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Post by plepper on Feb 20, 2014 16:22:30 GMT -8
I have some questions about kt100 karts I'm looking to get a kart mostly for practice days and maybe try racing later. what is the maintenance required on the Yamaha's how long would tires last at practice speeds. How many Yamaha's are at the track and most important are they a one guy operation i.e. starting i'm new to karting and just want to have fun and be involved in the club without spending an arm and a leg on a hobby. I'm also looking into clones and maybe upgrading to WF if the bug bites hard. P.S. I'm an old fat guy 57 270lbs but looking to lose 40 lbs. Thanks for any ideas.
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Post by bdlucas21 on Feb 21, 2014 13:33:56 GMT -8
Be careful, the karting bug can be easily caught and spread like wild fire!! Don't worry about age, I know people who are racing and in their 60's.
The KT100 is a great starter class (that's where I started, but no longer run). The class size varies depending on the year, 6-8 karts seems to be the average count but can climb over 10. The KT100 is a very reliable motor and requires the same amount of maintenance as pretty much any other motor out there. We'd race the same motor all year long including gold cups, so it doesn’t have to be rebuilt but once a year. Service the clutch by keeping fresh oil in it and making sure the disks aren’t wearing away too quickly. The other area we seemed to fight every now and again was the carburetor. Don't let it sit too long with gas in it, take it apart occasionally (carefully to remember how to put it back together) to clean all the components and check the gaskets, and wash your air filter every once in a while to get the particles out. Print off the clutch and KT100 manuals too if they are online. Have a few extra spark plugs on hand as if you run it too rich, the plug can foul. I don’t remember what gap we ran, some of the guys at the track can help you with that. From past experience: Don’t run it too lean, it will stick the motor and can be costly.
The WF is another solid engine package. Change the oil, maintain the clutch, and put gas in the tank; it will run for ever. I went two year between rebuilds once and it still ran strong. The class weight might be closer for you too. They have a 390lb and a 405lb class (in Gold Cup I think). It's a good idea to find out all the class weights you are interested in running before making a permanent decision on engine package.
Tires: When we first started, I practiced and raced on the same tires for the entire year and sometimes in to the next. Odds are good that if you are around the track on a weekend someone will donate their used tires and they would do what you want for practice.
Hopefully some other people will post with their experiences and tips too (especially clone as I have none). The KT100 pointers were stretching my memory as its been 8 years since we ran them. Good luck and enjoy the sport!
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Post by Dustin on Feb 26, 2014 18:55:24 GMT -8
4 cycle (clone or WF) can definitely be a fairly maintenance free engine package and it appears the KT100's can be also but I do not have any personal experience with them to say for sure. For practicing and getting the "bug" a clone can be a very cost effective route. Downfall to clone for you would be class min. weight (370 lbs). Karts on average weigh around 160 so it takes less than a 200lb driver to get down to a competitive weight. World Formula is more $$ up front but as Bret said they can be ran for a season or even 2 with just normal maintenance of the clutch, valve adjustment and oil changes. Also WF's are ran across the country under the same rules so info can be found pretty easily on line.
Hope some of this helps and if you have any questions there should be someone out at the track to answer questions most every weekend from now on (check schedule to be sure) or feel free to contact any of the board members listed on our contact page.
Thanks for the interest in becoming a part of the TCKC racing family!
Dustin Chiesa TCKC BoD member 509-551-6832
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