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Yes, the tires are directional. Before mounting make sure you can have the arrows going in direction of rotation on both sides of the kart. I believe it is in the construction of the tire, making them stronger in one direction or the other.
Most people will recommend to every new karter to start in a tag kart. However people who do have motocross experience normally do fine in a shifter. I still would push you towards a tag though. The fields are larger and they will teach you to be a smoother driver. If what you want to do is shift gears, then just go shifter so you don’t have to worry about losing investment on a tag kart you don’t want.
For tag engines in my experience the reliability goes like this:
1. Rotax
2. Leopard
3. Rok or PRDAll the series here run the same tag rules, unless you run in a rotax specific series. In tag masters the Rotax has pretty much been the fastest motor for the past couple of years, and they got a little faster now that the new cylinders and coils are out. The leopard and Rok are also competitive.
if you get a used kart get one that is supported by one of the local shops, and same goes for motor packages. Also make a point to go to Barry, Jim, Brad, Aj or GJMS if your out there, and come see us at Shockwave to talk one on one with somebody. We would be happy to spend some time with you talking about the different motors and letting you see them all hands on. It does help to go to all the shops to find the one you like and trust, as well as get multiple opinions.
If you go shifter go stock moto.
Check out our website for more information, and remember you can never ask too many questions!
http://www.shockwavekarting.comThe gearing that you stated is for Rotax instead of Leopard. Kirks suggestion of 11/82 at CRE and 11/80 at Cent will get you very close.
Well we all wish that racing here in state could be better. Its been a long train of events that has put us in the situation we are in now. Bottom line is the only way us as racers can make it better is to go out and practice or race or just even spectate at whatever track it is that you like the most. From a drivers standpoint I can’t pick one out of the 5 tracks I like most or least, I do only wish we could run at all 5 of them for a series again. It won’t happen in my lifetime but we can still hope.
The only way we can re-grow karting from where we stand now is to not loose interest. Keep karting, keep getting out to as many tracks as you can to step up your game. The more people that stay in, it the more people will want to be involved. Even if Brad and Jim never get along again, as long as we have a dedicated group of racers karting can still be fun. There is no one who can blame this on any one person, as ALL track owners and ALL shop owners have played a part (for better or worse) to turn karting in Colorado into what it is today. I do know that people like Brad, Jim, Stacey, JB, George, AJ, Barry, and my family have a passion and a love for the sport and want to see it grow. Hope to see you all at some race down the road, and maybe we can all race together again someday.
I still remember 1997 pulling around 250 entrants for a club race.
I say we make a new section on the forum for Rich and Mike to go at it with their bench trash talking. Could be the most used forum on here. My dad at one point managed to get his own forum on ekartingnews with Rick blood called The Rocky and Bloodwinkle show.
MUAHAHAHA.
Not to worry I’m only racing enough Rotax races to qualify for the Grandnationals and nothing else this year. My focus is on our quickly growing race team and making sure all our drivers are in the front.
Yea I woild only need a mere 70lbs to make weight, I’d just bolt it on wherever it would fit. I make junior weight with no lead on the kart.
So….
As part of the new Tom Denin special, if I go out and race Rotax spec with the TaG Seniors, can I bolt a bunch of weight on and some MGs and go chase Rich and Tom around 😆 In case you were wondering that laughing smiley face is representing my evil plan to take over TaG Masters. Too bad I don’t think 4 of us could pick my kart up onto a stand if we weighted it for masters.
Yes new coils do come with the wire already installed. All you have to do is just screw the wire down onto the screw hard just to make sure it bites. I’m sure there is something in the rotax rules about type and length of the coil wire, so let me check on that.
All of the tracks here use the AMB TranX transponders. I believe they are around $200. You can use the same one for you and your kid, just make sure you remember to switch them everytime or else you won’t get scored. I don’t know for sure but there should be transponder rental avaliable as well.
I also have a question Jim,
I plan on getting a drivers card for The Track. However for me there will be races that I am at where I will be tuning instead of racing, will I need a mechanics card for that or will my drivers pass just cover me for all of it?
Thanks Jim!
I take it he is talking about the LV magnesium wheels. Stiffer than standard with less air in the wheel overall as the o.d. of the center of the wheel is larger. They have been out for almost two years now and is what I ran most of the year around here.
Dash for Cash sounds fun, like back in the day at the national level. What they did was start however many guys then last place each lap pulled in until it was only one left.
Thank you all for the great attendance. That was one of our better turn outs yet! We enjoy getting everyone up in the shop to do some bench racing before the season starts. We all thank you for the support you have given my family over the years, and look forward to racing with you this year. It was nice to see new guys and seasoned vets all showing up to the seminar. Hopefully all of you walked away with a bit of information you didn’t kn0ow before.
Well I’ll hop in here and voice my opinion briefly. We run both Rotaxes and Leopards all around the country, turning both motors as hard as they can go. Anyone who has known me for a long time can tell you I can break anything. I have blown up engines that people don’t even think can break.
I think my blown up motors list goes something like this
12665648739 briggs and stratton 5hp (Briggs vs. IMI, IMI won)
2 60cc shifter
5 80cc shifter
8 ICC motors
1 built moto (I only drove one two or three times)
2 stock moto (1 freak piston failure, 1 broken cylinder)
5 leopards
2 Rotax (1 was from racing in Grange with motor temps around 220, bouncing the rev limiter for half the straight, the other IMI CSC when I lost the rad cap and tried to hold the water in the engine with my hand)From my history the stock moto and the Rotax have been the most reliable. The Rotax breaks were always under extreme circumstances as well.
In the Leopards defense we blew most engines either at Stars of Karting or testing for stars, where the motor revs are 17,000 at most tracks.
Both carburetors suck in my opinion. The rotax has a whole bunch of jets you can change, especially in TaG, but the leopard carb is near as difficult. There is a very long list of adjustments you can make to the leopard carb outside of just twisting the high and low screws.
My first Rotax engine that we purchased long before becoming a service center is still with us today, in fact it is the one we ran at the Rotax Grands this year. It is on its second crank, third rod, and probably 5 or 6 pistons. However this engine has in the 300-350 hour range on it. That took me around 5 years to put that much time on it, and that also includes driving close to 100 days per year.
We chose the Rotax because of the same reasons everyone else here has said. However with the Leopard it is competitive and if de tuned can last a while. Our Leopard maintenance cycle is every 7 to 8 hours, however they will last around 40 if de tuned and just run locally.
Hope that helps
