[Kartbuilding] HP needed for a cross kart

[Stephen Burke]

Hi Max,

Thanks for your email and the feedback. I'm glad you find the information 
on the kartbuilding website useful.

If your looking for something in between an ATV and a racing kart, your 
going to need a transmission/gearbox. This would be essential in my 
opinion to give you excellent torque going up dunes and hills, and high 
speed on the flats. The roll cage would be required if you were going up 
any steep hills. You will get away without the suspension, just. Depending 
on your terrain you will be in for a bumpy ride. You could always let out 
some air from the tires to make the ride better.

Between a 100cc and a 125cc mototbike engine would do nicely. Your talking 
between 10 and 15 bhp.
If you want to be able to accelerate at 60 km/h up dunes, you might need a 
beefier engine, something along the lines of a 200 or 250cc engine.
I use 100cc motorbike engines and they'll do 80 km/h on the flat. I never 
tried to take them up hills/dunes, but they'd be doing well to accelerate 
up them at 60 km/h.

You could always swap in/out an engine when you have the kart made, so I 
wouldn't be paying too much money on the first engine.

Best of luck,
-steve


On Wed, 24 Jun 2009, Maximiliano Ichazo wrote:

>
> Steve,
>
> First of all Iÿÿd like to thank you for your home page. The information is very useful.
>
> Since some time ago Iÿÿm playing around with the idea of building a cross-kart that would be something in between a racing kart and an ATV. My idea is to build a kart with ATV tires and a small roll cage and no suspension. The kart should be able to climb sand dunes with an adult (assuming 90kgs) and drive up to 60 km/h.
>
> The expected engine is motorcycle engine but Iÿÿm not sure about how much HP does it need.
>
> What do you think that would be enough?
>
> Again, thank you,
>
> Max Ichazo
>
>
>
>
>