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Hi everyone. I, too, am new to karting. I’ve been involved with auto racing (drifting mostly) since early 2006 but it has just gotten entirely too expensive for me to keep going, so I’ve decided I’m going to take up karting!
I live like a mile and a half from The Track, and have used their rental karts quite a few times and LOVE the experience.
I’m in the process of selling my street bike so I can take up karting, and have a couple of questions if you guys don’t mind.
First, I’m wondering if I should go for a shifter or TaG kart? I honestly don’t have any intention of racing competitively, more just running laps at the Track and some other tracks around CO for fun. I’ve been riding motorcycles nearly all my life, starting with dirt bikes when I was 8 and switching to streetbikes when I was 17, and drifting since I was 19. But, I have no idea how much of that would help lol. I’m leaning more towards a shifter since that seems closer to my style, but I don’t really know for sure. I’m just worried about jumping into one of them and then finding out it was the other I should have gotten into and then having to sell and save money again…etc.
My budget to start with at the moment is looking like anywhere from $3-4,000 (anyone wanna buy an 02 R1?) so hopefully that can help any recommendations you guys have. I’m mechanically inclined…somewhat…maybe. I can tune a turbocharged EFI car but I know nothing about carbs. I can swap exhaust systems, intakes, turbos, and complete differentials, but I’m not sure I could replace piston rings…help any? lol.
Anyway, I’ll probably be running everything solo, which leads to my next question…how exactly do you start a shifter kart? Push start then jump in the seat and throw it in neutral? Seems sketchy…but if its what everyone else is doing, I guess I won’t look like a buffoon haha.
That’s it for now. Seems like a great community you guys have here. Can’t wait to get out and meet a lot of you!
I love these questions!
Eric, we were all in your shoes at one time. Everyone on this board is very helpful and will be happy to answer your many questions. It sounds like you have more than enough time behind a wrench to dive into karting.
I won’t dive into the subject of which kart you should buy, but you did ask about shifters. yes you *can* start a shifter by yourself by push starting and jumping in. It is much easier if you ask the guy pitting next to you to give you a push, though, and then drop it into gear and motor away. Almost anyone will do it. The TaG advantage is the push button starting.
As you know from other forms of racing, the initial purchase is only the BEGINNING of your expenses. I also think you should reconsider your thoughts about not racing. Lapping is fun for a while, but local club racing can be affordable and quite a hoot.
You may want to draft a buddy to come help you in the pits until you get the hang of everything. Or, better yet, have a local karter help you and look over your stuff.
Thanks for the reply and the pointers. Yes, I had expected a multitude of expenses after my initial purchase. How I see it in my head is that my initial $3500 or so should be enough to be able to pick-up a kart, a suit and neckbrace (I already have a full face helmet and gloves from my motorcycle), and let me get out there and have some fun! All I can hope for though is that the running costs are less than drifting (around $400 per event, plus more if I break anything) lol.
Thanks for the heads up on starting a shifter…these are the things I came to learn! I actually saw a youtube video of a guy starting his by wrapping a strap around the tire with the back end of the kart elevated off of the ground and then yanking the strap and spinning the wheels lol. I’ll post it if anyone is interested.
Thanks again for the warm welcome. I appreciate it. I’ll try to get a buddy involved, although most of my motorsports friends live some distance away from me. Any karter’s in Parker? I’m near Jordan and E470, like a mile and a half from The Track!
Another question…what are the approximate running costs of both? Like, what should I expect to see maintenance wise on a TaG kart versus a shifter? I’m more talking about specifics (motor, clutch, gears/sprockets/chain, fuel, etc…) I know tires and replacement parts due to crashes are just part of the game, but I’m looking for any major differences between the two platforms.
Phew—(can of worms). You’ve been around racing vehicles, stuff breaks on all of them. There are too many variables to say A is better/cheaper than B. Tag–how high are you going to spin it? Shifter–is it a modified or stock shifter? Figure 1,000 bucks or more for a full rebuild on a TaG at least once/year. A honda can go a bit longer and parts are often cheaper on a stock honda. I’d put a new piston and ring in a TaG at about 10 hrs, similair on a Honda shifter, more often if you are racing at the front for both.
Tires will eat your budget, a weekend of racing is about the same price as drifting (you mentioned about 400 bucks.) Figure 75 bucks for an entry fee, 240 (ish) a set for tires, fuel is about 10 bucks a gallon, plus castor oil that I think must be squeezed from baby seals,sprockets and chains are essentially disposable on a TaG if you buy cheap ones, plus the normal food, travel, etc and you are easily looking at 400 bucks. A shifter does not go through chains and sprockets anywhere near as fast, but honestly, that is a minor expense.
Someone will tell you to get a Rotax and may even lead you to believe they are cheaper than other TaG engines and shifters. Leopard(my09 and up) is a good choice as well. If you want to shift, go with a spec honda for reliability and reasonable parts costs.
I forgot this part–a shifter chassis will need front brakes, TaG does not.
@Kirk Deason wrote:
Phew—(can of worms). You’ve been around racing vehicles, stuff breaks on all of them. There are too many variables to say A is better/cheaper than B. Tag–how high are you going to spin it? Shifter–is it a modified or stock shifter? Figure 1,000 bucks or more for a full rebuild on a TaG at least once/year. A honda can go a bit longer and parts are often cheaper on a stock honda. I’d put a new piston and ring in a TaG at about 10 hrs, similair on a Honda shifter, more often if you are racing at the front for both.
Tires will eat your budget, a weekend of racing is about the same price as drifting (you mentioned about 400 bucks.) Figure 75 bucks for an entry fee, 240 (ish) a set for tires, fuel is about 10 bucks a gallon, plus castor oil that I think must be squeezed from baby seals,sprockets and chains are essentially disposable on a TaG if you buy cheap ones, plus the normal food, travel, etc and you are easily looking at 400 bucks. A shifter does not go through chains and sprockets anywhere near as fast, but honestly, that is a minor expense.
Someone will tell you to get a Rotax and may even lead you to believe they are cheaper than other TaG engines and shifters. Leopard(my09 and up) is a good choice as well. If you want to shift, go with a spec honda for reliability and reasonable parts costs.
I forgot this part–a shifter chassis will need front brakes, TaG does not.
And, if you drive like Deason, add another $4-500 per race for tie rods, axels, mood altering drugs, beer, and post race therapy.
LOL, my mood altering drugs and post race beers helped me to achieve the CLARITY I needed to understand that I can’t afford to race these damn things. Add another zero to your figures and that will help you understand my hospitality budget for each race weekend; The skycrane that delivers the Party Paddock to my pit area has been eating up a lot of my beer budget. I may have to look into ground transportation–but that’s SO passe’. What’s next for Team Polyester? Briggs and Stratton? *shudder*
@Curt Kistler wrote:
And, if you drive like Deason, add another $4-500 per race for tie rods, axels, mood altering drugs, beer, and post race therapy.
Isn’t all that stuff included in SKUSA’s entry fee? :hypno
Can’t hear you, Ricky!! The music is too loud in here!!
Can I see your pass, please? Ooooooh..see that big guy over there throwing people out? Yeah, go show him your ‘visitor’ badge.
Ignore the diversions, Eric. What karts are you looking at? I’ll bet if you ask nicely, there are plenty of people that read this site that would probably be willing to give you a free ride (First one is ALWAYS free!!) to see what you like.
@Rodney Ebersole wrote:
@Curt Kistler wrote:
And, if you drive like Deason, add another $4-500 per race for tie rods, axels, mood altering drugs, beer, and post race therapy.
Isn’t all that stuff included in SKUSA’s entry fee? :hypno
PLUHEEEZZZZZZ FREEEEZE! When was the last time you paid for a SKUSA entry? It’s much higher than that now. :loco
OK, Back to the original post. Sorry to keep hijacking your original q’s Eric. But as you can see, we are just a bunch of fun lovin kids at heart. Welcome to CO Karting. You wont be disappointed in whatever equipment you buy. We never raced anything but shifters for many years and had a blast. Spending long days with family and friends can’t be beat. And it’s much safer than anything with 2 wheels. Over 200 stock Honda motos in Vegas last week without one failure. If you keep them stock and run them rich, you wont be spending any unnecessary time or funds on motor maint.
Haha nice to see everyone having fun, even if it’s at the cost of a thread jack 😀
I’m really, really leaning towards a shifter as the majority consensus of people I’ve talked to have said that’s what I would have the most fun in given my preferences and background. I may be trading my bike with someone here soon for a shifter, I’ll know more next weekend.
I can’t wait to get out there and bang some gears. I have my leather race suit from when I was going to race my bike (just a pipe-dream lol) so it should keep me warm for some winter driving (I hope haha).
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