[Kartbuilding] Types Kart Engines

[Stephen Burke]

Hi,

I recently wrote an article cover different classes/types of racing karts. 
The article is at:
http://blog.kartbuilding.net/2007/06/28/safety-factors-for-designing-and-building-go-karts/
and specifically talks about the NatSKA which outlines 16 different 
classes of karts. Their regulations and handbook outlining this 
information can be found at:
http://www.natska.co.uk/handbook/2007.pdf

When talking specifically about engines used on racing karts, there are a 
few types.
1. 100cc engines with very high rev's per minute (+20,000rpm)
2. 250cc engines with medium rpm
3. 2 x 160cc engines (twin engined go-karts
http://www.kartbuilding.net/gallery/v/Commercial_Karts-Photos_and_Details/DSC02143.JPG.html 
)
4. 125cc engines with a gearbox.

Typically engines do not go above 250cc because they become very heavy, 
and the main objective in a kart is to have it as light as possible.
Also - typically racing engines do NOT have a gearbox, as it can be slow 
to shift up through the gears. This is the reason there are 100cc engines 
with very high RPM (+20,000).

Also, the Cubic Capacity (cc) of an engine, is NOT a measure of how 
powerful it is!!! A 100cc engine can be as powerful as a 250cc engine!!! 
The power output of engines are measured in KiloWatts and Horsepower.

Only at the very high end of race karting, is modification carried out on 
the engine. Where ANY modifications are carried out on an engine to obtain 
more Kilowatts/Horsepower, the LIFETIME of the engine is SEVERELY 
reduced!! These engines get rebuilt after every 5-10 races.

Perhaps take the idea of the twin-engined go-kart if you want to try and 
get as much Horsepower as possible. Photos can be found at:
http://www.kartbuilding.net/gallery/v/Commercial_Karts-Photos_and_Details/

Best of Luck,
-steve

On Sun, 1 Jul 2007, mgolu24 wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I thought about it, calculated a bit and came to conclusion that it's
> actually cheaper to buy a go kart for me. And not having my dad's support
> i'm really on a bad way. And i live in Croatia so getting go kart stuff
> would really be a litle problem. So i thought about buying a go kart for
> racing.
>
> Now i want to know if you maybe know what go kart classes do exists? And
> could you tell me sumthing about engines that i don't understeand is how
> come the pull so mutch HP out and i cant find any go kart engine on the net
> with so mutch HP. I drowe a 125cc shifter (6 gears) and a 45 HP TM engine.
> So do they put a normal engine in it with like 10HP and then the get a new
> cilinder head a new billet crank, exhaust and stuff to pull more HP or do
> some companies make those high HP engines. Thanks.
>
> Best regards,
> mgolu24