Hi. I am a year 10 student from Australia and over school break I have decided to get into the go kart hobby. So I have bought a used go kart and disassembled everything. I have a huge question for this build: should I go electric or engine? So with the electric, it tends to be less maintenance, but more expensive for the battery and the motor. Whereas with the engine, it usually has more maintenance but a lot cheaper. Personally I prefer the engine, because of the sound it makes (a silly reason), but I would like to know your thoughts on this decision. Also it would help if someone from Australia could help me to find a store for spare parts for the go kart such as hydraulic brakes, engines or motors (the parts I need to complete my project). Thanks in advance.
Engine or Electric Motor?
- Thread starter Nat360
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snowjob
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Good luck. I started with an engine, but have considered switching to electric as riding in my neighborhood is problematic due to the noise. I suggest if you have no noise concerns or if you have a smaller budget, you will be happier with an engine. Here in the states, you can get a fairly good engine relatively cheap. Our gas build cost us a few hundred dollars and making a comparable electric will be closer to $2000.
JTSpeedDemon
2019 Build Off Winner!
I'm 13 myself here, so it's good to see other young enthusiasts so I don't feel weird!
Personally I'm a diehard gas-burner, I just love engines way more than electric motors. I'll list a few general pros and cons of each:
Small engine
Pros:
- Can be upgraded rather easily
- Virtually no electrical parts or wiring(unless it's a motorcycle engine)
- They do sound cool!
- You can just refuel and keep riding when you run out of gas
Cons:
- A lot of moving parts that *can* break, this can be avoided by picking a good engine
- Gas and oil can get expensive
- Can be very loud when modified
Electric Motor
Pros:
- Charging is very cheap
- Silent, so it's hard to annoy the neighbors with it
- VERY FEW moving parts
Cons:
- Might take a while to charge
- You *might* end up having a hard time figuring out wiring if it's not a plug and play system
- Cannot be upgraded much
- Might be a little more expensive
- Batteries are heavy and bulky
A member on here, Functional Artist (a.k.a Kevin), is a bit of the resident electro-head, I'm sure he'll pop in soon.
As you can see, the pros of the engine are basically the cons of the electric motor, and vice versa. It's really up to you.
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Thanks JT, well put!
Yes, there's just one con about electric motors I would like to add ..
batteries are heavy and may require a lot of space
how many, what kind, where to put em on the kart and how to recharge them once depleted.
(that is the expensive part of an electric motor really price as well as space)
Considering that you can get a motor/controller package for relatively cheap these days
(2kw should serve you well IMHO)
it's really nothing but the batteries that will cause the headache..
And one I would like to "remove"
Electric motors are great, and wiring isn't too complicated really IMHO..
a bit of thought and a carefull measurement when in doubt is all that's needed.
Just like you think about the right fuel/oil and spark plug to buy
And while I love electric motors,
I think getting your Kazuma drifter back to original state
(maybe add a TC instead of the cent clutch it came with)
might be the easiest option for you.
and maybe the cheaper one too.
especially since the swingarm is exactly taylored to hold nothing but an industrial engine really.. no room for additional dodats.
We know too little about your goal and abilities to make a good suggestion I think.
How long you want to ride that kart without interruption,
how long between rides, what terrain, (onroad, offroad, hilly, flat...)
could you fab a battery holder or modify the engine mount?
'sid
PS being in australia, you should find a kazuma dealer that still has all spares for you,
and at worst china isn't too far so alibaba will be quick (engines as well as motors can be found on alibaba or aliexpress for sure)
Yes, there's just one con about electric motors I would like to add ..
batteries are heavy and may require a lot of space
how many, what kind, where to put em on the kart and how to recharge them once depleted.
(that is the expensive part of an electric motor really price as well as space)
Considering that you can get a motor/controller package for relatively cheap these days
(2kw should serve you well IMHO)
it's really nothing but the batteries that will cause the headache..
And one I would like to "remove"
Electric motors are great, and wiring isn't too complicated really IMHO..
a bit of thought and a carefull measurement when in doubt is all that's needed.
Just like you think about the right fuel/oil and spark plug to buy
And while I love electric motors,
I think getting your Kazuma drifter back to original state
(maybe add a TC instead of the cent clutch it came with)
might be the easiest option for you.
and maybe the cheaper one too.
especially since the swingarm is exactly taylored to hold nothing but an industrial engine really.. no room for additional dodats.
We know too little about your goal and abilities to make a good suggestion I think.
How long you want to ride that kart without interruption,
how long between rides, what terrain, (onroad, offroad, hilly, flat...)
could you fab a battery holder or modify the engine mount?
'sid
PS being in australia, you should find a kazuma dealer that still has all spares for you,
and at worst china isn't too far so alibaba will be quick (engines as well as motors can be found on alibaba or aliexpress for sure)
JTSpeedDemon
2019 Build Off Winner!
Glad I managed to stay objective!
I modified it with your suggestions so it's all in one place.
Main reason I mention the wiring is for instance if he wanted/ had to cobble together a rather unknown setup. Or if for some reason plugs were missing/different. But it
Nat360 - I hope that little write-up helps you decide!
I modified it with your suggestions so it's all in one place.
Main reason I mention the wiring is for instance if he wanted/ had to cobble together a rather unknown setup. Or if for some reason plugs were missing/different. But it
happen.
Nat360 - I hope that little write-up helps you decide!
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