best gear ratio? Help please

[TK326]

First off, I appreciate any and all advice/feedback. I am restoring/fixing a kart. I am running into a few problems and need some advice. The kart/buggy is a Panterra Ty Rail. It has 20" tires in the rear fully inflated, and the CVT I got has a 10t sprocket on it. I have a HF 212 that has a high flow filter, exhaust, and the jets have been upgraded. The kart probably weighs 200-250lbs. The intended use is off road with a top speed of maybe 25-30. I would sacrifice speed for power. In y'all's opinion what is a good safe yet strong gear ratio to run? If what I've been told is correct #40 chain should be strong enough, am I safe in saying that?
Thank you for any feedback,

Robert

 

[Ebrownie]

If you leave the engine governed, 72t sprocket on the back would be good for decent acceleration. You can just do the math on these things though: max rpm (governed)=3600/7.2 (gear reduction for 10t and 72t)= 500x20x3.14 (multiply by diameter of tire and pi for circumference)= 31400/12 (inches to feet)= 2600/5280 (feet to miles)= 0.5x60 (minutes to hours)= 30 miles/hour.

This is top speed, assuming your torque converter has about a 1:1 ratio at max rpm. Just play with the numbers, get what you want. I know many people run karts with 6:1 gearing, TC, and 18" tires. However, if you remove your governor and gear it 7.2:1, you will probably get 40+ mph. Because then you get into the neighborhood of 5000 rpm.

 

[TK326]

Thank you for your reply, I was thinking of going with a 72 tooth sprocket but I needed some advice. I really appreciate you taking time to reply to my post and the thorough but easy to comprehend explaination. I will post some pictures, and keep y'all updated on results and progress.

 

[landuse]

I would start with the 72 and take it from there