Hey guys, my friends and i were wondering about making a go cart, and using a 600cc or up motorcycle engine after seeing this clip http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~a...T.wmv I'm wondering if anyone knows of any go-kart sites, or if they know someone who has done this...

We need some ideas on how to make the shifter work, clutch, gas pedal. The motor will be set behind the seats, like a normal go-cart. So please try and help with how we can get those things to work correctly.
I know this has nothing to do with hondas or anything, but i dont know any where else to put it.

 

without knowing precisely how the shifter/clutch and gas works on the engine you choose, it will be very difficult for anyone on here to tell you how to engineer it.

But I can say that I think it could be pretty easy and cool to run some rods from the shift lever up to the steering wheel, and have padle shifters.

 

^^ as far as the engine we were looking at using a newer GSX-R, or YZF R6..My friend wants to use the hyabusa motor, but 1300cc is pretty large for a small go-kart, and i dont think the tires would last long.

 

my 42hp 125cc (dirt bike motor) shifter kart is every bit as fast as that on a track... why go with a heavy 4 stroke that doesn't handle?

Mine will do 0-100 in 6.0 secs and 0-100-0 in 10.0 secs. top end is around 125mph And it will still pull 2.5 Gs in a turn! If thats not enough a 250cc shifter (dirt bike motor) will do 170mph!!! Do you need to go any faster than this on a go kart? Are you trying to yourself?

the shifter and clutch is very easy, I can take some pics of it all if you like.
email or PM me.

Are you using a shifter style frame to start with? Full disk brakes, etc.?

 

thats a bad *** go-kart. We were going to build a R6 go-kart. but just kinda stoped the project when i left for school. Hope it work for you

 

I'm thinking of doing the same thing, but I think I'm going to build a CART instead...

 

Look here to see some videos of a GSX-R kart:

http://www.nurburgring.de/even...g=eng

I don't think its really all that much different speed wise than a standard shifter kart.

More of a coolness factor. Its just more power than you can put to the ground for accelerating.

In fact, in the video, the blow the tire from spinning (the caption about a gummi means Fried Tire in english..)

 

the Hayabusa engine is far too big for a go cart. There are small track cars weighing between 800-1000 pounds that move quite well with that engine. An engine 600cc would work great, but would be best with larger tires and or better sprocket gearing.

As far as the shifter, it should be fairly straight forward. The throttle will need some modified cable, I would check into a bicycle shop for a cable with the right end linke and length. The throttle return spring will need to be stiffened up. Good Luck with your project.

 

Me and my co-workers talk about this all the time, and I would say that a 125 cc engine or a 250 at the biggest is all that is needed. What makes a go-kart accecelearate more than anything is the gearing. Power doesnt make as big of a difference in a go kart, the size of the drive sprocket is what makes your acceceleration. Also, when you are assembling your go kart, do not use a one piece drive sprocket, or the axle will definately shift, probably bend and may even break. Place the master cylinder far enough away from the brake rotor that there is some decent amount of brake line, or else you will have a hell of a time bleeding the brakes. Do not put it on the front of the kart though, thats too much brake line.

EDIT-the easiest way to do the gas pedal will be with levers, made with adjustment points like radius rod kits or tie rod ends.

 

riceboy, I think you've had to much rice!
You can put the master cylinder in a trailer behind the kart, it won't matter!!! Its hydraulic... it couldn't care less where it was. You open the bleeder on the caliper, and use a tool that acts like a water tower that forces the fluild out. Its actually very easy.
"One piece drive sprokets will cause the axle to shift, bend or break"??? wanna explain this one, cause your making no sense.
As for the throttle cable, you simply use a normal motorcycle cable that fits the carb your using, cut off one end and loop it through an eyelet thats welded to the gas pedal, then you use a spring to return the pedal to a pedal stop. The carb has a spring on the top side of the slide that will close it unless the cable is pulling on it! Very simple too, no need to get all crazy with rods and levers... leave those for the shifter!

Heres the link to my 125cc shifter kart page. This is a $7k professional kart, not a backyard use what I have laying around deathtrap!
http://www.hughlett.net/MyTonyKart.html

 

wow..thanks for al the help guys..

I really didnt expect this much help... Thanks a lot.

 

most def, just go for like a 250 cc dirtbike engine. it'll be a lot simpler than any street bike engine, and it will be plenty fast enough. plus it is a bit lighter and cheaper than a street bike engine. i would def go that route.

 

Mochanic , you have a nice shifter kart indeed, but I wasnt talking about building a professional shifter kart at all. What I had invisioned from the question was a backyard built go-kart for fun, not real racing.

Abotu the bleeding brakes thing, my point about positioning the master cylinder "far enough" away from the caliper and braking assembly regarding belleding the brakes is because I am generally assuming that the master cylinder that would be used on the go-kart would be a very small one, not something of the caliber that you would find on a car or even a pro shifter kart on late night speedvision. The smaller the master cylinder, the smaller the resevior, the smaller the reservoir, the more often you are going to need to fill it up when you are bleeding the lines. When air builds up in the brake lines, the air will have to travel further to reach the caliper, espicially if you mount the master cylinder in a trailer behind the go-kart. Although if the master cylinder only has two inches of brake line in between it and the caliper, this will allow pressure to build up quicker against the caliper piston, making it neccacary to re-build them more often. More than anything, I don't think it should take two people to bleed the brtakes on a go-kart, my main point was to position the master cylinder with that in mind. so you can sit on the go kart, press the brake pedal with a foot, use a hand to open the bleeder valve, and use another to refill the master cylinder as needed, without having to move.

About the one piece drive sprocket thing, Using a two piece drive sprocket where there is a carrier of some sort attached to the axle that the sproket is bolted to, under stress I would rether have some small bolts so that if something was going to give, it would be the bolts rather than drivetrain pieces.

 

Riceboy...
I realize it would not be raced, especially since theres not a class it would fit in, and would never be competetive anyway.
Maybee you didn't understand about the bleeding process, its called gravity bleeding, and is quite very simple no matter what kind of master cylinder you put on it. Here is a picture of one, and I made mine myself for less than $5! You can modify the bottom part that goes into the master cylinder to fit your style of master cylinder.

As for the 2 piece VS one piece sprockets, neither would be the first thing to give if something were to go wrong! the two piece simply allows for quick gear changes and is everybit as strong as a one piece if not stronger since it uses more steel.

 

Mochanic that shifter cart is bad *** ! The only thing that i dont like about those is that their isnt a roll cage or anything to protect yourself. When you race is it only one kart on the track or is it a real race with a certain number of karts?

 

oh no, a whole bunch more race at a time, Iv'e seen around 20 at least at a time! Its pretty damn hard to flip, you pretty much have to hit something. Mine usually has the front bumper on it that will keep you from getting thrown from the back tire of another kart, but the last time it was on the track was an SCCA solo event, so I tried getting as much weight off it at possible.
This thing is the closest most people will ever get to an F1! it handles like one, and it has roughly the same power to weight ratio as one... Its unbelievable!!!
In fact, most of your indy and F1 drivers started in karts, and still practice in them during the off season since its so much cheaper to run and maintain than their ridiculously expensive rockets.
When your sitting less than 1/2" off the ground, 125mph is stupid fast!!!





Modified by Mochanic at 12:34 AM 10/10/2003

 

that video of the gixer is the tightest thing i've ever seen ! ! !
http://foto.renn.tv/web/video/gixxerkart_video.wmv

 

Wow that is really cool did you start racing in karts or did you start racing 1/4 midgets when you were younger and move your way up? I bet it is hard to beat driving one of those karts im sure nothing would compare to it other than f1

 

no, I've was always told I was going to kill myself or breake my neck by my Mom, so I had to wait till I grew up to buy one... now at 31 I have every toy that I could never have... 4 jet skis, (2 standups 2 sitdowns, and of course there all heavily moddified) A mean *** dirt bike it too is heavily modded, the shifter kart that you guessed it... its heavily modded too , and then my 9 second drag car that is driven on the street. I guess you can tell hp runs in my veins!

 

i really want to make a go kart w/ a 600cc motor. ive been thinking about it for a while. the drivetrain is the main thing that i just honestly do not know how i would do. anyone have thoughts?

sam

 

drivetrain will be the same as mine, just a different size chain and sprockets... no big deal!

 

...how is yours?

 

My question that I have always wondered is how you would actuate the clutch? Any Ideas?

 

as for the drive train, you can see it in the pictures at the above link.
The clutch is activated by a regular motorcycle cable attatched to the engine, and the other end is simply ran to a lever mounted right below the steering wheel to the left side... you can see it in the pics as well. Remember you only need to use the clutch when starting off, not during shifts.