go-karts

[seandre]

I have been looking for another type of motorsport to get into that's not going to cost the earth and karting seems to be a good place to start. Anyone know much about what to look for in a kart and what a good first kart would be?

[Daise]

don't crash them.

[seandre]

don't crash them.[/b]

thanks daise

[Mikeymikemike]

PM chaingang
apparently its really easy to get into, all you need is steady income
He races them and can hook you up with cart stuff

[seandre]

PM chaingang
apparently its really easy to get into, all you need is steady income
He races them and can hook you up with cart stuff [/b]

sweet, thanks mate

how much fun does this look!!
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[JaR6d]

Was actually thinking the same thing. They got a cart track up in Port Headland

and that electric gocart floating round on youtube looks pretty bad ass

[kel999]

Raced for many years in Clubman Light 100cc Yamaha....Is good fun and relatively cheap motorsport compared to some?.....However chasing the &#39;pin&#39; and racing each weekend wiil take some serious dollars?...
Complete used packages can be found for a couple of grand from people getting out of it,rebuilds are a regular thing on the high revving motors though?
Would suggest going to a race meeting and join a club?They usually have &#39;open&#39; day&#39;s to have a go and in general are happy bunch of campers willing to help along newbies to the sport.

[stone]

How much fun? Only alot!

[Daise]

How much fun? Only alot![/b]

especially going through the turns sideways

just a word of warning sean, they don&#39;t come with airbags

[sathid]

Go check out wannaroo kart hire. I was out there a few weeks back, and even in the slow karts (which don&#39;t seem that slow once you get going) are an absolute blast. Sideways drifting made easier by puddles in the track

First time I&#39;ve been in years. $60 for about an hour and a half (4 races of 4 laps). Next time I go, I&#39;ll spend the extra $20 for the twin engined karts




No idea about racing, but something like that might give you a bit of a feel. I&#39;d race if I had the time and $$

[Mikeymikemike]

^

that sounds likea good deal! Im starting to get into this whole kart thing too..

EDIT: Holy crap i am so doing this!
http://www.wannerookarthire.com.au/index.php

[Psyched]

Go check out wannaroo kart hire. I was out there a few weeks back, and even in the slow karts (which don&#39;t seem that slow once you get going) are an absolute blast. Sideways drifting made easier by puddles in the track

First time I&#39;ve been in years. $60 for about an hour and a half (4 races of 4 laps). Next time I go, I&#39;ll spend the extra $20 for the twin engined karts




No idea about racing, but something like that might give you a bit of a feel. I&#39;d race if I had the time and $[/b]

+1 for giving the kart hire a go, never been to wanerro but I&#39;ve got an super licence at belmont and that is hell good fun and inexpensive around $18.50 for 10 min ride, but you have to work your way up the licences at kart world.*Clicky Kartworld

[Chaingang]

ahem...


You Rang?

I race a rotax 125cc kart, push button start (known as TAG - Touch-and-go).

Local kart club is Tiger Kart Club, and my local kart shop is Kart Mart, run by Harvey and Megan. They&#39;re awesome. I gave Harvey a flyer and he was at the MAD ride on the weekend, but not a PSB member....he&#39;s too busy with the kart stuff.

Club race meets are once a month ($30 entry), but then there&#39;s other meets around the state that you can also enter. Tracks all over: wanneroo, cockburn, geraldton, collie, bunbury, Kalgoorlie, albany (i think) and up north in places like Karratha and Headland.
But you can take your kart and go at practice at the tracks almost every day except sundays for about $5-10.

I&#39;m pretty new to it. I competed in my second race meet on sept 16th, but have had about 10 practice afternoons (saturdays)

Costs so far:

Kart: 4K (second hand, new karts range 5-10K)
Helmet....already got one!
Race boots - $150-200
Race suit - ~$300 (not the orange one)
Trailer - $500 (went halves with a mate) ...but you could put them in the back of a holden or ford station wagon with some squeezing.
Club membership and AKA (aus karting assoc) fees - $500 a year.
tools and trolleys: $500

Thats getting started: once you&#39;re set up....its just tires, fuel, maintenance and crash damage.
Tires are the main expense. $240ish a set, and to be competitive, you need a new set each race meet. Extra tires depending on amount of practice.

Happy to help if you have questions.
CG

[seandre]

just a word of warning sean, they don&#39;t come with airbags [/b]

meh, I&#39;ve got a face that requires regular panel beating

cheers CG, I will have a look into it

[Foofie Foofie]

I have a CRG Kalifornia 125 Honda 5sp shifter kart, it used to be my clubman 100cc kart till i fell asleep at the wheel and had a crash at 54kph.

Hahha, nah, clubmans are ok , but for your weight Sean, you will hate them. You relly want a 125 rotax engine in a Aus made Arrow kart. Easy to setup and you will feel like your getting somewhere. Italian/euro karts are the ducks nuts, but they are a bitch to setup and you feel like your more often doing the wrong thing than the right thing , remeber you have no suspension so chassis setup is critical.

Im about to get mine going soon ,if you wish to get into it i can steer you in some ways, and i can join you at the track. Not really keen to race, but keen to practice and stay fit ... i cant stand the politics of kart racing.

I have still a heap fo gear, 40mm axles, sprockets, chains, the works, im sure you can consume some of it, and i also have a old (but freshly built) 100 clubman engine that is SUPER fast you can learn your lines on if you get a rolling chassis with no engine.

But yea, if your keen to race around with someone, im there.

[19andrew59]

Was actually thinking the same thing. They got a cart track up in Port Headland

and that electric gocart floating round on youtube looks pretty bad ass[/b]

If you&#39;re in Hedland and have access to the BHP site, go and see Kim Jensen (Plant 2).
He&#39;s right in to the carts up there, a good bloke who&#39;ll steer you right.

[Ben S]

ahem...


You Rang?

I race a rotax 125cc kart, push button start (known as TAG - Touch-and-go).

Local kart club is Tiger Kart Club, and my local kart shop is Kart Mart, run by Harvey and Megan. They&#39;re awesome. I gave Harvey a flyer and he was at the MAD ride on the weekend, but not a PSB member....he&#39;s too busy with the kart stuff.

Club race meets are once a month ($30 entry), but then there&#39;s other meets around the state that you can also enter. Tracks all over: wanneroo, cockburn, geraldton, collie, bunbury, Kalgoorlie, albany (i think) and up north in places like Karratha and Headland.
But you can take your kart and go at practice at the tracks almost every day except sundays for about $5-10.

I&#39;m pretty new to it. I competed in my second race meet on sept 16th, but have had about 10 practice afternoons (saturdays)

Costs so far:

Kart: 4K (second hand, new karts range 5-10K)
Helmet....already got one!
Race boots - $150-200
Race suit - ~$300 (not the orange one)
Trailer - $500 (went halves with a mate) ...but you could put them in the back of a holden or ford station wagon with some squeezing.
Club membership and AKA (aus karting assoc) fees - $500 a year.
tools and trolleys: $500

Thats getting started: once you&#39;re set up....its just tires, fuel, maintenance and crash damage.
Tires are the main expense. $240ish a set, and to be competitive, you need a new set each race meet. Extra tires depending on amount of practice.

Happy to help if you have questions.
CG
[/b]

That all sounds about right. All I can say is you do need a steady income. And Twin supers are freaking expencive.

There is a class now called leopard class. It is a water cooled electric start. They are producing some awesome power. Electric start is awesome. You dont have to run and drop the kart. just start it and go. A whole lot easier on your pit crew too.

check out Karting Australia for info on classes, advice and second hand karts etc KArt Mart is also pretty good.

When you start travelling around Oz it gets real expensive too. You have fuel (for travel), trailer, accommodation (for your pit crew too), food etc and if you break anything while your away people pretty much charge what they like. Because they know you will buy it. Its great fun though.

There is also a new kid in town. a 48hp rotary engine. The twin super only has 63hp between both engines. ooohhhhoooo NICE

[Barfridge]

Saf: you fell asleep? That&#39;s not a story you can start telling but not finish. How do you manage that in a cart?

[STUART]

GO DIRT KARTS INSTEAD better than the other ones ,

i raced for 3 years and was very hard into it (won 4 state plates ) and did a few nationals (traveled to N.T. and S.A. and around W.A.)
i spent 1000s doing it but if you just want to do it for fun its bloody cheap
dirt kart can modify our engines a bit more than bituem karts and you get to race on a clay base track so you slide heaps and get covered in mud and shit
its cheaper to run than bituem and way less politics to ,,,

i race in KT mediums (75kg to 90kg class) 100cc S motor ,,,there is a heavy class over 90kg,makes it more even when you raceing poeople your same weight

this is the place down the road with price for membership and what you need
http://dirttrackerskc.tripod.com/id2.html

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[Taylor]

There&#39;s politics in go-kart racing?