Help with starting Karting!

Forum for LO206 & Chonda classes

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Nick Malanga
Posts:12
Joined:Sun May 03, 2015 6:31 pm
Help with starting Karting!

Post by Nick Malanga » Mon May 04, 2015 6:19 pm

Hi. my name is Nick, and i am 14 yo [15 in september] and i want to start karting, and i have some questions, but ill get to that. I have roughly 3000 dollars to get started with “Briggs and Stratton LO 206” but do not have any experiences shopping for, or maintaining karts, and my parents are no better than me. I would like to enter this as either a Junior for this summer season or wait and get a better kart and compete as a senior next year. I would love to get some advice in any of the areas regarding shopping.
-If there are any full karts for sale that have either raced in these classes or are to the specification, contact me at nicholasmalanga16@gmail.com.
-Will most chassis work if i have the right engines, driveline, etc?
-When are is the next race for either of these classes?
-Will this engine work? http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/2812708340 ... =82&chn=ps
- Please email or reply [with links?] about chassis that work with theses classes or advice, i have real trouble in these areas.
Thanks a lot,
Nick

Patrick Roth
The master poster
Posts:149
Joined:Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:47 am

Re: Help with starting Karting!

Post by Patrick Roth » Tue May 05, 2015 7:13 am

Hi Nick,

Welcome to the forums! The LO206 class is an excellent place to start in karting! The kart that you buy should be able to be used for the junior class now, and senior when you make the jump. There isn't necessarily a need to buy a kart now and then plan to buy another kart when you switch to the senior class.

If you look in the classifieds under "Karts for Sale" you'll find a variety of used chassis for sale. My advice is to find a kart brand that is supported by the local dealers. CRG, Birel, Intrepid, and Praga all have local presence at the track at just about every race. Tony Kart is also a popular brand among the members. I would recommend calling the local dealers (RPM Racekarts, Joe Bauhs Motorsports, 3G Karting, and Motorsports Development Group) to see if they have anything used in their stock that might fit your budget; otherwise, browse the classifieds and see if anything catches your eye. I would be happy to answer any questions about any karts that you find (just shoot me an email at proth0303@gmail.com).

Yes, most full size chassis will work for the LO206; however, some chassis will require more tweaking than others to get the motor to fit. That challenge is the LO206 has the drive on the side of the motor closest to the driver whereas the 2 cycle motors have the drive on the outside. I have read where some people have had to cut off the inside seat strut (replace with bolt on seat strut) to make clearance for the motor/chain but I haven't heard of any of our members having to do this.

The next race is Sunday, May 17th and we race rain or shine (lightning is about the only thing that stops a race). Qualifying starts around 12:30 and the day runs until 5:00 or so. This would be a great opportunity to check things out and see some of the 206's in action!

Yes, that engine will work but I highly recommend that if you are buying a new engine than you work with one of the local dealers as they should be selling the complete engine package for a competitive price (roughly $1000 for everything for a LO206). By buying through a local dealer you will receive their support in getting you up and running which is critical for a new karter.

Outside of the kart chassis and motor, you'll need to buy a seat (roughly $200 new). You'll also need the safety equipment including helmet, race suit, neck brace, shoes, gloves, and a rib vest is highly recommended. Some sort of data aquisition is also highly recommend so you can see at minimum the RPMs the motor is turning (Mychron 4 is such a device but there are other much cheaper alternatives if all the budget allows is RPM monitoring). A kart stand is also highly recommend as it's not easy to work on the kart on the ground and can be a pain to move around the grid without one.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at proth0303@gmail.com; otherwise, if you make it to the next race, I race the number 26T shifter kart (I race a CRG kart which is black and orange) and would be happy to answer questions.

Best Regards,
Patrick

Paul Watts
Posts:13
Joined:Tue Jan 13, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Help with starting Karting!

Post by Paul Watts » Mon May 18, 2015 10:38 pm

Hey Nick,

Welcome to karting and GCKI. If you interested, I have a second kart I rent out for practice days / races. Race suit, helmet, and track side support is provided with a rental along with (1) driving instruction session. Sent you an email with some more details.

Paul

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