I drove a 100cc Yamaha Margay Brava last night for about 6-laps...it ******* ruined me, 3g of lateral acceleration is some serious ****. I think I'm going to buy one. I'll still run TT in the Miata, but I'm going w2w in a kart.

 

been thinking about getting one for a long time as well. and you couldn't have said it any better: it seriously RUINS any other car for you. everything afterwards is so.....bland....

 

Trey, everyone knows you just want to hang around 12 year olds.

 

I don't think the car ruins the experience of the Miata. However, I think there are aspects of driving a kart that will make me a significantly better driver. Corner entry on a kart and the absurd speed at which things happen will help me immensely in the Miata. I think the car will show me how to enter a corner and really plan on the exit, as I enter; I currently get to reevaluate my exit while mid-corner in the car.

However, I've only driven half a dozen laps in one so whatever.

 

Get a 125cc shifter or you're not a man.

 

 

 

Highpowered limo cart = gay as ****

 

my neighbor has a 250cc shifter kart, easily the scariest anything ever

 

Are you sleeping?

 

nah, he's chinese

 

Trey, I looked into this a couple of years ago. I think most of the racing was around Dallas and if I remember right the TAG kart class is what is most popular in your area. I think you can get a TAG cart for fairly cheap.

 

I'm getting turned on. This is going to be my theme camp for burning man next year. Camp Rape Van.

 

Shifter carts are sweet, but I think TAG is better bang for buck. If you dig it and get good then you can move to shifters. The one karting experience I had showed me I have enough to learn and keep busy with that I wouldn't want to add shifting to the mix. That **** can really test your stamina; especially in the heat.

 

Welcome to 2 1/2 years ago.

https://www.miataturbo.net/insert-bs-here-4/went-kart-track-today-33052/

Seriously, that 125cc TAG kart is still the fastest thing I've ever driven.

The sad thing is I have access to an 80cc shifter kart and stacks of tires that need using, but I can't find any time to go Karting.

 

Oh and karting is about the most affordable way to get good wheel to wheel action. My friend with the TAG kart I drove two years ago moved to Texas not long ago. He sold his TAG before moving down there because apparently the "Stock Moto" class was more popular, and maybe even more cost efficient. I believe stock moto is a 125cc shifter class where they use basically stock 125cc dirt bike motors.

My buddy does a decent amount of karting and is familiar with the Texas scene. He lives in San Angelo but travels to Dallas for kart races. Anyway, I can give you his info if your interested.

 

I have a 125cc shifter sitting in my barn with new tires. A track membership at NTK is only $350 or something. I live 15 minutes from the track now. What the hell am I doing.

I ran SWRA as well as sprint at NTK. Big tracks are way more fun. I ran 2 seconds slower than my formula ford at MSR on 3.1 circuit in the 125cc. Tune my car for shifter seat time? I really want to bring my miata out on NTK, that would be fun.

 

The photo from post 5 is my Stock Moto/Stock Honda 125cc shifter. They are basically bombproof - the engine is a stock Honda CR125 dirtbike motor with a pre-'97 6-speed gearbox, plugged power valves, and stock ignition. With a kart pipe they start making power around ~8k, they're fully lit by ~9500, shift point is just under 12k. They make ~31hp and the kart itself weighs ~190lbs wet.

It uses a motorcycle chain so it lasts forever, the chain gears are thick and big, engines are bombproof (piston every 15 hours, bottom end every 3-4 pistons) and cheap to maintain/repair, and they are idiot-level fast. I've got a data system on mine and 0-60 shows up in the low 3 second range, plus the ability to pull down 2.0g (sustained lateral).

The black car is faster in a straight line, but the shifter kart will always feel faster. Imagine doing track days in a Miata, except everything is on a 3x fast forward, and you'll get an idea of what it's like to drive a shifter kart.

 

I used to get really nervous before races, second-guessing setup decisions, wondering if I had missed anything in pre-race prep. Just calming myself down on the pre-grid before rolling out to the grid.

 

The sprint track in Denton is Ntkarters.com. Last time I ran, I was 1 of 2 shifter karts, the rest were rotax karts. That's why I started running big tracks. I just looked at this years point totals and it looks like they 7-10 shifters competing, maybe 4-5 every race night. Rotax's are easy, they have electric start, and are quick, but the shifter is so much more fun.

Also to be up front in karting, expect to spend a lot of money. But since you are probably in it to get some seat time and have fun, shifter karts are way are the way to go. I stopped karting big tracks when I could do a race weekend in a formula car for $250 less than a weekend with SWRA.