Dirt Shifter Kart

[SquidBonez]

I'm considering eventually buying a used shifter kart and running it around a dirt/grass track. I imagine that due to the low ride height I'll only be able to run it on flat ground. I'll probably be putting rain/turf tires on it and losing the slicks obviously. Any suggestions on where to look for cheap shifter karts? Have any of you done something similar?

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Wow, never heard of anyone wanting to make a dirt shifter.
First thing that comes to mind: Most, if not all shifters, are track racers. RAISE THE GROUND CLEARANCE. It doesn't matter if it's flat, if you want to run dirt or turf, YOU NEED HEIGHT.
Obviously get a 4 stroke shifter. Two stroke won't move nil because their low end torque is probably about the same as a kids' Power Wheels. Might want to put a chain guard on to keep dirt out of the chain. Other than that, go for it! Would love to see how it turns out. Just make sure to have a good plan before you buy a kart, since used shifters tend to be upwards of $1,000.
P.S - Awhile ago, I saw a shifter on Ebay for about 1k. Keep an eye out!

 

[SquidBonez]

I was planning on buying an already running race-retired shifter kart, raising the ride height as high as it would go, taking the front/rear bumpers off, and maybe get some taller yet skinnier tires with tread. Something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI7VLibLHn0
Or I could just run rain/dirt oval kart tires.

However, I didn't even know 4 stroke shifters were a thing. If that's the case, should I just run a dirt bike engine? That would require some fabrication work I imagine. Here's a guy running something extremely similar to what I would be running if I went down the 4 stroke route:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HpDtCJ4Aq0

Still, I'm really thinking 2 stroke. Just easier IMO. Plus, dirt bikes use them, as does this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_18T9OMvMA4

 

[Ebrownie]

Obviously get a 4 stroke shifter. Two stroke won't move nil because their low end torque is probably about the same as a kids' Power Wheels.

Have you ever ridden anything with a two stroke? Sure, they don’t make much power at low RPMs and small 2 stroke dirt bike engines have a wicked powerband, but they are a blast! I had a CR80 for a while (which I was planning to use the engine for my kart, but plans changed), and while the bike was way too small for me, it was super fun. It would run with my buddies ttr250 easily if you knew how to ride it right. You can’t beat 18 horsepower out of 80cc! You just have to keep them “on the pipe”, or in the powerband. That’s what having six different gears is for

 

[Kartorbust]

Wow, never heard of anyone wanting to make a dirt shifter.
First thing that comes to mind: Most, if not all shifters, are track racers. RAISE THE GROUND CLEARANCE. It doesn't matter if it's flat, if you want to run dirt or turf, YOU NEED HEIGHT.
Obviously get a 4 stroke shifter. Two stroke won't move nil because their low end torque is probably about the same as a kids' Power Wheels. Might want to put a chain guard on to keep dirt out of the chain. Other than that, go for it! Would love to see how it turns out. Just make sure to have a good plan before you buy a kart, since used shifters tend to be upwards of $1,000.
P.S - Awhile ago, I saw a shifter on Ebay for about 1k. Keep an eye out!

Uhhh what? My 200cc Yamaha Blaster is a 2 stroke and it has plenty of power to move my 160lb tail around no issue with stock 14/40 gearing. 2 strokes are cheap and still plentiful, easier to rebuild (wouldn't take much money to rebuild one of needed especially if one can be had cheap). But it'll be noisy and expansion tuner pipes are not easy to make. An 80cc as already mentioned could be plenty and a 125cc has the potential for a LOT (look at pro shifter karts that used that size engine).

A lifan 4 stroke 200cc 5 speed engine can be had on Ebay I think for about $600 or so maybe less, been a moment since I checked on the prices. A wrecked 2 stroke dirt bike could probably be had for that or less.

 

[SquidBonez]

After doing more research on this subject, it seems that either go the more expensive route buy a retired 2 stroke kart or the less expensive route and buying a kart frame and putting a Lifan 200 on it. I have very little experience, however, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get a clutch/shifter to work. Would it be possible to put the clutch lever on the shifter itself so it's all together rather than trying to have a third pedal?

 

[Ebrownie]

When I was going to make my kart a shifter kart, I built a shifter for it that was just a lever off to the right side of the seat, but it had the dirt bike clutch lever right on it. So you could squeeze and shift. I never ended up using it so I don’t know how well it would have worked. But most regular shifter karts have a clutch lever behind the steering wheel so you can reach back with your fingers and pull the clutch without moving your hand much.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Yeah, well, I'm still a beginner, and a kid at that. So I admit that I probably didn't know what I was talking about back there. You guys are the pros, so just ignore me.

 

[SquidBonez]

When I was going to make my kart a shifter kart, I built a shifter for it that was just a lever off to the right side of the seat, but it had the dirt bike clutch lever right on it. So you could squeeze and shift. I never ended up using it so I don’t know how well it would have worked. But most regular shifter karts have a clutch lever behind the steering wheel so you can reach back with your fingers and pull the clutch without moving your hand much.

Do you still have it? Could you post pics of the shifter w/ clutch lever?

 

[Quinc]

Is there a reason you want to shift?

 

[Kartorbust]

Do you still have it? Could you post pics of the shifter w/ clutch lever?

So the right side under the steering wheel is the gear select lever and you can kind of make out the clutch handle on the left side under the steering wheel. Just a regular shifter kart found on google images. Kind of a pain to find better pictures. YouTube has a few videos of them though.

 

[Ebrownie]

Do you still have it? Could you post pics of the shifter w/ clutch lever?

No, unfortunately I don’t still have it or any pictures of it. But basically just imagine a straight piece of tubing with a dirt bike hand grip on it and then the bike clutch lever right there on the grip. It pivoted on the frame, and then I planned to put a linkage from the lever back to the shift shaft on the engine, so when I pulled back, it shifted up, and vice versa.

I’m not sure how ergonomic it would have been, but I’m sure it would’ve shifted fine.

 

[karte_m0lim]

here is mine, I can take more pictures during weekend if you need...

 

[SquidBonez]

Awesome. Thanks for the pictures guys.

 

[voided]

No, unfortunately I don’t still have it or any pictures of it. But basically just imagine a straight piece of tubing with a dirt bike hand grip on it and then the bike clutch lever right there on the grip. It pivoted on the frame, and then I planned to put a linkage from the lever back to the shift shaft on the engine, so when I pulled back, it shifted up, and vice versa.

I’m not sure how ergonomic it would have been, but I’m sure it would’ve shifted fine.

This style can be a pain, many have done it and some have had problems.. a friend of mine did it this way, hit bumps and it has shifted..

My friend wasn’t so lucky... it down shifted and blew some stuff up inside the trans... doing it the right way isn’t hard. Can be done fairly cheap.. even cheaper if you can fabricate/ weld some simple bent tubing..