Cut-off/Kill switch question.
Discussion
So I'm happy to say I have just bought my first Kart, a 2015 CRG with a Yamaha KT100SE motor and direct drive.
It's an ex race kart in fair condition for the price.
The plan is for this to be my winter toy, as here in Finland our winters mean no motorbikes or pretty cars between November and April. So I will be spending my evenings drifting around the factory at work.
The direct drive rapidly became a problem. I built a starter without any problem, but the act of actually getting her off the stand and into forward motion eluded me. It's basically not possible to use it alone, which is what I wanted. So I contacted a local firm and they supplied me with a Raket 120 clutch which I fitted yesterday. Works beautifully, in that I can easily operate the kart alone. Noticeably different to drive though, you can really feel the disconnect when you put the power down. With DD, you can easily provoke the rear under braking or on corner exit. But its a good compromise.
The problem is when I came to stop, because previously with DD, I killed the motor simply by slowing to a stop. Now with the clutch I have no way of shutting off the engine.
I don't want to keep yanking of the HT lead whenever i'm done!
Can someone explain simply how is the best way to safely stop the engine?
I am pretty handy mechanically but i suck at electrics.
Many thanks!
It's an ex race kart in fair condition for the price.
The plan is for this to be my winter toy, as here in Finland our winters mean no motorbikes or pretty cars between November and April. So I will be spending my evenings drifting around the factory at work.
The direct drive rapidly became a problem. I built a starter without any problem, but the act of actually getting her off the stand and into forward motion eluded me. It's basically not possible to use it alone, which is what I wanted. So I contacted a local firm and they supplied me with a Raket 120 clutch which I fitted yesterday. Works beautifully, in that I can easily operate the kart alone. Noticeably different to drive though, you can really feel the disconnect when you put the power down. With DD, you can easily provoke the rear under braking or on corner exit. But its a good compromise.
The problem is when I came to stop, because previously with DD, I killed the motor simply by slowing to a stop. Now with the clutch I have no way of shutting off the engine.
I don't want to keep yanking of the HT lead whenever i'm done!
Can someone explain simply how is the best way to safely stop the engine?
I am pretty handy mechanically but i suck at electrics.
Many thanks!
You need to source an ignition switch. Any jarring shop will sort it out easily.
As for direct drive… much better and encourages better driving. Not good for you to muck about drifting, etc.
I raced go karts 100cc direct drive. Many weekday training sessions I was on my own. Starting it was a piss of cake. No need for anyone to push start you. Prime the carb, hand on steering wheel, lift the back with the other hand run a few meters drop it and jump in hitting the accelerator. Sounds complicated but once you get the knack of it it’s easy.
As for direct drive… much better and encourages better driving. Not good for you to muck about drifting, etc.
I raced go karts 100cc direct drive. Many weekday training sessions I was on my own. Starting it was a piss of cake. No need for anyone to push start you. Prime the carb, hand on steering wheel, lift the back with the other hand run a few meters drop it and jump in hitting the accelerator. Sounds complicated but once you get the knack of it it’s easy.
That's a fantastic winter project, and congrats on the find. Installing the clutch was a smart move for solo use, and you're right about the different feel—direct drive gives you that raw, connected feedback that a centrifugal clutch smooths out. It's a worthy trade-off for usability.
Your shutdown problem is very common when adding a clutch to these karts. The simplest and most reliable method is to install a basic kill switch. You don't need to dive deep into electrics for this. The kill switch works by grounding the ignition system, which instantly stops the spark.
Here's what you need: a simple, normally-open momentary push button kill switch (often a big red button). One wire from this switch gets connected to the engine's grounding point (any clean bolt on the engine casing). The other wire gets connected to the small terminal on the coil where the thin black wire (the kill wire from your existing throttle/ignition) is attached. You're essentially adding a second, more accessible ground path for that wire.
When you press the button, you complete the ground circuit, the spark dies, and the engine stops. Mount it somewhere you can easily reach while driving. This is a clean, safe, and standard solution that beats pulling the plug wire every time. Any local small engine shop or karting specialist should be able to wire this up for you in minutes if you're not comfortable doing it yourself. Enjoy the winter drifts
Your shutdown problem is very common when adding a clutch to these karts. The simplest and most reliable method is to install a basic kill switch. You don't need to dive deep into electrics for this. The kill switch works by grounding the ignition system, which instantly stops the spark.
Here's what you need: a simple, normally-open momentary push button kill switch (often a big red button). One wire from this switch gets connected to the engine's grounding point (any clean bolt on the engine casing). The other wire gets connected to the small terminal on the coil where the thin black wire (the kill wire from your existing throttle/ignition) is attached. You're essentially adding a second, more accessible ground path for that wire.
When you press the button, you complete the ground circuit, the spark dies, and the engine stops. Mount it somewhere you can easily reach while driving. This is a clean, safe, and standard solution that beats pulling the plug wire every time. Any local small engine shop or karting specialist should be able to wire this up for you in minutes if you're not comfortable doing it yourself. Enjoy the winter drifts
Gassing Station | Karting | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff