I have had the pleasure of emailing with Virgil Exner, Jr., a man with much automotive design experience and a recent Cycle Karting enthusiast. He has provided a set of drawings he recently authored for two Cycle Karts that he would like some feed back on. Please take a moment to enjoy his work and comment as usual.
Cycle Kart Drawings
Click the here to view the full size pdf file. I am particularly fond of the Novi.
#1 by SteveC at August 9th, 2010
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Is the driver supposed to be an adult or a child?
Looks to me like the steering wheel will have to be removable to allow the person (adult or child) to get in or out, and even then it looks tough, I think, for example, if the driver tries to stand up, he’ll have to pull his feet towards his body, and in doing that, his knees will hit the underside of the hood. Even with the steering wheel removed, he’d require help to get in or out, I think.
#2 by Josh at August 9th, 2010
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I trust Virgil has considered his proportions, however you may have a point Steve. I thought I had my proportions figured out and then built a practice Cycle Kart out of cardboard and realized I need to increase the interior space significantly to accommodate my 6’5″ frame. That said, even with the cardboard prototype, I still have a very tight squeeze to fit in my plywood box.
#3 by Nathaniel Salzman at August 9th, 2010
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Looks great. I do love a good schematic!
#4 by Virgil M. Exner, Jr. at August 9th, 2010
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The driver shown is 6 Ft. and the steering wheel is 12″ O.D. and removable. Minimum 1″ foam pads to be used for seating. Plenty of ingress and egress. Knees very close to cowl bulkhead, but uses glued on interior periphery rubber extrusion. I have climbed in and out of many race cars that were tighter.
Thank you,
Virgil
#5 by Josh at August 9th, 2010
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Nathaniel, how’s your project coming along? Virgil, perhaps you could comment on Nathaniel’s three-wheeler commuter build at http://www.projectstreetliner.com/.
#6 by CurtB at August 9th, 2010
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A couple of items strike me right away. First it looks to have a very low ground clearance. For unimproved courses that could be a problem. Second, it appears to violate the simple, fundamental rules of the Association of MotoCycleKartistes. These folks have seemed to set out a loose set of rules based on having been through several iterations and have settled on the following:
One-seat
Honda 17″x 1 3/4″ or 2″ wheels
2.50 x 17″ tires (2.75′s have been used on the Alfa)
38″ track
66″ wheelbase (as the aesthetics of the car will allow – error on the shorter side for more abstract cuteness and general attractiveness),
250lbs weight limit
200cc, single cylinder, 6.5 hp Honda OHV engine (the GX200)
Additional information:
It should not cost more than $1750 to build in 2001 dollars
Some measurements:
Max Length: 98″
Max Width: 40″
1″ X 3″ steel frame rails (84″ long in the Type 59 we use the thinner 1/16)
Rear axle 10″ ahead of aft end
Front springs 24″ X 1 1/4″, 2 leaf 1/2 elliptic
Power to only 1 wheel (Comet TAV-30 – Comet is out of business but other manufacturers are anticipated).
Breaks on only the powered wheel.
There isn’t a preponderance of these vehicles about. So the long term fun would seem to be based on attending rallies and get-togethers with a legal vehicle.
#7 by Josh at August 9th, 2010
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Even the AMCK varies on some points on some builds, especially concerning suspension and dimensions. I think the most important rules would be the price point ($2124.74 today) and engine size. I would rather see more people building Cycle Karts (loosely based on the rules) than no Cycle Karts being built.
#8 by Dean Macari at January 6th, 2011
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Where do AMCK members and their karts gather in the San Diego county area?
Any names, dates and places would be appreciated.
DM
#9 by Josh at January 6th, 2011
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I don’t know of anything scheduled in that area. Anyone else?
#10 by Giles Hemming at October 1st, 2012
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Hi all,
Have been interested in a while at building my own cart, but have been worried about the carts safety regards flipping over and not having any protection. I’d be please to hear your thoughts and advice. Like alot of people starting out and doing research is there anybody that supplys working drawings.
GH
#11 by Josh at October 1st, 2012
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I’m not sure I’ve seen any Cycle Karts with roll protection or working drawings of such. The lack of proper roll protection is probably because of insufficient body structure. There is a definite correlation between vehicle weight and safety features and most drivers operate under the assumption that it is a dangerous sport. Knowing the risks, I would still encourage you to go for it. Wearing a proper helmet and avoiding hilly terrain would be good ways to improve safety.