Chassis, Chassis Everywhere

The chassis market in Go-Kart racing has been inundated in the last few years with a multitude of different Chassis brands and models to choose from, this makes it increasingly more and more difficult to choose the Kart that is right for you and your application.

That being said I thought it might be a good idea to set forth some guidelines that may help the new and veteran karters alike to choose a new chassis.

The first of many things to consider is what is the class that you are going to race, there are many variables that will ultimately determine this such as age of driver, location, experience level, size of driver, tires to be run and last but not least type of engine you plan on running. the best advice that I can give you here is "Do Your Research". Before you rush out and purchase anything do some solid research, attend some local events and ask a lot of questions and be realistic about your skill and experience level, it is never a good idea for a new karter to jump straight into a 125cc Shifter kart, that is a recipe for disaster.

Generally speaking most local clubs and kart shops can help out a lot with steering you in the right direction, popular classes vary from area to area so to buy a HPV powered kart to race in a predominately Yamaha market would be foolish.

Next is age group and drivers size, (these usually go hand in hand) younger drivers are usually smaller in size then older drivers so if you are purchasing a Kart for a 60 pound 9 year old it will need completely different characteristics then a kart being bought for a 200 pound 20 year old. Here is a quick rule of thumb for this problem, the smaller the driver the more flexible the chassis will need to be (28mm tubing or equivalent) if the driver is of a medium size then the chassis will need to be a little stiffer (30 mm tubing or equivalent or a combination of 28mm and 30 mm) and if the driver is large in size 200 plus pounds then you will likely need a fairly stiff Chassis (32mm tubing or equivalent or a combination of 30mm and 32mm tubing)

Once you have determined what class and engine that you want to run now you have to find a vendor and a brand, it is my experience that all chassis brands when you have the appropriate model will work and be fast so the best advice I can give you here is to find a vendor that is close by, has a good reputation and provides at the track service in your area and purchase your equipment from them, again do some research ask around at the track and see what the other racers have to say about the local kart shops, and steer clear of "Fly By Night" shops that may or may not be around to help you when you need it.

Buying a Go-Kart Chassis can be an intimidating process and because of the rather large dollar value that is associated with it you definitely want to make the right decision when you finally make the purchase so like I said do your research and be a smart consumer visit as many tracks and shops as you can and talk to as many people as possible and then make your decision this will help ensure that your karting experience a lot more enjoyable.

To find a list of importers and dealers in your area visit the web site www.kartfinder.com it will provide you with every brand and a list of dealers and give you links to their respective web pages.

Good luck with your search.

Francis