" gets into kart for the first time - how will he know whether the kart is under or over steering ? "
A novice getting into the kart for the first time isn't going to know anything. Most of them are just grateful to get round teh track without hitting something.
Howver, if you are looking at how to teach people to recognise what the kart is doing then the answer is to set up understeer and oversteer conditions.
Again, one of the problems is that the conditions either exist only when there is considerable speed or gross mishandling of the kart, and either or both are not easily recognised by the novice.
However, you can do something to aid novices.
First is the 'no brakes' driving, best done on an empty track or where you can tell all the other drivers to give a wide berth.
The driver is required to circulate as fast as possible without using the brakes. Doing this they will learn just how much turning in slows one down, how altering the line can make a substantial difference and how a slower entry speed but maintained speed through the corner can be quicker than a late,savage dab on the brakes and a hang on to hell acceleration.
It also means the driver is usually slow enough to actually see and feel what is happening so that if trouble occurs the brakes will stop it becoming a disaster.
The next stage is water. We all know that a very small amount of water on a slick tyre will 'lose grip' quickly. a couple of squeezy bottles of water dripping onto the front or rear tyres will give you a controllable, reproducible loss of grip at speeds that can be observed over several laps. (an alternative is a damp track and slicks on one end and wets on the other). Now you know why you don't do this on a preRace practice day!
This means that a novice driver can experience all the understeer/oversteer effects by following the instructions. You can even demonstrate how different setups and techniques can affect the problem and alter the flow of water to give different grip levels.
It is, I agree hugely different, more exaggerated and slower than one might experience the real thing, but it does give something on which a novice can base their knowledge without hurling themselves into the barriers and kerbs.
Another alternative, of keeping the wheels in a cooler or under icepacks, works especially in this weather.
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Understeer & Oversteer - 2 by 'Rocco' (07 Jan 2009 @ 10:25)
