Cadet cart weights

sachilles

Member
I'm newly involved with flat road course karts. Hope this is the correct section. I have a little experience with jr champs for my son.

Google has failed me thus far. Does anybody have a ball park weight of a Birel cadet kart(w/l206). Just trying to source enough lead to get it up to 265, and my son is at 90lbs with full gear. I'm not able to get to the kart to weigh it, before I get to my lead supply. It seems awfully light compared to a champ kart. The only info I have which isn't the most reliable, is 136lbs. So with kid in kart, that would be 226. So it would need approximately 40lbs, which seem like a lot.

I'm quite surprised just how different the base components are between the two styles of kart. I think I'm in for a bit of learning curve.
 
Thanks, so where do you stash all the weight? Seems like it would be too much on the seat, and it doesn't seem to have tabs on the chassis like the circle track kart to add it in various spots. Obviously getting the corner weights right is important in the process.
 
Thanks, so where do you stash all the weight? Seems like it would be too much on the seat, and it doesn't seem to have tabs on the chassis like the circle track kart to add it in various spots. Obviously getting the corner weights right is important in the process.
We have 5 lbs on the front, and 72lbs on the seat. 5 lbs under each side where the seat mounts to the chassis, and a ton around the back and left side of the seat. I haven't put it on 4 scales, but probably 38-40% front weight and fairly balanced left/right.

On a sprint kart you want all the weight as close to the driver as possible. Hanging it out on tabs like a dirt kart would not work the same.
 
Wow. I feel better about the 45 lbs I have on my sons kart. It's all on the seat. If I add a 5 lb weight to the front it causes the rear to get loose on turns. It took us a bit to get it figured out at first. Adding the weight has definitely changed the handling. I would love to scale it and see how much is on each corner. It's very difficult to tune with a young driver who can't effectively give feedback.
 
Wow. I feel better about the 45 lbs I have on my sons kart. It's all on the seat. If I add a 5 lb weight to the front it causes the rear to get loose on turns. It took us a bit to get it figured out at first. Adding the weight has definitely changed the handling. I would love to scale it and see how much is on each corner. It's very difficult to tune with a young driver who can't effectively give feedback.
IDK, we have a few year old Praga that came from Luca Mars. They told me not to take the 5lbs off of the front, it makes it work better for that kart, so I have left it as they MIGHT ;) know what they are doing.
 
Following up. Using the track's scale, I needed to add about 38 pounds.
Right now
42%front/58 rear.
47 left/53 right

45% cross.

Seemed a touch tail happy, but I suspect I had too much air pressure, and my sons first road course race, and first race in this type of kart. The kart appeared competitive, with more seat time I suspect this will work well enough. When he gets a bit more seat time under his belt I'll move some weight to see if it will make a positive change. Bottom line, he enjoyed it. I think he's champ kart is probably going to get used less.
 
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