Briggs L0206 info

[Dan Lazar]

dml

[phil]

Dan, I believe the season is over, & the 2011 supp regs have not yet been established. Any help/ suggestions on the new sup regs I am sure would be welcomed by the class reps

Thanks
Phil

[Dan Lazar]

dml

[phil]

And stud the tires & re-enforce the nose to be used as a plow. Sounds like fun, but i am not sure if studded tires are in the regs either.

[Dan Lazar]

dml

[Mark]

Finally had some time to look into this LO206 thing. As usual, there are varied and interesting comments from various camps as to the value/practicality of such an engine vs others.

In it's favour, it would seem (at least on the surface) that the LO206 offers everything the Princess Auto clones do without all the work and almost certainly with notably better quality. Even at the $100 I paid for mine, by the time I've done all the mods, and factored my time, and cost will be more than the LO206. The fact that it can't be resealed (legally) is a plus. Also to it's credit is that they finally learned to make a jr. version so there is an upgrade path to Sr. levels.

While that's all well and good, I have doubts as to whether the consistency they speak of will materialize. If you take a dozen Rotax Max units out of the box and dyno them, you can see some substantial differences in how they perform. What would happen if the same were done with a dozen LO206's ? You can't reseal them so a 'dog' engine out of the box becomes an expensive paperweight. Being 4-stroke, I'd think the differences would be smaller but I'm no expert.

Perhaps this is as good as we're going to get though. The only other thing that comes to mind is to make the LO206 a claimer class. Personally, I have issues with claimers because I'm meticulous about maintaining my equipment and not everyone is. I don't want my 'cared-for' engine claimed and swapped for something that had half the oil changes done.

Overall, I think something like the LO206 is a good thing for entry level karting; it's inexpensive, should be fairly reliable and requires almost zero mechanical ability.

That said, if you could count on a little mechanical ability, I'd say we should forget the LO206 and go TKM; it's a far superior engine and provides much better value for money. It's achillies heel is it's initial cost though and for entry-level, that's the deal breaker. Personally, I'd like to see the club consist of Jr TKM, Sr. TKM, Jr Rotax, Sr. Rotax and that's it. No open class, no shifter. 4 to 5 grids per race day with a more relaxed pace -and some proper time to eat lunch and digest would be excellent. That's not going to help our club grow though and we need to grow it. Done right, the LO206 might just help.

[John Kwong]

Here is the breakdown of what it costs to put either a clone or LO206 on a kart to race:

Clone Engine On sale $100 or Full retail $180
Clutch $50
Chain $25
Chain guard $5
Fuel pump $25
Throttle cable $10
Air filter cup $15
Air filter $20
BMI Motormount $50
Header $40
Silencer $60
Pipe Wrap $20
Top plate Homemade $0 or bought $25
Throttle assembly Homemade $0 or bought $15

Total $540

If bought on sale and used homemade top plate and throttle assembly total would be $420
I know homemade isn't free exactly but I used a leftover floorpan and the labor was part of the whole DIY thing, so whos counting anyway.

If it is a Junior Dad wanting to use Juniors old bits from his GX160 engine, just insert cost of clone engine as all bits will bolt right on the clone engine.

LO206 $575
BMI Motormount $50
Clutch $50
Air filter $20
Header $40
Silencer $60
Pipe Wrap $20
Chain guard $5 if Honda one fits otherwise $20
Chain $25
Throttle cable $10

Total $870

The difference in price of a clone vs LO206 once it is on a kart is about $330. That is assuming you paid full retail for the clone at $180 and did not fabricate the top plate or throttle assembly yourself. The mods needed to make the clone race ready are fairly simple and have been outlined in the other thread.

I have proven that the clone is a very durable powerplant and can be competitive.

[John Kwong]

Mark,

FYI - Claiming is not a swapping of engines. Any competitor can claim your motor by buying it for a set claim price. That competitor would still keep his engine and you would have to buy a new one. The claim price is usually set so that a new engine package can be purchased. You end up with a new engine and the competitor that bought your engine gets the "hot" engine. The claimed engine would not include any of the ancilliary parts such as clutch,motormount and anything else that a shelf bought engine would not include.

Whether it is clone, LO206 or TKM some basic knowledge of 4 cycle tuning will go a long way in keeping the competitor and engine happy. Knowing how to adjust the valve lash is applicable to all these engines as well as basic maintenance of the clutch, frequent oil changes and plug gap.

Putting aside the $/lap value of the TKM. We need to walk before we can run and a $2,000+ motor is not entry level. Either the clone as the cheapest entry with a modicum of ingenuity or the LO206 with its bolt on simplicity are the realistic avenues to attract more members to our club.

JK

[Dan Lazar]

dml

[Mark]

Mark,

FYI - Claiming is not a swapping of engines. Any competitor can claim your motor by buying it for a set claim price. That competitor would still keep his engine and you would have to buy a new one. The claim price is usually set so that a new engine package can be purchased. You end up with a new engine and the competitor that bought your engine gets the "hot" engine. The claimed engine would not include any of the ancilliary parts such as clutch,motormount and anything else that a shelf bought engine would not include.
JK

Thanks John, I was unclear (obviously !) on how the claimer concept actually works.