I know this isn’t a minibike but it should help anybody with minibike gearing.
I have read tons of gearing threads and played with lots of calculators but all just tell me what numbers I will get. If I end up with the same number in the end – the best combination I used to get it – that’s what I can’t find.
I am putting together a kart and I am having trouble with the gearing. I am looking for more torque / power than speed. 14 – 20 MPH would be fine with me. I understand the ratio thing somewhat. A 10 tooth clutch and an 80 tooth sprocket with no jackshaft will give me 8:1. Now if I take and add a jackshaft and go 18 tooth in and 14 out and change the sprocket to a 62 tooth, I end up with 7.91:1. Again if I go 20 in the jackshaft and 10 out and change the sprocket to a 40 tooth, I get 8:1. The last one sounds the best to me because it would give the most ground clearance.
I just don’t know enough about how this stuff works to make the right decision. All I know is right now I have 18” tires and more than likally the clutch I get will be 10 – 12 teeth.
I can make the same ratio several different ways. Is it better to use a smaller sprocket and a bigger jackshaft sprocket or larger wheel sprocket and smaller jackshaft if it comes out to be the same ratio?
I also don’t know what pitch chain to go with. The 35 looks to be more common and you can use larger sprockets without it being to large in diameter. A small tooth 35 pitch wheel sprocket would give the most ground clearance but the 41 pitch looks to be a lot heavy duty-ier. Is one better than the other – smaller – more common – easier to maintain – etc.?
I want to buy this stuff soon but I don’t want to make a mistake and wish I had done it different later.
I have read tons of gearing threads and played with lots of calculators but all just tell me what numbers I will get. If I end up with the same number in the end – the best combination I used to get it – that’s what I can’t find.
I am putting together a kart and I am having trouble with the gearing. I am looking for more torque / power than speed. 14 – 20 MPH would be fine with me. I understand the ratio thing somewhat. A 10 tooth clutch and an 80 tooth sprocket with no jackshaft will give me 8:1. Now if I take and add a jackshaft and go 18 tooth in and 14 out and change the sprocket to a 62 tooth, I end up with 7.91:1. Again if I go 20 in the jackshaft and 10 out and change the sprocket to a 40 tooth, I get 8:1. The last one sounds the best to me because it would give the most ground clearance.
I just don’t know enough about how this stuff works to make the right decision. All I know is right now I have 18” tires and more than likally the clutch I get will be 10 – 12 teeth.
I can make the same ratio several different ways. Is it better to use a smaller sprocket and a bigger jackshaft sprocket or larger wheel sprocket and smaller jackshaft if it comes out to be the same ratio?
I also don’t know what pitch chain to go with. The 35 looks to be more common and you can use larger sprockets without it being to large in diameter. A small tooth 35 pitch wheel sprocket would give the most ground clearance but the 41 pitch looks to be a lot heavy duty-ier. Is one better than the other – smaller – more common – easier to maintain – etc.?
I want to buy this stuff soon but I don’t want to make a mistake and wish I had done it different later.