You will be depressed to find that a large part of Karting is listening to 'pit wisdom' which almost always seems nearer to views about 'fashion' than it does about 'facts'.
Most people will follow the advice that is given to them by the most people rather than think through if that advice makes any sense. In that way, many karters react JUST like 'sheep' in that they follow the 'herd'.
A short while ago, the 'MUST HAVE' kart was the Birel: you just HAD to have one or your were nobody. The Fashion moved on and something ELSE became the 'MUST HAVE' and the sheep trotted off following the fashion. Had the Birel changed, deteriorated, become more expensive.....? Had other karts found a MAGIC new way of making them STICK, had thye others suddenly become CHEAPER or even BETTER than the Birel......? The answers to all the above questions is: "NO!". What had happened was that the collective decision about 'fashion' (i.e, the view of the 'sheep') had decided that the Birel was no longer : "IT"!
You'll note that these fashion-fads follow the EXACT pattern of all 'fashion' in that things come in.... and go out even when they have not changed IN THE SLIGHTEST..... when exactly did Addidas trainers get WORSE at doping the job of being 'trainers' than Nike Trainers.....
Check out the history of karting. You'll note that karts had a HUGE change in shape in construction duing the early 1960s.... after that the change has been almost TOTALLY 'cosmetic'. If there really HAD been any substantial 'improvement' in karting chassis design over the last FIFTY years, then I believe that they would look SUBSTANTIALLY different from their ancienjt ancestors..... the only chnages you'll notice are the brakes, the wheel widths and the plastic bopywork..... in FIFTY years... what ELSE do you know that hasn't changed SUBSTANTIALLY in the last 50 years.....?
You'll find that you Birel is an EXCELLENT chassis..... as are 95% of the OTHER chassis..... becasue they are all VERY much alike.
So... I was complimenting you on you refusal to join the 'sheep' in following fashion..... Drive what WORKS for you! Also, always remember that a newer kart feels better than an OLDER kart and thus, any imagined differences between your Birel and the current 'fashion' item will be PARTIALLY to do with the AGE and not THAT much to do with 'design'!
Ian
|
|