I trust you can now see 'where I am coming from'!
I am treated, by some, on this site as someone who HATES new ideas.... that may be true.. but.....
It's in dealer's INTERESTS to tell you that XYZ new fashion-item will make you FLY..... and it's VERY much in the interest of those who HAVE just paid FORTUNES for XYZ fashion-item that it DOES work..... or they look like TOTAL FASHION VICTIMS....
My experience tells me that 80% of everything said about karting is BULLS HIT: the difficulty is working out WHICH is the 20%! If you find out, please tell the REST of us!
So..... find the CHEAPEST way to improve performance FIRST before buying the fashionable item.
I'd start with the fun and games of BRAKING!
Pick a braking point: get someone to stand there and DON'T hit your brakes until you reach them: if you 'make' the corner..... get the friend to move 1 metre closer to the corner and repeat...... until you DON'T make it..... go round again, and Again.... and AGAIN.... until you DO 'make it'. Then get him to move ANOTHER metre closer..... and so on until you CANNOT make it!
You won't end up using ALL that do-or-die braking... except in overtaking 'derring-dos'...... but you'll find the limit of yourself AND your kart... and your lap times will PLUMMET! You will have also learned the BEST possible way to utilise kart brakes!
You'll also notice how USELESS kart brakes are.... they are at the WRONG END and they are HOPELESS! I used to use DRUM brakes and they REALLY were NOT much worse than modern ones. The limitation is N*O*T the brakes but the 'ground pressure reduction' on the rear when they start to work!
All you need to have a GOOD set of kart brakes is:-
* a FABULOUS 'feel' from the pedal, allowing you to judge, consistently, when they start to lock * superb 'modulation' so that you can 'select' the EXACT braking that you choose!
* the ability to lock the wheels at will.... that means you'll have more than ENOUGH braking at all times!
I'd recommend getting the vews of 'Race Instructor' .... he does NOT suffer from BULLS HIT!
Ian
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