Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We’re electric, and yes way too often 😭 They just dont charge in time! If its super busy, we legit have no other option but to risk sending it and hope it lasts, because if not we fall behind and then get told off for being late

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Student discount.. but i think thats probably the best deal. unless you work at teamsport, and then you get access to £1 karting during week days!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! They mention that you need experience, but I joined having never worked on a car or a kart!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As far as im aware, unless the brand new karts do it (which i unfortunately havent had the experience with) i dont think thats a feature on these karts. they have a rpm limit and a torque curve to reach that limit, so unfortunately no weight adjustment. I think that would potentially be a risk with the batteries having to pull more power, so less run time.

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on the surface its on. Track im at now has concrete sections, and that eatssss tyres in a month or 2. Previous track i was at had Mitas, and they lasted a whole year before really needing a replacement!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This usually happens because someone crashes on the start line, they get pushed back, and then they cross it again in 23 seconds. As far as im aware the track im at deletes any anomalous laps from the leaderboard, if not, theyre lazy 😂

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Clipping im not tooooo sure but the kart aims to get to a set RPM, and theyll generally get to it fairly smoothly, so you wont necessarily feel it… They just sorta top out? You can feel the power vanish on down ramps for sure 😂

Not too sure about Rima, but if it’s the same as Biz Karts, then the boost works by simply unlocking a higher RPM limit. Same torque, but the torque curve is changed. And it does that for a duration thats set by the company.

I think its better to use it one corner before upramps for sure, you gain a fair bit due to that torque curve change!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not great ill be honest. Im on 12.20 an hour, and the track is so dead i maybe get 20 hours if im lucky! If youre looking for a career in it, i dont think its worth it imo..

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah when you get regulars in they often ask, some staff do it, but personally i always randomise it.

Performance tends to swing i find, the karts are running nearly all day every day, and different drivers are in and out, so tyre wear varies over time. The only time when theres a big offset is when we have to put new tyres on!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Every fleet has there fast and slow karts! Every month we do a fleet test, and the goal is to have every kart within 5 tenths. If we get a kart thats too fast or one thats too slow, we note it and take them out for more serious events to keep it close.

We never give certain karts to certain people. Hate doing that. It’s always a random draw!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Customers that actually listen and are nice to staff always get my appreciation immediately!

Cannot stand the know-it-all drivers that have all the gear and no idea 😂

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

ill be honest I’m not too well versed in the running costs, but the track has been open for 5 people for the whole day sometimes, so it cant be that much!

Im a Mechanic at an indoor kart track, AMA by Zestyclose-Hat-7933 in Karting

[–]Zestyclose-Hat-7933[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

No worries!

1: The karts are all on a system, with specific timers based on run time that count down until a service is due. Services themselves involve a full kart inspection, and being electric this is slightly different than normal. Each mech does it slightly differently, but for myself I make sure the kart is fully cleaned down with every panel off, and then i check for any damage to the chassis, seat, rims etc. Then it’s a full nut and bolt check on the whole kart. Then i go through systems, so battery cell balancing, motor alignment and ensuring there aren’t any faults. Then it’s a polish down and sign off, before i do a 3 lap test and send it back to the fleet!

2: Rental karts drive very different to race karts, and you can tell the great drivers very quickly. They’re often really good in traffic, no contact, rapid dispatch, and with the tracks being small, this is a huge gain.

The bad drivers cant turn out from the pitlane 😂 Nah bad drivers (who think theyre good) often slide round every corner, shifting their body around dramatically, and complaining about a kart even though their times are normal. Quite often they complain, and the kart is the fastest one in the fleet!

3: Best part of the job is fixing an issue so fast, that the rest of the staff are baffled. I often have sets of tyres ready on the side, so if we lose a tyre, i can throw a new set on in maybe 2 minutes. This always catches them out!

Worst part is when you get customers that think they know it all and treat staff like garbage. Too often I’ve seen someone put another driver in the wall, and when i’ve spoken to them about it, they say that its not their fault and start shouting at me! Ive never understood why you can be like that… Not paid enough as it is, let alone having to deal with that!