Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Homemade go-kart/ dune buggy?

Ok, I know there have been a few threads on this topic... but has anyone built one with a motorcycle engine?

This is still in the pipe dream/feasibility stage but here's the scoop:

My friend and I have been talking about building a go-kart/dune buggy "vehicle" utilizing an engine anywhere from 125cc-400. The plan is fab our own frame (maybe one from a catalogue). We would like to keep everything around $1000. I have a MIG welder and oxy-act. torch as well as almost a full garage of other tools needed. There is also the possibility of making it street legal but I have to look into the requirements for that.

I do have some questions on the feasbility of this project:

1.) If we build a frame ourselves it will be either aluminum or steel. I know aluminum is kind of expensive(have to check local prices) but I'm not sure if aluminum is able to be MIG welded, and I am under the impression that you need to TIG weld it. The lack of TIG welding equipment means we would use steel. Would it weigh down the vehicle too much to use a steel frame?

2.) Fabbing up a suspension, steering and brake system brings up another issue. Suspension is one of the areas I lack knowledge in. I would like the vehicle to be able to go offroad over fields and such but not to an extreme degree. I'm guessing the arms and pieces would need to be built from scratch. Would it be easier to use the suspension/steering/brake components off of a small car (Festiva)?


My school allows senior engineers to build cars similar to what I would like to build. They build an open wheel F1 style car. The one I saw used a 600cc engine along with sequential shifting. They limit the air intake to 20mm. Other schools along with mine hold a contest where the test all the cars to see who's is the best.


I'm going to contact the engineering deptartment, to see if I can get info on how the students build them.


I am aware of the great deal of research still needing to be done but the CEG community holds a vast amount of knowledge. Any kind of information is helpful. Please no flamers.

Thanks!



EDIT: I just remembered there was a vehicle similar to the one I would like to make on Junkyard Wars a few years ago. I think they fabbed a steel frame (not entirely sure), I know they used the powertrain from a 'bike. The theme for the episode was dragsters or drag racing or something along those lines. One team built a small lightweight vehicle which was the winner, the other built a large, heavy vehicle and I think it was powered by a 305 from an Olds. Just thought I'd mention all that.

I was on my school's FSAE team (FSAE is the competition you were talking about) since it's inception 4 years ago. I've since graduated.

I think you'd be dreaming to build it for anywhere near $1000. Unless you took some serious short cuts (read: dangerous). Our first car, which was pretty crappy cause it was cheap and had a lack of seriously involved engineering design (cause getting it built in time was tough enough), was still over $10000.00. Now, seeing as you don't have to follow the rules and regulations that we had to, some things could be eliminated. But you'd still be looking at over $3000.00 for a VERY basic setup.

We used a Suzuki GSXR600 motorcycle engine.

You'd definately want to stay away from Aluminum for more than just the TIG reason. Aluminum is too weak for this application without some serious engineering. I'd stick with mild steel as it's probably the cheapest, can be MIG'd, and is just as easy to work with.

Working with a small car's steering/suspension would be WAY too heavy, but you could use a small car's hubs and maybe even uprights. Most other suspension components would have to be fabricated. You can buy a quality small steering column for pretty cheap online (this is what most FSAE teams do).

I'd definately get involved with your school's FSAE team as it's a very rewarding program and there's tons of knowlegde to learn. It's probably my favorite memory of university.


Just a little list of some things off the top of my head.
-Buy an engine with the stock wiring harness and ECU.
-you'll need a motorcycle muffler (you can just buy a cheapie)
-fab an exhaust (header)
-fan an intake (header)
-you can use the throttle body from the motorcycle your engine's from
-buy or fab a steering wheel
-fab a steering column (will most likely need to get the end splined for the steering rack)
-buy a steering rack
-buy or fab uprights and hubs
-buy a wheel and tire package (look into Hoosier) (I wouldn't go larger than a 13" rim)
-you'll need a chain and spindle (you're looking at a min of $500.00 for a differential, so the cheapest and crapiest route would be to go without - shudder)
-if you go with a differential, you'll need splined and hardened driveshafts
-you'll have to buy brakes (at least the calipers and pads) rotors can be made (ie. you design the rotor and get it laser cut - simpler than it sounds)
-buy bearings (make sure they fit in your uprights)
-make a jig to hold your chassis together for welding
-buy chassis tubes and cut and weld to your design
-make sure the chassis has roll bars (matter of fact, look at the rules for the FSAE challenge and copy some of the chassis safety from it)


This is just off the top of my head. I hope it helps with your research.

3 grand?! yikes I still think it would be possible to do it cheaper without cutting too many corners.

I would love to join the FSAE but isn't it only available to engineering majors? I'm only a business major, but I have been thinking of looking into transferring to Kettering University/GMI. I just picked business as a way to get a degree but I realized there isn't really an area in it that I have a lot of interest in. When I was in HS I wanted to be an automotive engineer, but theres a sht!t ton of math involved which would be hell. UT doesn't offer an auto program, I think you have to declare mechanical or civil engineering.

You don't need to be in engineering to be part of the team (at least this is the policy my university has). You don't get credits for the work and effort you put into it. You just get satisfaction that you contributed to an awesome racecar. It's also nice to have it on your resume, but I wouldn't do it for that reason, it's just a perk.
We had a physics student, a business student, even an arts student on our team. You just have to be passionate about cars and want to help out.
Any engineering program is going to have a lot of math involved, especially mechanical. I took computer engineering (actually, most of our team was in the same program as me).

I found the FSAE website. It looks really interesting. I'm going to try to join that. Is it available to all class ranks or just seniors? Thanks for informing me about that.

As long as you're part of the university, you can join.
No prob.

wow this is pretty funny, right now a couple of buddies from school are kinda slowly in the works of building a jet/turbo go cart. They got a HUGE friggin turbo off of a semi, and have been looking around the internet and found people that have done it with smaller turbo's, and they are kinda planning things out and trying to contact the others that they have researched. From what they've found so far this isn't going to be very expensive at all. But then again you're planning on using a motorcycle engine on your cart so I'm sure it will be more expensive.