Wellllll...... building from scratch is not the best way to go.... unless you like lots of pain and to end up with something that's plain slow and can't be driven at any track.
Secondly, Hondas are great motors but even two of them wouldn't be called 'powerful'. A pair will produce around 12bhp. Our most powerful 'legal' karts deliver around 100bhp (250cc twin cylinder). In full race trim, a kart, actually IN a race was timed at 0 to 60mph in 1.98 seconds.... that really IS 1.98 seconds! Bugatti Veyron? Bahhh.... pathetic!
You will find plenty of older karts with twin hondas in places like Ebay. They will have 90% of what you need, the difficult-to-make-bits are the stub axles and the brakes. Here are some eaxmples:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/honda-pro-kart-prokart-tony-kart-chassis-n-r-swap-quad_W0QQitemZ300360775168QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item45eee5b600
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/go-kart-pro-kart-chassis_W0QQitemZ280414922612QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Other_Vehicle_Parts_Accessories_ET?hash=item414a082774
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-Twin-Engine-Petrol-Go-Kart_W0QQitemZ140354808714QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item20adcc6b8a
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-Go-Kart-Twin-engined-2-x-GX160cc-Honda-Engines_W0QQitemZ250519412381QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item3a541ede9d
Here are two motors:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-GX-120-Go-Kart-Engines-x-2_W0QQitemZ220499102441QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Other_Vehicle_Parts_Accessories_ET?hash=item3356c54ae9
They are JUST examples: I do NOT own any of them and I am NOT saying that they are GOOD karts or worth the money..... I simply have never seen them, so I can't tell you.
However, if they sell at the current bids, then they will PROBABLY be cheaper AND MUCH better than you can build from scratch.
None of those will win ANY races! To even start to think about entering races, you should be looking to spend between £500 and £1000..... and even then, you could be up against people who do know what they are doing and have spent (in the Twin Honda engine class, called ProKart racing) anything up to (and beyond) £10,000 geting ready!
However, the cheap stuff may WELL be an excellent way to see if you like karting and that you have even the slightest talent!
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If you feel Karting MAY be the hobby for you, you'd do far better to take a completely DIFFERENT approach:
1) Tell us where you are
2) We'll tell you the date and place for next ProKart and/or FULL kart race meetings near you and people will offer to 'introduce' you to karting by showing you what we do at a RACE! The deal is that you buy the teas and bacon sarnies (karts RUN on tea and bacon sarrnies!) and act as a 'gofer' and you'll get to meet others who started JUST like you. Go to 2 or 3 meetings and by then you will know that you want to do. You'll also have new freinds who will HELP you buy your first kart, etc.
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ProKart usually run in Endurance races (e.g., 1hr, 2hr, 3hr, 12hr and/or 24hrs at a time). They usually involve two or more drivers changing over at the fuel re-fill point; like LeMans.
If you want Sprint races (usually 8 to 30 laps for a SINGLE driver) then we usually use 2 stroke motors and other spectactularly powerful motors. This type of racing is very different to most Twin Honda karts. Such Sprint races tend to offer each kart/driver 3 'heats' (short races) where the total of your results in these heats 'sets' your starting position for the 4th race, which is the 'final'. The heats act like 'Qualifying' in Formula 1. Be aware, these two stroke karts are E*X*T*R*E*M*E*L*Y fast and will simply blow-your-mind!
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ON the final part of your question. Karts usually (99.9999% of the time) use a solid, fixed axles (i.e., without a differential). Both engines are conneected by chains to the axles and thus they can do NOTHING else but run at the same speed (so long as the clutch isn't slipping). When you are well into 'Racing Standard', then it becomes more important to 'match' them.... but not until.... and that's at least 1 year away, yet, no matter HOW good a driver/mechanic you are!
Hope this helps
Ian
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Go Kart Engines by 'fergy150' (29 Oct 2009 @ 10:25)
