[Kartbuilding] Wow....i dont even know what to say about that!

Stephen Burke sburke at burkesys.com
Tue Jan 13 22:36:30 GMT 2009


Hi Erik,

Thanks for your email.
Yes - LOL - the off-road kart is a collection of bits alright. Luckily 
enough I never got a shock off the EDI (Coil pack) (  see 
http://www.kartbuilding.net/gallery/v/Off-Road_Kart/DSC04633.JPG.html ) as 
it was well connected to the metal off the engine.
As for the tire changes - well I think I put 3 new wheelbarrow tires on 
that kart in total. It was mainly the rear tires that needed replacing. I 
did try and get proper tires for the metal rims, however they would have 
cost too much.
The kart didnt shake too much to be honest, but it did at times. A lot of 
people wouldn't think that a kart would rattle and shake, but ones made on 
the cheap using bits and bobs do.

Rebuilding karts is a much better option as you have most of the proper 
bits to begin with. Its just a case of redoing the chassis (maybe) and 
fixing up all the mountings and front end.
That 24HP Honda v-twin engine sounds like a beast! It'll be something 
else. A torque converter is a must for an engine with that much power. 
Even still I wonder will the torque converter be able for all that power. 
Ride-on lawn mowers are great fun to work with and to change the 
transmission. Its one thing gearing them up and driving them on grass, its 
a different story when gearing them and then taking them driving on 
concrete.....could be a painful over turn. As for the wheelie bars - it 
sure must have some torque!!

As for your 3 wheeler - 22" ATV tires - wow. There must be some center of 
gravity there! I wonder is the differential heavy and taking up much 
power. I tried putting a differential into some of my karts, but the 
weight of the differential was quite substantial. A differential is a must 
however on an off-road kart.

Anyways, thanks again for your email and comments. If you have any photos 
of the karts, feel free to email them on and I can put them up on the 
kartbuilding website.

Best of luck,
-steve


On Tue, 6 Jan 2009, Erik wrote:

> That "off-road" kart looks soooo....well dangerous, and thats why im diggin it! how long , on average, do you go in between tire changes on that thing?? lol  I bet that thing shakes like a room full of jello in an earthquake  runnin anything better than 3rd gear huh? I also see you have that coil pack taped up real good.....how many times has that lit ya up while ur at high RPM's goin down the street?
> Im going to re-build another kart here soon. I have a 24 Honda v-twin waitin for a home ( along with a torq-a-verter for it) and i have already started messin with my old riding lawn mower( 18 Briggs "L" twin). i swapped the motor and tranny gear and it'll get about 40 mph in 6th gear, scary as hell to turn though because it center of gravity is soo  high. If you hold the throttle down and drop the clutch ( in 1 st) it'll cat-walk a good 10 feet before u feel like its going to flip and u end up rolling another 10 feet before the front wheels come down....I'm plannin on wheelie bars at some point!
> Then their is my 3 Wheeled beast. 22" ATV tires on a differential with a torque converter and a jake axle powered by a 12hp Wisconsin Robin ebgine. Not really fast ( maybe 25mph) but will go over anything( with or without you on it!) half shopping cart, part lawnmower, and alot of things that were not ever meant to go 25mph or even be mobile for that matter!
> Any ways, just thought id say "good job" on ur site and projects! keep it up, the hospitals would go outta business without brave and inginuitive souls like us!!!!!!!



More information about the Kartbuilding mailing list