Part 1 - Chassis and Motor
Part 2 - Safety Equipment and other goodies ->
One of the most frequently asked questions by people looking to get started in the sport of karting is "what do I need and how much will it all cost?" Of course, the answers will vary quite dramatically depending on who you ask but here's some information from the perspective of this writer and my approximate costs where I can remember. There probably is not any other form of motor sports than can be entered for such a low entry cost or low running costs.
Before you look into purchasing a chassis and motor, you should visit a few races to see what kind of classes are run (age, weight, motor, etc.) and to get a general idea of what goes on during a race meet. You can find information on the classes that NCKC runs here; the tracks here and the season schedule here. After all, there's no point in buying a kart for a 6 year old when the minimum age limit is someone who turns 8 in the calendar year!
Now, to the chassis and motor. Your best bet when beginning is to find a good used one. I'd recommend this route for several reasons (even if you're loaded with $$$):- The obvious one is cost. I paid in the region of $3000 for my chassis and motor (and a large amount of spares, gears, tires) when I started whereas new it would have been around $3000 just for the chassis. Add on the extra approx $1000 for the motor, and it was just out of my budget given I knew I would have other "stuff" to purchase
- It may turn out that after running a season or even just a few races that karting just isn't for you.
- Usually the used karts for sale come "ready to race". That is they include a bunch of spares, a clutch, gears, etc.
- The owner of the used kart can be a wealth of knowledge for the newcomer on chassis setup, motor tuning, etc.
With so many different types of chassis out there, what do you pick? Really, for a beginner you can't go wrong with most makes of chassis. The main things to look for when picking a used chassis is cracks in the frame or bends in the frame. When racing, the kart chassis flexes an incredible amount and although they are designed and built to withstand this, over time the welds may crack and the frame will weaken. Typically, a chassis is good for at least 6 years before fatigue may show up so try and pick something that's less than 6 years old. When I started in 2000, I bought a 1999 chassis, as I wanted it to last for a while.
Next comes the motor. For newcomers, you pretty much have to start in the 4 stroke classes. These are less powerful motors than the faster 2 strokes, but most of the racing in the club takes place in the 4 stroke classes as it's much cheaper than the more powerful 2 strokes. Believe me, when you're 2 inches from the ground, it feels like you're doing 90 MPH not the 90 KPH that is their approximate top speed! So, the motor of choice for the 4 strokes is the Honda 6.5 for the senior classes and the Honda 5.5 for the junior classes. Both of these motors drive the kart via a centrifugal clutch and single gearing system and are very reliable, usually running the entire season with only one rebuild.
Generally, all the motors have stock (from Honda) parts in them but there is a small amount of leeway in what can be changed (i.e.. the cylinder can be bored). Typically, you'd have an engine builder build (or rebuild) your motor each season. When spread over a season, the cost works out to a very low 'per-race' cost (say a 10 race season, $500 average rebuild cost, works out to around $50 per race).
The last two components for part 1 of this series are tires and oil. Tires are probably the biggest single consumable cost for the race season. Generally, each tire manufacturer has several compounds available and really picking one is a matter of seeing what most others in the club are running. The softer tire compounds will heat up quicker (important in the short sprint races NCKC runs) but will wear faster. Likewise, the harder compounds will take longer to reach temperature but will provide a longer life. Tire compound is really down to personal choice and within one racing class you'll find quite a variance between the drivers. For example, I ran Bridgestone YGA (soft) compound tires in the 2001 season, others in my class ran the YGB (harder) compound and still others ran some Dunlop (hardest) tires. Cost is also a factor here as a set of tires runs around $200 for 4 and depending on the wear, you'll need anywhere from 3-6 sets per season (I ran the 2001 season on 4 sets of YGA compound tires). As with motor rebuilds, when it's averaged out over the race season, the cost per race is significantly lower than most other motor sports). Tires can be obtained at the track from a number of dealers.
Oil is the next consumable that you'll go through quite quickly. Generally, after every race day or practice session, you'll need to change the oil. The motors use a quite small amount of oil (around 400ml) but it has to be a high quality oil because of the load placed on the small motors. Some oil manufacturers offer specialized race oils but the best advice here is to ask your engine builder (or the person you're buying the used package from) what they are running and run the same. Like tires, oil can be obtained at the track from a number of dealers.
That's it for part 1. Part 2 will cover the rest of the "stuff" you'll need - namely safety equipment, tools and other helpful tips.