Motorcycle Engine?

[soggycrashed]

Does anyone on the forum have a motorcycle engine on their kart? Just wondering if they perform well and if there are any places to get them cheaply.

My Dad had one in his kart as a kid, Yamaha, 12000RPM, single cylinder.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Bike engines are a popular choice for go karts and buggies. Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, they will outperform most any industrial engine. You do need to possess some fabrication skills to mount one, and rig the linkages.

 

[jdmkid]

The most common motorcycle engine ive seen are on shifter karts. Which is a GSXR. No where to really get them cheaply, since price will depend on the condition of the bike. Usually crashed bikes are used for this. So depending on where you get a crashed bike, it will vary your prices. And you will also need a pretty good level of fabrication skills since almost everything will be custom.

 

[fowler]

All I can add is don't get an engine that's too big

For example the reason jdmkid would say The GSXR is the most popular engines is because u see these "super" karts on utube
U know these race karts with 200hp

U may think these karts work but really they are rubbish
All they do is circle work

The most common engines put in carts it's the smaller 125cc engines as they perform much better for the weight

What kart are u planning on building then we can help u find an engine aproprate to the use

 

[r97]

Any GSXR engine other than the 250 would be a bad choice for go kart in my opinion. They have way more power than you need, weigh a lot, go through tires like nobody's business, and require extensive frame modifications. A GSXR engine (once again, other than the 250) would be much better suited to an off road buggy or a formula SAE style car. If you are looking for a good shifter kart engine, the 80cc to 250cc, two and four stroke, single cylinder engines from dirt bikes are ideal. Liquid cooling can be a plus too. A Honda cr 125 engine would be the most common as far as I can tell.

 

[soggycrashed]

All I can add is don't get an engine that's too big

For example the reason jdmkid would say The GSXR is the most popular engines is because u see these "super" karts on utube
U know these race karts with 200hp

U may think these karts work but really they are rubbish
All they do is circle work

The most common engines put in carts it's the smaller 125cc engines as they perform much better for the weight

What kart are u planning on building then we can help u find an engine aproprate to the use

I already have a go kart, dashbaord and mrirors and all that, 5.5hp 4 stroke. Great engine, torquey.

I was figuring if I could find a destroyed bike I'd cut off the engine mount and weld it to the frame.

How much would a destroyed bike cost?

 

[soggycrashed]

Also, are lawn mowers any good (more powerful than my engine?)
I found one at the dump the other day, looked like it needed some parts,

 

[OzFab]

Also, are lawn mowers any good (more powerful than my engine?)
I found one at the dump the other day, looked like it needed some parts,

The problem with lawn mowers is that the majority are fitted with vertical shaft engines as opposed to horizontal which are used in go karts. If it's 2 stroke, no problem, but a 4 stroke engine will need modifying to get the correct lubrication

As for power, that depends on the mower; different mowers have different engines

 

[jdmkid]

Reason i said gsxr was because he said motorcycle. if he wants to build a fast kart that wont just spin the wheels all day, a cr125 or anything along the line of that would be more than enough.

 

[fowler]

Post pics of this kart u have benny

 

[RCcrawlerguy]

Like a couple of people said here already.. Check around for a wrecked bike. I just bought a GsxR 750 for $400.. wrecked.. tore off all the body and all the lights.. insurance company totaled it. Guy bought it back to fix.. never did.. so now i got it. And it has a Yoshimura exhaust and engine management.. Should haul a$$ when i get her done

 

[soggycrashed]

The problem with lawn mowers is that the majority are fitted with vertical shaft engines as opposed to horizontal which are used in go karts. If it's 2 stroke, no problem, but a 4 stroke engine will need modifying to get the correct lubrication

As for power, that depends on the mower; different mowers have different engines

Duhr, completely forgot about that.
I figured that most tractor engines are 10+ hp because they have to spin the blades and turn bigger wheels.

 

[soggycrashed]

Like a couple of people said here already.. Check around for a wrecked bike. I just bought a GsxR 750 for $400.. wrecked.. tore off all the body and all the lights.. insurance company totaled it. Guy bought it back to fix.. never did.. so now i got it. And it has a Yoshimura exhaust and engine management.. Should haul a$$ when i get her done

There actually is some guy around the corner from me who was selling a really messed up bike, $100. He fixes bikes for his career, so he might have some engines.

 

[stratguy44]

I had a bid on a Yamaha 250 cc engine on ebay and didn't watch the bidding close enough and lost the bid at $71.00 dollars. Shipping would have been $70.00 so I would have gotten a great bargin on a good little motor cycle engine for a kart.

 

[fourtogo]

http://i45.tinypic.com/2i06i47.jpg http://i46.tinypic.com/153pizn.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23MVBq_Q7pQ CRF450 Honda engine weight 63lb . GSXR750/1100 engine weight bare no carbs pipe electronic's 150-160ish pounds .You will need three guys to get your kart out of your hauler . I have a Top Gas Dragbike and I run the GIXER engine. Honda Yamaha Kawi Suzuki single 450-500 four stroke is a good set up and fast . On the Honda If you get a TRX engine push button start :> is big plus .Mounting any one of the single cylinder engines is a easy . Gokart bottom mount with your own top bolt to bottom mount. Remod stock pipe hang radiator , stock wire loom form dirt bike is compack . It will turn left right also. 450-500 is plenty scarry . but very fun to drive . But if you only want to do burn outs the four banger is your beast. The single smokes the hides real nice though. And when your done with all smoke and flames . You can remove all that stuff and return Kart to what it was a GOKART. Four banger chopped up frame has zero value . I can sell you a GSXR pipe I started building for just this project, It's all tacked up just need finish welding, four/in to one pipe . You want want a GSRX1100/1127< the 1127 the better stater motor set up I have two . Send me a PM and we can talk cost .

 

[OzFab]

Duhr, completely forgot about that.
I figured that most tractor engines are 10+ hp because they have to spin the blades and turn bigger wheels.

I aquired a small riding mower about a year age that ran a 5hp & another that had an 11hp; both verticals. Like I said, it depends on the mower.

 

[soggycrashed]

Mmm?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Yamaha...ries&hash=item2a20ddaade&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_899

 

[soggycrashed]

I have about 15 tabs open with single cylinder engines and one vtwin for $250.
Lowest single for $180. On the 180 the starter, relay, stator, and filters have been removed, but I found them on other ebay pages.

The vtwin just says that the electrical components have been removed.

 

[OzFab]

Is there a question there?

Engine @ $180 + how much for other parts. If it totals more than the most expensive single, what's the point

 

[abc-King]

i cant speak for any one else but when i am building anything the cost isnt the most important thing. the build is and who cares if you spend $10,000 on your kart that you could buy for $5,000 if you build it your self its something you can say " I Built This MY Self" not i just bought this.i love the feeling after creating anything out of nothing.