Help a Stunted Stunter

[Egoyte]

Greetings folks!

My name's Josh, nice to meet you. I'm having some problems in conceptualizing a new gokart built for a very specific purpose, and I was hoping that I could come to the experts for some advice.

Before I start, I want to preface; What I'm using other gokarts for now, and want to use this gokart for when it's done, is dangerous. Don't do what I do, I'm a TRAINED monkey, and that matters.

Now that that's out of the way; How would you guys imagine a gokart that was built around the sole purpose of transporting a second person (not the driver) on the outside of the roll-cage, until they jump off?

Seriously.

Speed is important, but stability even more-so. I figure a wide base is important to keep from tipping the beast when we push off of the side, and a strong motor is key.

Like most of my ideas to build anything to spec, this came from us horribly misusing a kart decidedly not made for the purpose. A friend of mine recently found out his family was clearing out their storage, and that if he didn't pickup his 18-year-old "Yellowjacket" gokart, that it was going on ebay.

And thus, I actually have footage of us doing what I want to do on a custom gokart built for the purpose, on a machine that decidedly wasn't.

Again - Don't try this yourself, please. We may look like a bunch of over-grown kids - and we are - but I've got over a decade of experience in high-impact stunts. I'm hard to hurt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vp7jk2Xlnc

Now, I'm not an expert on motorized anything - that'd be my friend who was driving - but I'm fairly shocked and awed that the Yellow Jacket does as well as it has been for this purpose. Hadn't been touched in over a decade and, with a new clutch and wheel for traction, it's moving two grown men in ways it really wasn't meant to.

So... How would you folks envision a go kart that actually WAS meant to?

I humbly ask the assorted pros for guidance. Thanks in advance!

Josh Johnson

 

[Russ2251]

I've been around a long time ...but I'm just not gettin' it.
What's the point?
Does not seem to fit in with what we do.
Belongs in "Off Topic Fun", maybe.
We take our hobby seriously.

 

[Egoyte]

Hey Russ,

If I'm in the wrong forum, my apologies.

"The point" in the video above was basically to see how logistically plausible it was for us to launch ourselves off of a tiny moving vehicle, before we expended time energy and money into creating a tiny moving vehicle for the purpose.

"The point" was, and still is, in quotes because I completely understand how answering your question may still leave you wondering what the point is

Though the raft in the backyard will certainly be used for testing (as we're funny like that), in the grand scheme of things, the stunt-kart would be used to launch us into things more grandiose.

[edit] And I take my hobby quite seriously myself. Since, in this case, my hobby is somewhat related to yours in a short burst, I was hoping to find someone with specific knowledge to better inform us.

Because I take my hobby seriously.

 

[Russ2251]

Use a car.

 

[fishheds]

Use a forklift,from maximum height.And for added thrills,deflate the raft and ball.

 

[bighead]

Just weld some foot pegs or foot plates on the back. Make dual throttles so you can control the speed as well. extend the steering shaft up so there is two steering wheels. This way the jumper can control the kart and the rider can take over after you jump.

I want to add a dual throttle to my Odyssey. Much easier to push out of the mud when stuck.

 

[Egoyte]

Fish: Well, we do have a forklift. It's pretty slow, though.

Bighead: Thank you SO much, man. That's exactly why I came here. A secondary steering wheel up on top is pure genius. It's crazy, but in a "mad scientist" way I can totally get behind. And the optics! Yeah... Thanks again.

 

[DustinWolfe]

I want to add a dual throttle to my Odyssey. Much easier to push out of the mud when stuck.

hmm i like that idea so much i may use it on my snowmobile

 

[Orange Krate]

Are you making DIY stunt rigging for the DIY film industry?

If so...I'm all in!

How about just jumping off one of these?

 

[Egoyte]

Ack! Hey folks. Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth - death in the family got distracting. I'm alive again.

Orange: Hi there! Yes, in a manner of speaking, though at this point the creation of the rigs help shape the content of the "films." For instance, I've recently spent way too much time figuring out temporary "ring of fire"s, LONG before we'll have the practical application ready.

In the meantime, it just amuses us.

That... That actually looks awesome. What exactly did that start life as?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That is what it is. Sometimes called a Cushman cart, it's often used in warehouses and factories.

 

[Orange Krate]

Yeah, that one is my Taylor Dunn Burden Carrier.

I'm currently writing screenplays for an action series full of go-kartesque stunts. I'm a long way from getting my project off the ground. So, I just keep writing because it's cheap and doens't take up any space.

Here's some footage you might learn from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ACgmksMWo

 

[Egoyte]

Hah, I actually did see JUST the last bit of that clip on TV... though I wasn't conscious at the moment of how other people's pain could have been caused by something that would bring me pleasure... How zen.

The one downside based off of that picture would be that mine would require the addition of a strong rail to cling to from a standing position, but past that, seems ideal.