New and looking for advice

[Eric Schmiedel]

Hello all, I’m researching getting involved with karting, and had some questions. A little background on me – I’ve been involved in motorsports in the past but have been out of it for a while. I have some mechanical knowledge and ability, but definitely lack experience. I used to run the rental karts at The Track at Centennial (went a few times a year, haven’t been back since Unser bought it). I bought a shifter kart a number of years ago but never really did anything with it as I didn’t have a way to transport it (thought it would fit in my wife’s Kia, it didn’t), the seat was too small for me, and I honestly didn’t have the time or motivation. It is long gone now and I’m looking to start fresh.

My questions are primarily surrounding DD2 karts since they seem to be more in-line with what I’m looking for. Specifically, I like the fact that you do shift them (paddle shifters are just a bonus), and that they have an electric starter. I don’t intend to actually do much competitive racing…at least to start with. Rather, I’m more interested in being able to take a day off work (or a half day), head over to Unser Centennial (since it is 5 minutes from my house), and get my thrills, then head home.

My questions:

1. Are DD2 karts my only options for a kart with electric start that also requires shifting?
2. Since DD2’s use Rotax engines, but I don’t plan on competing, would I be able to work on it myself? Or does it use a bunch of specialized tools that you can only get after you have been certified?
3. Are DD2 karts popular in the area? I’m worried about part availability, as well as finding others who are knowledgeable about them.
4. Is there any maintenance items or upkeep that are specific to DD2 that I should be aware of?
5. If I decided to try and compete with a DD2 kart, is there competition available? I’d probably end up in a senior class since I’m 32.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[The Colorado Karter]

Hi Eric, welcome to the forums!

We are glad to see you are considering dipping back into karting on a recreational basis.

In regard to your questions:

1) If you’re dead set on a kart that has variable gearing on-the-fly as well as an electric start, your options are fairly limited. The DD2 was (and still is) a very interesting concept that struggled to stick around long term. There are a couple electric start shifter kart engines, but I suspect that is beyond the price point or performance level you want.

2) If you are not competing against other racers or not in a Rotax, there is no reason you couldn’t work on the kart yourself. However, some tooling would be specialized, and for that I do suggest at the very least consulting a Rotax certified dealer. There are (2) in the state I believe, the most active of which is Greg Welch at Forward Direction Motorsports.

3) To be blunt, no. DD2 has atrophied in the last 6-8 years. The positive of this is that there are a lot of used DD2 karts out there, and I can point you to at least one regionally. The drawback of course is parts availability, which Rotax at a national level will support, but may be more troublesome for local dealers or support justify without special ordering.

4) Any go kart requires routine maintenance, and the DD2 package is no different. I will admit that I’m not an expert on the DD2 engines foibles, and I’ve heard the engine itself is actually quite reliable. However, again I would suggest talking to multiple Rotax technicians, in state and elsewhere to get a full lay of the land regarding common problems or things to be aware of.

5) Regionally, If you wanted to compete with a DD2 you likely would be in the Open TaG divisions or race with the shifter karters. Unfortunately, there likely would be no one else with the same engine package, so you would likely be scored in a race of one.

In summary, here are my thoughts: the DD2 is a great track day tool. It’s going to be limiting in its ability to be raced, have prompt parts service, and (I suspect) is more go kart than you need if you want a track day toy.

The positive is that there is a way to make the DD2 work if you are dead set on it. If a traditional shifter kart is another option, that’s another discussion itself.

Based on what your stated goal was/is, you want something somewhat fast, but fairly user friendly for track day fun.

To that, I’d suggest considering these options as alternatives to the DD2 if you’re open to it:

1) A Briggs LO206. Much slower, but very simple to work on, easy parts availability, lots of competition

2) An IAME KA100. A step up from LO206 in performance, and also complexity. If you were feeling ok about a DD2, the KA shouldn’t intimidate you, however. It has an electric start, and is a bit slower than a DD2, but not by much in the broad scheme of things.

3) A Rotax Senior or Master kart (125cc). This is Rotax DD2’s “little brother,” but really isn’t when you consider the popularity, ease of use, and performance of the package. Pound for pound, it won’t give you the performance of the DD2, but parts will be much more readily available locally as well as nationally. This option, as with the others, is single speed, but trust me, it’s plenty fast. There are also other manufacture options at all these levels of performance, but I do think the Rotax package is on the whole the most friendly considering what you’re looking to do.

I hope this was helpful. Hopefully others chime in with their thoughts and comments.

 

-Eric Gunderson

[Eric Schmiedel]

Hey Eric,

Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed response (as well as the warm welcome).

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m dead-set on the variable gearing, but electric start is definitely a requirement. Regarding the electric start shifters, depending on cost and performance, that may be an option. My initial research didn’t yield anything other than the Hegar CR125 kit, but it looks like it is indefinitely on backorder. While I can say I’m not trying to spend $12,000 to get started again, that may be something I could work towards in the future (if I get really into karting).

I appreciate the alternatives you listed as well. I have been researching the LO206, since the 4-stroke seems like it might be a little easier to maintain for someone who has no mechanical experience with 2-stroke engines (I used to ride 2-stroke dirt bikes when I was a kid/teen, but my dad maintained them).

I wasn’t really aware of the KA100 though. You mentioned that they are more complex than LO206, can you expand on that a little? I assume the complexity comes from the fact that it is a 2-stroke, but I want to be sure. Also, where would you rank the KA100 vs. a Rotax 125cc on your complexity scale?

I won’t lie, I’m still attracted to the DD2 option since it ticks all the boxes, but I sincerely appreciate your insight. I will look more into the Rotax Senior/Master stuff as well, since it was on my radar but not exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks again Eric!

[The Colorado Karter]

Eric,

With regard to the KA 100 being more complex than the Briggs, I primarily meant in terms of the systems you would be responsible for interacting with and maintaining every day. Again, for someone with basic mechanical abilities, this should be no problem, but some areas that do require routine maintenance:

• The KA 100 has a starter and wiring loom. It is extremely simple, but compared to the 206 this is an added layer of complexity.
• The KA 100 as you eluded to is a 2-stroke. So, you’d have to pre-mix fuel, unlike the 206 which will run all day happily on regular pump gas (87 octane they claim is best, although if you can afford to run race fuel (VP MS 93) it is better for the engine) all day long. Again, if you were to run a DD2 you’d be doing this anyway, so it isn’t anything crazy complicated.
• The KA for a 2-stroke has an excellent runtime service life. However, after about 20-30 hours you will notice the engine making a little less power, and you definitely need to rebuild at least the top end after ~30-40 hours max. A Rotax or DD2 again wouldn’t be wildly different than this, but if we are comparing just to the 206 this is another layer of complexity.
• The jetting or adjusting of the needles of the KA is a little finicky, although arguably easier than the Rotax, which is notoriously tricky with jetting. Rotax has a lovely jetting app that helps you guesstimate the correct jet to run, although here in Colorado users have reported that it isn’t terribly accurate.

To me, the KA 100 is exponentially more simple than the Rotax. That is not to say that I like one package more than the other on principle, but generally karts without radiators are less work week to week than karts with. The Rotax package and line of engines has gone through many iterations and a lot of thought and development, and really is quite robust and durable if you take proper care of it. The KA is similar in this regard, but there is less electronics and steps to consider with the KA. Once both packages are on the kart, however, they are about equal in terms of weekly maintenance with a few garden variety differences.

I am certainly happy to answer any other questions you may have or further thoughts on this topic, but I also urge you to reach out to others in the community, and welcome their input as well! You can also reach out to the forums on Ekartingnews.com, or Kartpulse.com if you want a national audience and group of folks to talk to about your questions.

I’ll keep an eye on this topic and jump back in if you post more updates or questions as you learn more about what you want to get for some track day fun!

–Eric Gunderson

[Eric Schmiedel]

Thanks again Eric for your detailed response, it is very much appreciated. You have given me a lot to think about and definitely cleared up a lot of my questions. I will take your advice and start reaching out to others to learn more before I commit to any specific platform/package.

You mentioned that you had a contact regionally for a DD2 kart…do you happen to know what kind of cost I would be looking at if I decided to go down that route. I see that KA100 and Rotax 125 karts seem to be in the $4,000 – $6,000 range (which is within my potential budget). I’m wondering if the stagnation of DD2 means I could get into it for a slightly cheaper initial cost. I know that any savings due to its lower popularity will be offset by cost of repairs over time, just curious.

Thanks again!

[The Colorado Karter]

Eric,

I think it is important to realize that what you see for cost represents a new piece of equipment. There are used options in the region as well as elsewhere for a fraction of that cost. While all new equipment is awesome, it’s also likely not necessary especially for what you are looking to accomplish, assuming of course you take your time to make an intelligent purchasing decision.

I don’t know off the top of my head what the DD2 package costs / is for sale for from regarding the karts in the region, but I will send you an email here briefly introducing you to the person that has it for sale who can answer your specific questions.

Best,

–Eric Gunderson

[Eric Schmiedel]

Excellent, thank you very much Eric! You have been extremely helpful.

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