Wanting to start Karting in northwest
Discussion
Hey all,
I am looking to start kart racing but am not entirely sure what the best class is for me. I am not looking to be ultra competetive to start, looking for the cheapest form of outdoor karting to get in to. I dont want to be lagging at the back of the pack because my kart is completely crap compared to the rest of the pack, but i also don't want to get involved in spending thousands to keep tuning the thing all the time..
So, any ideas on whats followed in the northwest area and is a cheap form of karting to get in to. I'm 28 and 9.5st if it makes any difference!
I am looking to start kart racing but am not entirely sure what the best class is for me. I am not looking to be ultra competetive to start, looking for the cheapest form of outdoor karting to get in to. I dont want to be lagging at the back of the pack because my kart is completely crap compared to the rest of the pack, but i also don't want to get involved in spending thousands to keep tuning the thing all the time..
So, any ideas on whats followed in the northwest area and is a cheap form of karting to get in to. I'm 28 and 9.5st if it makes any difference!
Hi mate, I used to do a lot of karting around the NW at places such as Glan-Y-Gors Park in North Wales and Three Sisters in Wigan. Your best bet would be to get down to some of the meets there (3 sisters is the last sunday of each month I think) - or have a look at the Manchester and Buxton Kart Club (MBKC) which runs from there. Have a watch of the races and see what you fancy. Rotax is usually a good strong class and there are others such as 100+ Nationals but they can be expensive.
If you need anythign else give me a shout.
Rob
If you need anythign else give me a shout.
Rob
Not compared to TKM but the grids are bigger in Max.
TKM requires you to be super smooth due to the harder tyres, Rotax flatters the drivers more as the tyres are softer and therefore make the karts easier to drive for a novice.
If I had the money I would race Rotax but my budget is limited so TKM is the class for me, and I had to lose nearly a stone to get down to the minimum weight.
Get involved mate, it's addictive.
TKM requires you to be super smooth due to the harder tyres, Rotax flatters the drivers more as the tyres are softer and therefore make the karts easier to drive for a novice.
If I had the money I would race Rotax but my budget is limited so TKM is the class for me, and I had to lose nearly a stone to get down to the minimum weight.
Get involved mate, it's addictive.
great, cheers.. Tell me more about tkm! Why is this cheaper and what are the limitations? I'm only 9.5st so weight should be ok. I thought tkm would be dear as you can do whatever you want to the karts. Is there a good following for tkm in the most west? What kart should i look out for in tkm?
If you want to race MSA level TKM then you cannot do anything you like to the karts - there are strict regulations governing what you can or cannot do.
The chassis are not so adjustable, they are quite simple so it's easier for a novice to set them up - camber and castor are fixed but ride height, tracking and track width are adjustable.
The engines are not sealed as sealed engines can only be built by approved companies - this makes them able to charge a premium for their services - the idea behind TKM allows you to build an engine yourself if you like as long as it conforms to the regulations, it's not uncommon for an engine to be stripped and measured at a race meeting by the scrutineers.
In terms of different types the usual big names are always popular - Tonykart, JKH Interpid, Venom, Gillard, TKM etc...
Chassis prices are fixed so chequebook richkids cannot come along and buy the best chassis but engines are not and a good engine will cost you but then again a straight out of the box engine will see a good driver up the front anyway.
Regs can be found on www.tal-ko.com
Unfortunately grids are not as big as Rotax but we have fun all the same and it's very competitive, I have come from car racing where I could hang it out sideways all day but I have had to completely change my driving style to make it smoother so I don't overload the tyres.
The chassis are not so adjustable, they are quite simple so it's easier for a novice to set them up - camber and castor are fixed but ride height, tracking and track width are adjustable.
The engines are not sealed as sealed engines can only be built by approved companies - this makes them able to charge a premium for their services - the idea behind TKM allows you to build an engine yourself if you like as long as it conforms to the regulations, it's not uncommon for an engine to be stripped and measured at a race meeting by the scrutineers.
In terms of different types the usual big names are always popular - Tonykart, JKH Interpid, Venom, Gillard, TKM etc...
Chassis prices are fixed so chequebook richkids cannot come along and buy the best chassis but engines are not and a good engine will cost you but then again a straight out of the box engine will see a good driver up the front anyway.
Regs can be found on www.tal-ko.com
Unfortunately grids are not as big as Rotax but we have fun all the same and it's very competitive, I have come from car racing where I could hang it out sideways all day but I have had to completely change my driving style to make it smoother so I don't overload the tyres.
BTW a new chassis is nice but if you're learning then it may be worth buying a 2nd hand package, get some experience on that then buy a new kart.
I paid £600 for a 2005 ex super 1 TKM Extreme 115cc, i totally rebuilt it and it's a lovely bit of kit now, not the fastest out there but i'm still learning, only been doing it for a year so i'm still on novice plates.
I do it on my National B car license, allows me to race both karts and cars
I paid £600 for a 2005 ex super 1 TKM Extreme 115cc, i totally rebuilt it and it's a lovely bit of kit now, not the fastest out there but i'm still learning, only been doing it for a year so i'm still on novice plates.
I do it on my National B car license, allows me to race both karts and cars
I race rotax and personally prefer it to TKM. More power and softer tyres being the main reasons. Yes it does flatter your driving style a bit but I just found it more fun. Don't believe for 1 second though that rotax is cheap and/or equal. There is a lot of rubbish spoken about rotax but the fact is despite the seal there is a large variability in engines. Steps have been taken to combat this with an introduction of new cylinders this year etc (long story). The point I'm trying to make though is buying off the shelf engines and trying to run on a budget will mean being truly competitive in rotax is difficult. My knowledge of TKM is limited but it seems a much farier and cheaper class. Make sure TKM is raced locally though if you go down that route as its not popular in all parts of the country.
Go and visist your local tracks see what grids are like for each class then see if you can get a drive in both types of kart and make your own mind up which prefer/ can afford.
Go and visist your local tracks see what grids are like for each class then see if you can get a drive in both types of kart and make your own mind up which prefer/ can afford.
Depending on the circuit layout I would say that the time difference is roughly 1.5-2 seconds per lap, power has a lot to do with it as Rotax's make around 9-10bhp more than a TKM but the tyres are at opposite ends of the performance spectrum and that completely changes it.
It has long been argued that putting Rotax tyres on a TKM with a good TKM driver would see it doing competitive Rotax times, but it's not uncommon for Rotax drivers to need new sets of tyres for each meeting, the general consensus for TKM is that you can do 3 meetings on them before the drop in performance warrents a new set.
Depends what you want to do mate and the money you're comfortable spending when you're new to the sport.
It has long been argued that putting Rotax tyres on a TKM with a good TKM driver would see it doing competitive Rotax times, but it's not uncommon for Rotax drivers to need new sets of tyres for each meeting, the general consensus for TKM is that you can do 3 meetings on them before the drop in performance warrents a new set.
Depends what you want to do mate and the money you're comfortable spending when you're new to the sport.
think its looking likely to be tkm after looking it up. It looks to be a really low cost form of motorsport and a second hand kart can be had for buttons which is exactly what i'm looking for. Basically, my plan is to sell my bike for 2k ish and get a kart to start racing next year. Wouldn't get much for my money in rotax, but should see a great tkm and spares for that sort of cash.
Do you know anywhere that you can try one out?
Do you know anywhere that you can try one out?
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