[Troy Berry]

I’m thinking I might try the charger from Fastech when I get a lithium for my Ka.

http://www.fastech-racing.com/battery-tender-800-acid-lithium-junior-battery-charger.html

The battery/charger combo looks like a good deal. Plus I like that it is made specifically for powersports.

Anyone know if you can run some Automotive style LED 12v lights off the system without taxing it? We like to throw some on the kart for  night racing!

[Troy Berry]

One thing to keep in mind is the Chassis type. Without a doubt, at the big races the karts running up front are on a chassis that is designed to work with the Motor type. This is especially becoming the case in 4 cycle, now that some of the manufactures have taken notice of the LO206 revolution and started developing chassis specifically for the 4 cycle motor. You see the difference in the way they make the chassis for an inboard drive, generally 28mm tubing, 40mm axles, and lighter components overall. If you goal is to race a 206, then a 4 cycle specific chassis like the BirelArt am29, the new VLR from RLV, the Praga Dark, or the Tony Kart STVK will work best overall. If your serious and want to keep at it, spend more than you want and buy newer. Overall you will be happier than chasing the problems of a used kart that wasn’t made for 4 cycles anyway!

[Troy Berry]

Gary Lawson is def the king of 4 cycle’s and his advise if golden! I have to ask because inquiring minds want to know. We have found with our Lo206 on our home track in Reno that there are a couple of spots where keeping the gas on full with a quick tap of the brakes to set up the corner seems to help. We really only have 3 braking zones on our longer layouts.  On some of the corners it seems that getting off the gas  takes the momentum out of the motor more than if we don’t. I don’t have any experience with other tracks with this kart, so maybe it’s just because of our particular track conditions. Now when we run the short track, it doesn’t work because we have some slower speed  tighter corners that require a lift off the throttle.  So I guess what I am asking is can there be exceptions to any technique? Of course I am NOT talking about trail braking in the corner, in a 4 cycle that is the kiss of death. Most braking must be finished by turn in is the general rule on a 4 cycle. It was different in my Tag, as trail braking was helpful at times with higher horsepower in higher speed sweepers. Or maybe it was just my bad technique? I do realized being on the gas and brakes at the same time builds  some heat throughout the drive train.  At the same time keeping the RPM’s up helps to get off the corner better. Karting is so cool, such a mix of Art and Science!

[Troy Berry]

I just got the Mycron 5 for my son (Jr 2 driver) and we are doing Revs and GPS as well. The WiFi built in makes it very easy. Downloading is quick and simple. He is already learning how to analyze his data and can see where he needs to make improvements. I highly recommend taking this step if you’re looking for 10ths.

[Troy Berry]

You will want to get spare Heim joints. They usually bend or break with the tie rods.

 

[Troy Berry]

Maybe something like this will work?http://www.accelerationkarting.com/pedalextensions.aspx

Might be able to slide them past the bend and use a sleeve to make up the difference?

.

 

[Troy Berry]

I take it a step farther and buy elevator bolts, and grind the square part down. I also cup them just slightly before install and they sit very flush on the bottom of the floor pan.

I also use a conical washer on top under the nylock nut. They make a good washer and it gives it a nice finished look. They are pretty sweet!

[Troy Berry]

I use this product and make my own. Very good thick vinyl for number panels works great.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/4275/i/factory-effex-universal-number-plate-backgrounds

I get it at my local MX store.

[Troy Berry]

One way to see how much lift you will get is to have your driver turn the wheels all the way to one side while sitting in the kart on level ground.  Now grab the inside rear wheel with your hand and give it a lift. Turn the wheel the opposite direction and check the other side to see if it lifts evenly. You can feel how much pressure it takes to lift the wheel. Now go to the outside tire and try to lift it. You can’t. This will give you a basic understanding of how much the front adjustments will influence the inside rear wheel  lift during jacking.

[Troy Berry]

Chris,

Yes, our track has a top coating on it, which actually helped with the grip on our surface.  I was thinking about the fronts only option. I think I will have to try it. Seems like having max front grip would be a good thing, regardless of how the rears are gripping up.

[Troy Berry]

There are several Intrepid dealers around the country and Champion Racing in Oklahoma is the importer.  Where are you located? You should have no worries unless you have a problem on race day and something weird breaks.  Most of the parts are inter changeable with other brands, for the most part. Are you buying from a shop or an individual? If the latter, can you have a kart shop go over the kart for you? Good luck and welcome to the sport!

 

[Troy Berry]

Thanks for the advise! That all seems to make sense. Tune the chassis to the tires as well as track conditions. I’ll bet as we hit our very hot and dry race days of summer here in the high desert  the new tires will make less of a difference. With the air temp at 70-80 and when the sun is out, he is having a hard time getting the tire pressure to raise much more than a pound per tire during a run. That is starting at 15- 16 lbs. A couple of the fast guys start a little higher around 18, but my driver starts sliding around a lot if I bump him up that much.  We are using Douglas LV Mag wheels which seem to be very consistent with their heat cycles.  What is the average or optimal heat gain that I should be getting during an average 12 lap session or race? I’m not sure he is getting the tires hot enough to get the rubber at the optimal grip level.

 

[Troy Berry]

It’s some sort of composite material, and fairly flexible. It’s not as rigid as a Ribtech type, and not as much padding. My 12 year old kid likes it for his Jr 2 Lo206 class, which is an Intrepid Cruiser with a Tillet 1/2 padded seat.  From a parents standpoint, I like the extra chest and spine padding . But I don’t think it has any real advantage for an adult. It might work if your not a big guy.

[Troy Berry]

The CRG RS5 has been around for a few years.

http://eknclassic.com/news_info.php?n=17247&sid=c95170ce47931cbacf79ef6056f5aac5

Here’s another pic with a 206

http://www.kartingclassifieds.com/ads/crg-rs5-2014-4-stroke-racing-kart/#.VTsfiCFVhBc

 

There are a couple of them at our track. They are pretty nice karts with the Lo206. I heard that since PSL is no longer the CRG distributor, CRG USA is going to  make it available with a different name.

[Troy Berry]

I have a 206 on an 08 Intrepid Cruiser Tag chasis. I use the Triple T mount from Innovative Karting:

http://www.innovativekarting.com/engines.htm

This mount is awesome. I have to use about a 3/4 inch offset, but the mount is solid and does not cause vibration or twisting. I’m guessing it’s because the Base plates are a little thicker, as is recommended by B&S.  And the bonus is, it’s adjustable from the top and super easy to get the chain right. I just clear the seat strut with the drive gear toward the seat. Otherwise my third bearing hanger would not allow a motor side drive gear. It’s an awesome and easy package. My kid loves to drive it!

[Troy Berry]

I think a lot of us use Tri-Flo for this purpose. Does the trick nicely! Use as needed to keep parts moving freely. It depends on what you clean your moving parts with, but we re- apply whenever things get sticky.

 

http://www.triflowlubricants.com/

[Troy Berry]

I like this stuff called Tire Snot. It looks like this, although mine is several years old and I’m not sure if they make it anymore? It last forever, I’ve had mine several years and it’s still good to go.

 

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/bigpicture.asp?RecId=6023

 

A search of tire snot leads to this stuff, which looks like it may be a newer version because it has a similar logo!

http://www.westracingproducts.com/Tire-Snot-Bead-Lubrication_p_206.html

[Troy Berry]

Now that’s what I love about this sport. Getting solid advise from a major karting champion……priceless. Thanks Gary!

[Troy Berry]

Perhaps I should add a little more info on what I’m thinking to get any thoughts. We run the Bridgestone YHC. Typically at our track it’s about 13-15 psi. I am using DWT MAG LV.  My kid(driver) is 5′ and 125 lbs. Going to mount the seat as far forward as possible, bottom flat and even with the bottom of the frame rails. No crossbars. Rear ride height  set at max. up.  Rear axle is soft. Front set up neutral. Our track is 7/10’s of a mile., long straight, 2-3 sweepers and 2 tighter (slower) corners. Gearing will start around 15/57.  Thanks!

[Troy Berry]

When she left, it occurred to me that if I wanted to work on the kart in the house nothing was really stopping me. :-) I had my kids Cadet in the Dining room last winter as I rebuilt it from scratch. Had it in the house for about a month right on the dinning room table. I will admit that I took it back to the garage once the Motor was mounted. Why not, it was warm in the house! Haha

[Troy Berry]

It would be better of course if they can get the price down a bit. Buying in mass quantities helps with that.  An X-30  or Rotax package goes for over $3000 USD.   The only system that is missing from the KA 100 is the  radiator, pump, etc.  So it doesn’t seem like  the price is that far out of line with current packages.  With a  battery and a starter  it’s going to be higher than a KPV.  But also much nicer to use for the average guy. Time will tell on the rebuild intervals. As far as builders doing their thing, that’s always going to happen. But it’s not such an issue with most of us at the club level who just want to have fun on a slightly slower 2 stroke.  Yamaha’s have been gone from the Nor-Cal scene for a while now. KPV is mostly  run in the Jr. classes around here if at all.  We run 125 & 80 Shifters,  125 Tags, Jr KPV(2 entries) and Clones.  We need something between Tag and Clone and I think this would bring out another batch of racers into the mix.

 

 

[Troy Berry]

I think that a BIG part of the problem is the  recent power plants that have been offered to us(mostly  by the Euro’s), have not been suitable for the Club racer here in the U.S. I think the folks in Australia have been having the same issue and are now in the process of attempting  to get a motor that will suit the needs of the masses.  Tags are too costly to maintain and operate, and are too complex for the average weekend warrior.  And to some extent, they may be overpowered for many tracks and age groups. Yamaha’s and KPV’s are too unreliable , as they are a pita  to start and tune.   The 4 cycle’s like the LO206 have gained a lot of traction, but for many of us, there is just nothing like a 2 stroke for racing.  Maybe this new Iame KA 100 cc Reed Jet will help the situation.

http://kartsportnews.com/content2014/news_141113-1.html

[Troy Berry]

I had a Ribtech Deep seat on my TAG and it was the only seat I could use that didn’t injure me.  It was a little loose as well, I was between sizes. So I simply added some padding. Use a closed cell, medium  dense foam padding. 1/2″ thick should work and contour the edges. Cover it with a heavy felt covering like they cover large speaker cabinets with. Just use Super 777  spray adhesive and it will stick nicely, even around the edges. I added  1/2 padding on top like the Tillets, and some hip pads as well.  Made it snug and I could push hard without pain for the 1st time in the kart.  Sorry I don’t have the kart now so I can’t show any pictures.  About $30.00 worth of materials and you may get the best fitting seat ever. I would try to stick with what you got and customize it and save some money. With a proper rib vest,  you will be golden.

[Troy Berry]

Hi Dan,

All kart shops are small, and most struggle to make any real money. Most just keep it barely going because they love the sport.  It’s just a lower volume thing than say a motorcycle shop. Some are more organized than others, it mostly depends on the volume of customers for your area. A shop like Comet or Stu’s shop in so Cal has a larger amount of people racing in their area, so the shops are going to be nicer for the most part. Talking to the other racers on a race day will be way more valuable to you that the kart shop to begin with. Go to a race and ask a bunch of questions. When you decide to buy a kart and get out to the track, the other guys in your class will be the best place to get help for the most part. You may end up buying a used set up to get started anyway, many do. It is easier for most to start with a complete package and add or change things as you learn. Some of it depends on your mechanical abilities. Even if you have the money for new,  you are still going to want to get a test ride or two from some of the guys who race at the track. When it come to getting what you need from the shop(karts, motors or parts) it’s simple.  Money talks. Karts and parts cost money, and time is money when your doors are open.  As long as you are being a reasonable customer and not asking for anyone’s valuable time in their shop working on you kart for free, then you will likely get all the help you need.  If you are at the shop and spending cash, then some added questions and advice is usually a part of the deal.  Welcome to the sport.

 

[Troy Berry]

 

Gif,

I would say in the case of the Lo206 I think people should just go ahead and get the package and show up. It has to start somewhere.  We started with 4 Jr. 2 206’s last year at The Northern Nevada Kart Club. Before the season was over we had most Jr 2 converted, some Jr 1’s and the seniors started changing from Clones as they realized it’s a much better package.  Were up to at least 16 in less than one year and growing! I won my second Lo206 package at our  annual Awards banquet on a $20 raffle ticket! Now were going to have another when I get a new chassis for it!!

 

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