Not using front brakes in this country may well effect the design concept as the front brakes used in KF here and Rotax in Europe place greater demands on the chassis. As for the central brake position it does make some sense however having the axle braced in the middle effectively stiffening the axle as it then has less length in which to flex. With a conventional kart chassis using 2/3 bearings if a wheel is loaded thus creating an upward force the axle will flex and the supporting bearing will shift slightly in its mount causing the unsupported center section of the axle to flex downwards in a arc between the next bearing support point (the other side of the chassis in a normal layout) The central position will reduce this flex hence the axle will appear stiffer. As to the claim that the brake will run cooler in the central position I fail to see how this can be true as the air behind the seat, although turbulent will never be in the direct airstream, Take a look at the OTK brake duct for hot weather which works a treat by promoting good airflow over the brake if you have any doubt about the importance of a clean as possible flow. Again we are back to a concept for KF where that flow is obstructed by the rad so this may be another reason for the move. In conclusion it may work very well for KF or even Rotax in Europe for which it has principally designed but lets wait and see how it works with UK rules and UK low grip tracks. If it does work then karting just got allot more expensive if you want to win as all our current kit will be obsolete over night.
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