6 replies to this topic

[nzpara]

After selling my last hand controls that operated the brakes via cable to the brake master cylinder we've now made/adapted a full hydraulic system
The brake unit is a Wild Kart hand pump
The pump is made to run on the right side of the wheel but after testing the natural urge to grab the left side for braking meant the occasional acceleration into a corner "not good' So we modified the pump to run on the left, Only downfall is the remote resivior bottle fluid runs in from the bottom now meaning we have to pressure blead the brakes with syringes or remove the pump to bleed the system
In Europe i believe they operate the front brakes with these hand pumps but it turned out to be quite adequate to run my single rear brake
My karts a Maranello and i also use the softest brake pads available. We made up a throttle lever which is a work in progress also but works very well
Ive also fitted Tillet Ribcage supports on the seat for extra stability which have worked wonders

Few pics here
And my old controls here

There seems to be much easier solutions by using a handlebar setup but I wanted a steering wheel to play with when sideways ,rather than a quad bike feeling

Edited by nzpara, 03 April 2011 - 03:02 AM.

[baldfatdad]

Very fancy. When I ran mine I just mounted the master cylinder up on the wheel with a handle to run it. I used a $2 bike brake to run the gas. I still use the bike brake handles to run my jeep. That kart use to beat the hell out of my ribs. Do you have any trouble with your feet rolling over near the front wheels. I had to put some plastic guards to stop that.

[DaveP]

Your hand controls look very good. Setting up your own kart with hand controls to suit just yourself is a task in itself, but trying to come up with a solution that suits as many different disabilities as possible, that can be fitted and removed from any kart quickly and easily, and gives full performance, has been my challenge. This is why I've opted for the handlebar set up.

With a steering wheel and paddles you need to have 2 strong arms and fully functional hands, as steering on karts is heavy. Fingers and hands need to be strong, so using hydraulics from brakes is a huge bonus.

Handlebars make the steering much lighter and anyone with only one functional hand can race on a totally level playing field as the throttle and brake can be placed on either side, so one can throttle, brake and steer with one hand.

The other tricky part was to come up with a simple system that allows the hand controls to be fitted and removed from any kart, so kart tracks can install them as and when required. The hand controls can then be removed afterwards and the kart reverts back to normal. This is proving popular with kart tracks and slowly more tracks are contacting us interested in having a couple of sets of hand controls for their tracks.

Getting in and out of a kart with a steering wheel or handle bars is not easy, so I've added a quick-release system to the handlebars so they pop on and off when needed. Picture attached.

Here's a video -

Attached Thumbnails

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[roo]

great design dave hows tricks ,,hope all is well with you
Roo

[RHDesigns95s]

My buddy and I are trying to set a kt100 kart up so that i can run it locally...who can i talk to about the handlebar set up and are they legal in the racing circuit? has anyone tried a twist throttle like we use on our motorcycles?
thanks ryan

[DaveP]

The problem with a twist grip throttle is that when you turn full lock to the right, it can be hard to throttle, so you may not get full power on bends when you need it. Some have suggested a thumb throttle like a jet ski, which is another option, but when racing for long periods, this can be demanding on the thumb. When setting up a kart for just one person, it's all about personal preference but when trying to meet as many different needs as possible, this seems to be the simplest option.

There's also various motorbike parts you could use, but some are not cheap. For example, there's a grip that hides all the cables and tubing inside the handle bar that you twist one way to apply the hydraulic brake and twist the other way to throttle. There's also a design of levers that allow you to operate 2 levers with one hand - 2 fingers on one and 2 fingers on the other. Both these are expensive bits of kit but ideal for someone with only use of one hand.

Email me if you want any more info or help - dave@kartforce.org. www.kartforce.org

[RHDesigns95s]

The problem with a twist grip throttle is that when you turn full lock to the right, it can be hard to throttle, so you may not get full power on bends when you need it. Some have suggested a thumb throttle like a jet ski, which is another option, but when racing for long periods, this can be demanding on the thumb. When setting up a kart for just one person, it's all about personal preference but when trying to meet as many different needs as possible, this seems to be the simplest option.

There's also various motorbike parts you could use, but some are not cheap. For example, there's a grip that hides all the cables and tubing inside the handle bar that you twist one way to apply the hydraulic brake and twist the other way to throttle. There's also a design of levers that allow you to operate 2 levers with one hand - 2 fingers on one and 2 fingers on the other. Both these are expensive bits of kit but ideal for someone with only use of one hand.

Email me if you want any more info or help - dave@kartforce.org. www.kartforce.org

I shot you an email before i got to read this but im thinking most of my bike mods would work on a kart to some degree...ill have to see what you guys like to use and then we'll have to adapt from there...i just know that the handlebar set up eliminates alot of problems that i was trying to overcome