Engine Prices WOW !!!!!

Just curious... As the engine prices go up, have you seen an increase or decrease in karts counts at the track? I would assume higher kart counts is what the track owners want, because without tracks there's no kart racing. I am sure the same could be said for the increase cost in tires & prep.

I believe in and love the free market system and believe supply & demand sets the prices for products & services, but got to find the balance between them all in karting. And the balance meaning being profitable.

Also, do engine builders and/or shop owners really have a say in setting the rules? If so, is this common in other forms of racing?

FYI... I do not race, but I do own two champ karts that I run for fun. They both are pretty much bone stock, except for an aluminum flywheel and small pipe for safety.
 
Just curious... As the engine prices go up, have you seen an increase or decrease in karts counts at the track? I would assume higher kart counts is what the track owners want, because without tracks there's no kart racing. I am sure the same could be said for the increase cost in tires & prep.

I believe in and love the free market system and believe supply & demand sets the prices for products & services, but got to find the balance between them all in karting. And the balance meaning being profitable.
Also, do engine builders and/or shop owners really have a say in setting the rules? If so, is this common in other forms of racing?

FYI... I do not race, but I do own two champ karts that I run for fun. They both are pretty much bone stock, except for an aluminum flywheel and small pipe for safety.
In all fairness and honesty in the shortest answer, ur gonna 'win' some and ur gonna 'loose' some! Also, when you have amature sports of any kind, it's foundation normally consist of volunteer support in order to operate. The bulk of the of the time, there are many-many people involved in these organizations that have interest in both the 'organization' and their 'own' agenda. It would be very hard too believe that there could/would Never be a bad apple found on the ground. Rules always start with a 'sheet' of paper that always ends up in a 'Book'. Everybody does their Best, and....Why Not!
 
I like this thread....but I have to ask....dynodon....how can I get a few of your stickers? i'd love to put them on my kart, just to show off!! make people think!!!
 
i just got a new parts catolog in the mail yesterday ................

here goes :

BLUEPRINTED CLONE ENGINE W/PVL FLYWHEEL
* INCLUDES RACING CAM , AFTERMARKET VALVE SPRINGS , NEW STYLE TOP PLATE WITH THROTLE CONTROL LINKAGE , FUEL PUMP , PULSE FITTING , AKRA/WKA LEGAL CERAMIC COATED PIPE , MUFFLER HEAT SLEEVE , BREATHER VENT FITTING , EXTREME VELOCITY CARB , NEW HIGH FLOW AIR FILTER ADAPTER , CHOKE HOLD , HEAT SHEILD CHAIN GUARD AND DYNO TUNED . ALL PARTS INSTALLED AND RACE READY

STAGE 3 CLONE W/MINI PIPE $900.00
STAGE 3 CLONE W/BIG PIPE AND 1 5/16" MUFFLER $950.00

PLUSS SHIPPING !!!!!


IS THIS CRAZY OR WHAT ??? I KNOW I KNOW THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH BUT THESE CLONE ENGINE PRICES ARE JUST NUTZ !!!!!!!!!

WE GOT OUR FIRST BSP ENGINE 5 YEARS AGO BUILT FOR US WITH A DRUM CLUTCH AND DYNO TUNED FOR $400.00 DOLLARS !!!!!!!!!!! WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO THIS ECONOMY ENGINE CLASS ?????


every thing has gone up....look at your utility bill...food....it may be a little high but you get what you pay for.
 
So let me get this straight . I have been out of the karting world for seven years. In that time somebody gets the bright idea of buying $120 fake engines from habor freight and racing them ? Now the fake engines are costing almost a grand from an engine builder. Clone engines made in China , WTH ? Perhaps I need to do some more research but I highly doubt it will ever make any sense to me. Only thing I can hope is that they just go up in price and then maybe I can get some help in finally starting a true box stock World Formula class around here. Engine, Exhaust Header, Clutch, Carburetor, Air Filter, Fuel Pump, Electric Starter for under a $1000 . More power right out of the box than an Animal, Clone or a Flathead. Oh and the World Formula engines are made in the USA.
 
So let me get this straight . I have been out of the karting world for seven years. In that time somebody gets the bright idea of buying $120 fake engines from habor freight and racing them ? Now the fake engines are costing almost a grand from an engine builder. Clone engines made in China , WTH ? Perhaps I need to do some more research but I highly doubt it will ever make any sense to me. Only thing I can hope is that they just go up in price and then maybe I can get some help in finally starting a true box stock World Formula class around here. Engine, Exhaust Header, Clutch, Carburetor, Air Filter, Fuel Pump, Electric Starter for under a $1000 . More power right out of the box than an Animal, Clone or a Flathead. Oh and the World Formula engines are made in the USA.

Are you positive? Or are they assembled here in the USA?
 
So let me get this straight . I have been out of the karting world for seven years. In that time somebody gets the bright idea of buying $120 fake engines from habor freight and racing them ? Now the fake engines are costing almost a grand from an engine builder. Clone engines made in China , WTH ? Perhaps I need to do some more research but I highly doubt it will ever make any sense to me. Only thing I can hope is that they just go up in price and then maybe I can get some help in finally starting a true box stock World Formula class around here. Engine, Exhaust Header, Clutch, Carburetor, Air Filter, Fuel Pump, Electric Starter for under a $1000 . More power right out of the box than an Animal, Clone or a Flathead. Oh and the World Formula engines are made in the USA.

No offense, but if you want to push the briggs engines, there is a section for it called briggs OHV, your post would be more suited for that section. This is in the clones section. And sorry to burst your bubble, but Briggs & Stratton engines have been MADE in china for some time now, and are only assembled here in the USA. Sorry to have to tell ya, but Earl (SoCo) has a point there lol
 
I noticed that's the only thing you two wanted to correct me on, so no offense taken but I did find this on the Briggs site , "Building off of the success of the Animal Racing engine, the World Formula was launched in 2003 in accordance with the CIK World Formula class rules. This complete engine package balances the latest in engine design and technology to provide racers with a consistent, low-maintenance and low-cost platform, in which to sharpen their driving skills and chassis setup. Hand-built and individually tested in our Milwaukee, Wisconsin skunk works " even if they were made in China at least Briggs is still an American company. I suppose I will head back to the Briggs OHV section then, I will find something made in the USA to race you watch and see, lol. good day
 
What you're quoting is hyperbole. Any clone motor that's been blueprinted by any reputable engine builder is "hand built and individually tested" in the USA. And the tolerances will be much closer on the blueprinted motor between individual motors.
 
Sold all my kart stuff a couple of years ago and thought I'd come back and visit Bobs. I got TONS of help from members here. Met some really cool people here that offered un-selfish help to get me started. I wanted to see if anything with karting and the clone motor had changed.
Nothing has changed I see. Years ago I was a beginner and went through the usual drill of learning karts, racing, motors and all that. Yup that 99.00 HF clone motor didn't stand a chance at the track. I wrote my checks and read my articles and turned it into pretty expensive racing motor. I wanted to do this more than anything, but the cost of EVERYTHING with that kart was way over the top for me so I got out. I thumbed through the pages here and still see the posts saying "write your checks or GET OUT OF RACING". Well, I took those guys advice and got the heck out and didn't waste much time doing it. I've been involved in a few hobbies in my lifetime but I've got to say that kart racing is one of the most beginner un-friendly hobby sports I've been involved in. The so-called rules are all over the place and some are followed and some are not but you can't find out the real dope on what's going on with each track. Then when you find out that to keep up, you have to drag out that check book again. Racing costs made this deal a bad fit for me so I bailed and sold everything, but track drama (separate issue) and rules that changed at the drop of a hat didn't help. Now some of you might say good riddance and hope the door didn't hit me in the behind on the way out, and that's fine because I just thought I'd let you guys know why one guy bailed out of kart racing. I'm really not interested in hearing about 100 things I did wrong back then because hind-sight isn't always 20-20. I'm not going to be one of those hang-out-and-rant guys on this deal but I thought some of you might like to hear from someone who bailed out because of cost of everything, including the clone motor. I think a lot of guys who sell out don't come back to Bobs and explain why they left the sport.
 
The old adage "Speed costs money...how fast do you wanna go?" will ALWAYS be the case in EVERY form of racing. Sad but true.
 
I understand that Bob but I was also thinking along the lines that B&S is still an American company which IMHO still means something because a percentage of the profits from American owned companies stay in the US in the form of taxes and pay roll. I don't know if you remember the one world economy debate we had on this forum about ten years ago but a lot of what I was afraid of has come full circle. The markets have since crashed , people have lost homes and jobs. All of the kart shops in my area have went out of business. None of the tracks in my area are running any more. Most of the folks I know that used to race karts are now racing RC cars.
 
love my flat head but bought my first clone from a builder gave good money for it but the tracks need catch up with the prices though u can claim someone $1000 motor for $300? but on the plus side u keep ur top plate and flywheel lol
 
I understand that Bob but I was also thinking along the lines that B&S is still an American company which IMHO still means something because a percentage of the profits from American owned companies stay in the US in the form of taxes and pay roll. I don't know if you remember the one world economy debate we had on this forum about ten years ago but a lot of what I was afraid of has come full circle. The markets have since crashed , people have lost homes and jobs. All of the kart shops in my area have went out of business. None of the tracks in my area are running any more. Most of the folks I know that used to race karts are now racing RC cars.

Although BASCO is headquartered in the US, it promotes itself as a Global Company, with many facets of it's operations, including design, manufacture and sales, all over the globe, including China.
As to who owns BASCO, I doubt that it is 100% American, since it's shareholders/investors can be from anywhere on the globe.
Basco's daily operation instructions could arrive in many languages and dialects.
 
love my flat head but bought my first clone from a builder gave good money for it but the tracks need catch up with the prices though u can claim someone $1000 motor for $300? but on the plus side u keep ur top plate and flywheel lol

If everybody would quit the claimer class, there wouldn't be any.
I will hang up karting before I run a claimer class.
Dumbest idea there has ever been in the racing world.
It might make sense if they had to give you $300 and their engine.
Other than that it's a good strategic move to demoralize your competition when you can't get up front.
 
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