ACCESSORIES AND MATERIALS TO LIGHTEN THE KART’S WEIGHT

Max Bernardi

25 June 2019

In karting and in motorsports in general, weight has a fundamental function to achieve the best performance possible. For this reason, there are various accessories and materials designed to be lighter, thus being particularly suitable especially in those categories where the minimum weight is very low, such as the international Ok and KZ by FIA Karting.

THE THEORY

Weight is the factor which determines the inertia to the movement. At the theoretical level, the formula of linear motion is: F = m * a, where “F” is the linear force of thrust, “m” the total mass of the kart and “a” the linear acceleration. Applying these formulas into practice, means that the linear acceleration (a) directly depends on the force which generates the linear movement of the object, while it is inversely proportional to the mass (m). Translated, the heavier a vehicle is, the greater the force needed to determine proper acceleration.

Precisely for its decisive role, each category has a minimum weight limit imposed by the regulations of the sport.

HOW TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT

There are several accessories which can be used to reduce the overall weight of the kart. The fundamental thing to remember is that, in the general calculation of the kart, even a few grams of reduced weight on a single element becomes important once it is combined with all of the other weight saving components. Above all, the accessories from which a reduction of weight of the kart that make a difference are the floor plate, hubs, fairings and the various support elements. Additionally, almost all manufacturers are very attentive to the “weight” issue during the production phase of the frames and braking systems.

A chassis is made up of several important lighter components which decrease the total weight of the vehicle.