel]

[quote quote=22774]
1) There are many of us who will NEVER make minimum weight in KM

2) This engine family is not growing, homologations are expiring, parts are getting more expensive and rare (for some older motors)

3) ICC motors are not winning anywhere[/quote]

Hahahahaha,

1) Karting is not for big people, just a fact. I was 215lbs before this season, I am down to 185lbs now, just by eating right. So it is possible depending on how serious you are.

2) What?? KZ2&KZ2 is very popular across the pond. You have many new engines to chose from TM KZ10b, Maxter, Vortex, IAME, and more.
How is this different than using a Mod Moto which was popular in the sprint world how many years ago?

3) I am shaking my head at this… Last year at nationals was my first nationals and I just got into karting. The first time I drove one was in April. Now the first day of nationals I was sitting in 11th place, which was the “lower HP” friendly course.  The second day was a complete disaster for me due to a clutch failure. Basically I had a FM car, not to mention how hung over I was, which is my fault. I guarantee you if you put Paul Russell in a KZ kart he would still win. To say they are not winning because they have KZ engine is moronic.

Curious to see what a modified KZ can make power wise. Not sure if any more power than what a legal KZ can make is worth it in an autocross. The power band of the KZ engines are already narrow and peaky. Modding with out adding PI would make it even more narrow of a power band. Which is not what you want in an autocross.

I say NO to this.

[Daniel Wendel]

Still think the tire/rim size rule is stupid.  Just go spec Hoosier R50 to make the people who want their free tires happy.
No matter what rule you put in place kart tires and rims are cheap enough that what ever is the fastest people will go out and buy. It is going to be a “spec” tire even if the rules say you can use what ever you want. All 33 KM&L drivers at the 2013 nationals had MG tires. In 2012 all 31 drivers used MG tires. In 2011 only 2 karts had Hoosiers everyone else lets guess… MGs. 2010 had one kart with bridgestones all the rest MG. SCCA is broken for anything before 2010, so I can’t get the data. It seems like the MG is the “spec” tire currently with no rule in place whist other tires that are legal are available such as the Vega XP and Hoosier R50 and others.

 

[Daniel Wendel]

Why not just have a spec tire. If the SCCA can talk to Hoosier and get them to offer contingency and a good suppler. Why not declare the Hoosier “22370” and “22150” in the R50 compound the spec tire?

FJ uses spec tires and so do most W2W classes, why not KM?

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