Discussion
Was down at Buckmore park yesterday for a half hour of go-karting
Was about a second off the pace of the fastest people there. When I tried to follow them I was getting oversteer problems. They were managing to hold a line through a corner and when I followed them, the back end of my kart would let go causing me to have to do some hilarious full lock antics.
I couldn't work out if moving my seat forward or backward would help in terms of my problem. So thrown out to the masses. Do I put my sea forward or back to make up that second
Was about a second off the pace of the fastest people there. When I tried to follow them I was getting oversteer problems. They were managing to hold a line through a corner and when I followed them, the back end of my kart would let go causing me to have to do some hilarious full lock antics.
I couldn't work out if moving my seat forward or backward would help in terms of my problem. So thrown out to the masses. Do I put my sea forward or back to make up that second
fido said:
Buckmore Park has a few hairpins, not to mention it's on the side of a hill.
OP what was your time .. 50s, 51s, 52s .. and how much do you weigh? The RT8 Sodi karts at BP seem very evenly matched - always get new tyres when i go.
Sorry didn't spot this . best time was 51.4, averaging 52.0, but at least three were lapping in the 50's. They were all young and I an 87Kg so not exactly a lightweight.OP what was your time .. 50s, 51s, 52s .. and how much do you weigh? The RT8 Sodi karts at BP seem very evenly matched - always get new tyres when i go.
Edited by fido on Friday 6th September 09:53
They were making ground on the straights which I think was due either to their light weight or better corner exiting speed than me. I was having to do a bit of correction coming out the curve, they weren't.
The Karts were a limiting factor because every lap the two corners at the end of the straight were taken without taking my foot off the throttle. The Karts weren't powerful enough to make the weight less relevant.
The seats were easily adjustable on the go. simply pull up the yellow cord when no on looking and let go to click it in. Not immediate feedback on laptimes when you are on the move so I wasn't sure what I was doing.
My thoughts were if I move the seat back I'm putting more weight over the rear wheels but also as the Kart cornered the rear wheels were having to hold my weight from moving sideways. More downward pressure but much more sideways force applied to the wheels.
If I moved the seat forward less weight on the rears. Less downforce on the rear tyres, but also load better spread between front and rear so less for the rear wheel grip to have to do.
I still can't work it out. What I do know is that there was a great deal more grip on the front to the rear. Not enough power to steer on the throttle, and not really enough power in the Kart for the circuit
fido said:
That's pretty good. I'm only a smidgeon lighter than you and can't get into the 50s either. I'm not as smooth as I could be so will try that - especially before the uphill as mentioned before. I can't blame it on the karts as i have come second many times behind someone who's been racing there since they were 10!
Its the first time I'd been there. I looked through the lap times so see if any of the changes I was making per lap made any positive difference. The first five laps were getting the corners right. The next ten were playing about with the seat placement, but to be honest I couldn't remember which lap was which, and the rest were trying to go faster and fast round the double bend at the end of the straight.On the subsequent race card there is obviously an improvement in the first five laps. There was no discernible changes while moving my seat around. But taking the end of straight double bend faster and faster at the end did have an effect on the first sector time. For most of the middle laps I was just lifting off at the end of the main straight and putting the power back on as soon as I could once in the bend.
At one point I spent a lap behind one of the fast chaps (always a good learning experience) and I was right up behind him at the end of main straight (cos he'd just overtaken me). When I lifted off he didn't. He had his foot hard on the throttle all the way down the main straight and didn't take it off for the double bends. I couldn't do that. Be nice to know why
usn90 said:
I used to race karts, proper ones not turn arrive and drive type
Moving the seat was/is a no-no, by moving it backwards all your doing is undoing the karts balance, will promote understeer if anything.
I would have loved to move it as I’m 6foot so my legs were to cramped up
The lighter drivers who needed ballast would secure the weights at the front of the kart, or preferably low down on the seat
what do you think to the wobbly headed dog manoeuvre?Moving the seat was/is a no-no, by moving it backwards all your doing is undoing the karts balance, will promote understeer if anything.
I would have loved to move it as I’m 6foot so my legs were to cramped up
The lighter drivers who needed ballast would secure the weights at the front of the kart, or preferably low down on the seat
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