I have an idea for a new motorsport. Tell me why I'm nuts.

_ said:

In reply to jhodgson :

Welcome to this forum man.

Thanks! No worries. I'm not new, I just don't post here much.

My wife says I'm the grumpiest man alive but I say nothing that good could be true.

ProDarwin said:

How about a go kart that has 2 (electric?) motors, 1 for each rear wheel.  No rear axle.  Each wheel moves like a caster, but has a rod sticking forward off it so you can steer it like the rudder of a  boat (one in each hand).  Thumb or twist throttle on each rod.  Front wheels are fixed.  Each front wheel has a brake and left foot controls left brake, right controls right.  

That would be weird as hell and i want to drive it for sure but I'm not sure I want to manufacture a kart that involved.

If you make one, invite me over.

In reply to jhodgson :

This is your day.  
 

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-grouch-day-october-15/

Datsun310Guy said:

In reply to jhodgson :

This is your day.  
 

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-grouch-day-october-15/

Years ago there was a slick track in Frederick Md area. Bare bones rental karts (no bodywork) and the whole track was slick. Loads of fun. 

JimS said:

Years ago there was a slick track in Frederick Md area. Bare bones rental karts (no bodywork) and the whole track was slick. Loads of fun. 

There is one like that on the west side of Cleveland.  (Swings N Things)  The slick track karts are not very fast and the course is just an oval. 

The other course has hills and even crosses over itself at one point.  Learn very well how to manage momentum through the 180 corner leading up to the bridge so that you don't have to accelerate up it.

I hate grouch day. 

The only problem I see with this idea is that karts don't understeer like cars. When they do (when it starts raining on a 50 year old well oiled track), they tend to simply... ignore all steering input. Short wheelbase live axle no weight transfer. The steering wheel turns into an entirely useless decoration. But this is a great idea. There used to be a kart track near here in a warehouse. Polished concrete racing surface. The fast way round the 90L at the end of the back straight was to pitch it sideways about 50' from the entrance. It was to pee laughing...

In reply to Jay_W :

You make a point.

I'm not sure but it seems to me that could be a feature of slicks. My limited experience with slick tires is there is no progressive breakaway. You either have some grip or you go overlanding. No in between. Whereas with a 190 treadwear (e.g.) DOT tire you get a greasy in-between funtime area.

I was thinking there must be some deflection of the front tire that would allow me to dial grip in/out but if that available deflection is only, say, 6mm it would be kinda hard to get 6 increments out of that without a lot of engineering. And I'm definitely no engineer.

Maybe to make this work I'd need my own kart that has front A-arms? I have seen yard karts like that. I could modify one of those.