Beta 0.1 (Newbie kart)

[Lex]

Well i've scanned the forums endlessly for a fair while now and thought it best to pipe up with my aspirations for a homebrew kart.

I'm in Aus and managed to score a 6.5hp clone off ebay for $210 ($165 end price, $45 posted to my door) and considering the usual price is over $220 before postage (i watched for 3 weeks =P then one night found the motor in question at 5 mins left and $130 )

Anyway, as the topic name suggests, first kart build ever. Best mate and i are going to play around with a frame til we get something we like, i'll take pics as i go along.

And quick question to start off, for people that have used the 6.5 (i know theres a few) What sprockets did you use and how did you find the accelleration and top end speed?

Possible Engine mods (All further down the track, all i want to have happen for a little while is get the kart moving):

Govenor Removal (That being said will get the ARC Billet Rod, etc for insides. Aim to get the little 6.5 Screaming around 15 or so [some forums i've seen have staggering hp values after some mods, its ridiculous =P])

Shifter At some stage down the track figure out a gearbox of sorts -> Any ideas, i was thinking i like the challenge of marrying the 6.5 up to a 125 dirtbike auto gearbox... could be fun =P

Engine arrives in around a week, frame will be tacked prob the weekend after it.

 

[modelengineer]

Sounds like you're well on your way. Good luck!

marrying the 6.5 up to a 125 dirtbike auto gearbox

It's a manual gearbox...

To find top speed go to www.diygokarts.com and click on the speed calculator. This will tell you you're top speed, but beware the higher it is, the less acceleration you will have.

I just wonder why, if you want a shifter kart, you didn't get a bike engine. It would have been cheaper (probably), more powerful and already set up for shifting.
Ah well, to each his own...

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

Ah well, to each his own...

Yea but some peoples "own" sucks

Just kidding, seriously though you should just go with a bike engine, you can get a 125 2 stroke bike engine for the price of a clone and a billet flywheel.

 

[BradenM]

Getting ARC stuff not going be cheap if your in Australia. Maybe skip on the gov if you have concerns. I personally don't, but I'm using genuine article at the moment anyway.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!

 

[bigfootrules31]

or buy a car for $100 or a carton..... lol
i have to many you can have some of mine

 

[Lex]

Cheers, the kart itself is what its called, Beta =P lots of revising and modifying to do later on. (Beta will basically steer, brake, and move. nothing special Alpha... i'll get to that )

I just wonder why, if you want a shifter kart, you didn't get a bike engine. It would have been cheaper (probably), more powerful and already set up for shifting.

Aye i looked into bike engines but maybe i'll leave that for another project, for now all i want is to make it roll =)

One way i was thinking of making a basic gearing system is using 2 sets of pulleys and cables with 2 tensioners ie use the 1st size pulley combo for the faster acceleration and low top end, and then the second for good midrange acceleration and higher top end.

Ultimately i'd be pretty happy if i could hit 100km/h and climb hills =P

To find top speed go to www.diygokarts.com and click on the speed calculator

I've seen that page, played with numerous combinations but i'd like to hear it from people what they've used and what speeds they've achieved.

Getting ARC stuff not going be cheap if your in Australia

Thats not good to hear =( i've read some peoples builds with the 6.5 on diff sites and such making over 10

or buy a car for $100 or a carton..... lol
i have to many you can have some of mine

Tempting, where abouts are you? :arf:
And yeah, been reading into the changing of the 200clones carby, i can get some mikuni ones at 25mm from ebay for $50 plus postage, any ideas on a clear definitive answer on carby changing on the 6.5?

 

[BradenM]

I think for your purposes you would prefer a motorbike engine. The 6.5 is plenty fun; but a proper build up inclusive of billet aluminium parts is bloody stupid in Australia. Get the motorbike engine, or run a straight 6.5hp.

 

[modelengineer]

Ultimately i'd be pretty happy if i could hit 100km/h and climb hills =P

Hehe, I hope you're joking. If not, then be aware that 6.5hp will not get you anywhere near there. Sorry if this has shattered your dreams

That pulley idea also occurred to me, but I have found that a belt drive saps a LOT of power from your kart (either that, or there's something wrong with my engine, lol!). I have a 3.5hp belt drive which can do 35-40kph, but it has pretty bad acceleration. Can only climb slight inclines, or hills if you hit them at speed.
I think the problem with a 2 speed belt drive would be the excess friction from the belt which is disengaged. Unless you had some complicated arrangement which pulled it off the drive pulley...

 

[Lex]

All good, my mate n i will plod along and figure it out the hard way i guess. i know 100 is pushing it but y'know, newbie =P

Trial and error always works =P

 

[modelengineer]

Just to give you an idea, I'm aiming for 100/110kph top speed for my kart, and I'm using nearly 50hp with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

 

[Lex]

mhmm, thx for the info, i'm wondering what the karts and Kingston Park are pushing if they can do 80km/h

Will post pics once frame is welded together and whatnot