Kart Valuation

Hi Guys-

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/spo/d/el-dorado-hills-kart-complete-birel-80/6972096409.html

Found this kart on craigslist local. I have a local track that I'd like to use- don't have any intention of racing, just some fun with my 16 yr old son.  Is this valued well? Don't know anything about it more than the ad says, but was thinking of looking at it Saturday AM.

Danke.

I got my kart for $500, but center of the country, not nearly as ready-to-run as that one, less snazzy engine, and no spares. That seems reasonably priced to me. 

I would start at the track and find out what groups are out there to run with, they have more than one I would bet.  Running by your self at an open practice, is just a start.

The kart seat, size and placement in the kart, becomes the issue.  Then the safety gear; helmet, chest/rib protector, neck/hanse, suit, gloves...   The kids out grow it all like they go thorough sneakers.

These things trade owners at a maintenance point, top end refresh when?  Rebuilt after how many hours?  What kind of oil, and changed after each (day, session).  The gas is important.  Pump gas is for cars. Kart gas comes in pales/buckets that cost what sounds like stupid money.  Not having to rebuild the carb because the pump gas with the ethanol dry's into a green goo is a reason.

The two of you should practice picking it up off the stand, it should come with the stand, and put it on the ground. Dad at the heavy end.  Remind your self how you need to pick up heavy, awkward, stuff.  Then return it to the stand.  Repeat.  Your start of karting is now beginning, as a team.  Tires, it is a little race car, are very consumable. MG Red, are hard and last, are $210 a set.  Soft, fast tires just/only last for a....  again, they are race tires.

Then becoming a crew chief is your quest.

Do you have a truck?    

I have been at it for four years, it is a great learning curve for both of us and we run with the SCCA in the FJ, formula junior, program.   

Awesome thanks for the advice.  Didn't plan on racing anyone (except my son), but get the reasoning. I'll check last rebuild, oil changes etc. I guess you'd have to take someones word for it at this point.  Great to know about the gas- I would have been the shiny happy person running pump gas. 

It won’t be competitive for any real racing but it’ll be an absolute blast to drive around. Make sure to get all the spares he has and it’s a decent deal. One thing though, the Leopard is 125cc, not an 80cc. 

There are no oil changes as it’s a 2-stroke without balance shafts, but you’ll need to be running a 98+ octane race fuel (like VP C12) with a high quality synthetic oil (like Motul Gran Prix) at 8oz a gallon. Keep the revs under 16.5k and check the reeds every day if they’re carbon. I ran Leopards a while ago so I’m not certain, but you’ll be looking somewhere in the range of 6-8hrs on the piston and ring before needing a rebuild and 20ish hours on the bottom end.  

Good advice given,  looks like a solid kart for the money. 2 strokes are very prone to compression , reeds and rings as was mentioned. There should be a spare engine if he was a campaigner.  I would do it for that money, a yard kart is $800, and this is a racing tuned kart, solid foundation.

Seems like a decent deal.  If it's a Leopard, it's 125cc, not 80.  Not a huge deal for a kart to bang around on, but something to keep in mind if you're looking for parts.  If there's a local kart track, go to a race or two to find out what shops support the track in case you need parts.  It looks like an older Birel, but you should still be able to find parts. 

Agree with the above that you'll want to use race fuel and good two stroke oil.  Again, if it's a kart track, the local shop can sell it to you.  Expect $11-15/gallon in 5 gallon containers.  MG reds are great for learning as they don't wear as long.

If you do it, you'll need safety equipment.  Auto race suits don't work as they're not skid resistant.  You should be able to pick up inexpensive kart suits on Ebay.  You'll want a full face helmet (most tracks won't let you run without) and Snell rated.  Snell motorcycle helmets is what my son always used because they had a larger eye port and he could try on different ones at the local cycle shop.  You'll also need gloves and some tracks require high top shoes.  Wrestling shoes are a cheap option.  You may need, at least, a foam neck brace as a requirement for the track, and it helps with the g-forces.  Since both of you are starting, I'd recommend a rib protector, too.  Especially if you and your son are different girths.

Before you get it going, check all of the nuts and bolts.  They will work loose quickly.  Most have holes for safety wire or are setup for safety clips.

Clean the carb after 4-5 sessions and before you store it.

A stand isn't 100% required, but it helps a ton when pushing the kart from your car/truck to the grid and when you do have to work on it.  Again, a local track will have someone selling old equipment.

Battery is just a standard 12volt like you can get at any battery store.  Keep a trickle charger handy to keep it topped up.

I'd offer him a grand for it to see if he bites, but $1200 is a decent deal just to get started.

Oh, and as EDT said, there's no balance shaft so get ready for it to feel like it's shaking itself apart when you're driving.  That's part of the fun.

-Rob

He got back to me and says - although the advertisement clearly states it is ready to run - that it needs a rebuild. I was just coming here to ask about the 80cc thing- I spent some time looking and could only find reference to 125 leopards. 

Is there another motor that will just last longer? I don't feel like doing five hour rebuilds- I'd figure that's once a month if you are just bumping around an hour a week.  Or is that the nature of karting? I was under the perhaps naive assumption that the TaG karts were a little slower but built to just run without a ton of maintenance.

A Rotax 125 will go 20-25hrs on the top end and will have lower running costs due to the possibility of running pump gas and a 50:1 oil mix. But, to just show up and run you’d really need to be looking at a 4-stroke. A TaG kart is still very fast and can be higher on the maintenance side.