cycle kart build. planing

[smcameron]

About the camber, the positive camber spec'ed is from what I can tell, purely for aesthetics. My kart has negative camber, not by design but just because when I cut the axle with a hacksaw, I screwed up. I was going for neutral camber, but I was off a bit. Luckily, I didn't end up with this, \ \ or this, / /, but got a mild amount of this: / \ . I decided it was close enough and left it.

You're probably right about the effects of camber. I think as far as how the kart drives, it hardly matters as there's not much weight on the front wheels and the profile of the motorcycle wheels is round. It's the rear wheels which get stressed the most, I think. Those donut spares should be more than strong enough, I'd think. They aren't exactly what you'd call beautiful though.

 

[arndtnew3]

Hows this project coming along? I am going to start building one of these this summer. I am going to use northern tool trailer wheels, and a honda cb175 engine. I am too going to do a sheet metal body. I want to drive it on the back country roads where I live. I have to save up enough money first!!! (only 15 years old)

 

[smcameron]

Just thought I'd drop a little update on my cyclekart project here...









-- steve

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That's beautiful! Where did you source the front springs, and how does the rate feel? We have talked about leaf-spring suspensions here before, but the difficulty has always been in trying to find leaves with an appropriate spring rate for a kart.

 

[smcameron]

They are buggy seat springs! I got them from some Amish people! (Or Mennonites?) Google "buggy seat springs", and you'll find them.

They do work, sort of. Well, the front end is *very* light, so there's not much suspension needed, and it doesn't move much. Only driven on pavement so far anyway, though have gond over bumps leading into my driveway. It does move, but I take it gently. To some extent, it's a fragile machine, so I don't push it really hard yet. I haven't driven it much (no good place to drive it) so it's kind of still in "untested prototype stage" -- it does drive fine though -- goes maybe 35 mph.

Here's a video of me showing the innards of the kart some time ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ocrvACdmN8&feature=g-upl

 

[arndtnew3]

WoW! That looks awsome. That hood ordiment is really cool, thats whats cool about cycle karts is you can add little details like that. You did an awsome job on her! What are the springs rated? Do you know?

 

[smcameron]

My kart as of today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvhE7t8L0HU&feature=g-upl

Also, some videos of some cyclekarters in a part of the country far far away from where (these last few aren't my videos, but I figured they might interest anyone following this thread.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWUxE3XlsM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bYvKJd5EkA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2dVizxCSt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQXT3EOZN_I&feature=plcp

-- steve