Help from experienced karters

[Will]

Hi, just joined
Making a kart for technology next year, on/off road (grass)
Honda 13hp clone or Honda 8hp clone but need help with gearing, axle set up, bearings, tc or clutch ? and engine mounting
Is using a more powerful clone better than genuine Honda?
Better in a sense of reliability/power/quality
I'm in nz so B&S motors are expensive and the 5.5 hp Honda is the same price as a 13 hp clone
So just need advice on general setup
Cheers

 

[landuse]

Welcome to the forum. If you go with he 13HP engine, you will have to get the much more expensive Comet 40 series TC. The 8HP engine will be able to take the comet 30 series TC

As for gearing, I would go 7:1 or maybe 8:1

 

[OzFab]

you will have to get the much more expensive Comet 40 series TC.

...which is difficult & expensive on this side of the Tasman, I'd imagine it'd be even harder over there.

As far as power goes, there's not a great deal of difference between & honda & a clone, the difference is in the longevity of the engine; a genuine honda will outlive 3 clones...

Honda have spent decades perfecting those engines, the Chinese have been copying them for a few years &, much like many other Chinese products, they're somewhat substandard compared to Japanese engineering & manufacturing.

Having said that, AFAIK, there are Australian versions of the Honda floating around...