I have now spent some time on the gokart track. I am beginning to get the hang of it, and are slowly beginning to learn what it takes to be fast around a track. But as always I have more questions than answers. So let me tap in to your experience and knowledge. What would be the better set up and riding style for tight track racing.
Set up:
My set up right now are: 26cm/10,2inch wide board with a wheel base of 86cm/33,8inch. Wheels (6inch pneumatics) sits 32cm/12,5inch apart (wheel center to wheel center). RKP trucks 50degrees front and 25degrees rear.
What would, in general, be the better track set up. Loose/tight trucks. Lesser/bigger wheelbase. Narrower/wider deck. RKP/TKP.
Riding style:
I find myself having the rear foot in the same spot all the time and then constantly moving the front foot form side to side (want some of the foot over the edge) in order to get enough leverage to make tight turns with speed. When doing frontside turns I squat down, grab the board and lean. Backside turns are still done standing up leaning.
So I am wondering in which direction I should look to optimize. Both in regards of set up and riding style.
Some o my thoughts are… is it better to have looser and more turnable trucks to be able to turn tighter without leaning that much or would it be better to be able to really lean in corners and then have more speed through corners.
Maybe a deck that is not that wide in order to have the front foot in the same position all the time so I don’t have to move around. Maybe a deck that is very narrow in the front and wide in the back.
Would it be better to do the turns with less speed but tighter or with more speed but a bigger turn. I feel the latter myself as I like to really lean into the turn, and I feel its faster, but I really don’t now for real.
Let’s have the discussion about the above. Anyone have real experience and knowledge about the above? Not just something you feel. Would appreciate it!
Pneumatics don’t have a lot of grip versus a proper set of urethane wheels. They also put your center of gravity very high up, making the board feel skittish as you enter a fast turn. You want a planted ride feel that gives you confidence, not that.
Your best course of action is to find ways to drop the board’s ride height if possible. Trading off pneumatic tires for regular wheels with wide contact patches will afford you a lot more traction… however that’s only possible if you’re willing to spend that cash/effort.
Loose trucks saves lives. It’s better to have them loose than overly tight in racing situations. Since you said you have to constantly shift your foot to make tight turns, you need to loosen up those trucks. You want bushings with moderate rebound. Too much rebound and the board will want to straighten out on you in a turn. That’s obviously bad.
RKPs are going to do better than TKPs from a stability perspective. An RKP with rake is going to make leaning into fast turns a tad easier due to their dive. Your trucks should be as narrow as possible so that you have more leverage over the wheels. This gives more grip and better turning responsiveness. If it feels like your trucks don’t want to turn quickly to rapid weight shifting, they’re probably too wide.
ridden alot of cart tracks or powered boards?