Why Are Go-Kart Tires Smooth?

Author: E. Silva (aka Mr. Awesome Expert)

You will find that most standard go – kart tires you see ( just about anywhere, as a matter of fact, he he he he heh ) are nice and slick. Now why is that, you might have asked yourself at some time? Well, there are some things to keep in mind here, so as always, I would like to ask that you just stick with me and read til’ the end, friend …. you have got a lot to learn today ….

Let’s get started with it. Now first of all, these tires are designed with a smooth thread as they are made to take quite a beating on the pavement or race roads, so to speak. People use them for racing at top speeds, against others, time and time again. They are not like cars in which they can also go “casual mode” and go at slower speeds for basic trips ( like to the local grocery store, etc ) . These go – karts are ONLY made for intense racing, all the time. So the smoother their tires are, the more wear they can handle, especially as they make sharp turns and push against the ground ( traction eventually hardens them, over time, so it’s best that they are nice and smooth and don’t automatically come hard as inertia will do its job over time already ) .

Now if the weather conditions are dry, slippery or anything else, these types of tires need to be able to handle well. And hard tires can stick to the ground, freeze up, slip easier and much else. But there is just something about smooth rubber itself that does the trick. Keep in mind, though, they many places do also sell medium and hard tires … you just have to ask for them.

If you want the most grip and control possible when you race, then softer tires will work best ; they really do the trick each and every single time. They do, however, wear out a whole heck of a lot faster than hard tires ( which have terrible grip but last longer, in many cases ) ; medium – hardness tires, as you can imagine by their name, meet you somewhere in the middle. They compromise on both factors and are the perfect “middle ground” for someone who is looking for both types of features, in perfect unison.

Many who race ( not competitively, though ) like to go with CIK-FIA homologated tires, which are basically high – end slick tires. Some call these sports tires. They seem to be more narrow right up at the front ( usually measuring from around 3.5 to 5 inches, respectively ) , with wider rear areas ( about 6 to 8 inches, respectively ) . Many sellers also sell smooth “wet tires”, which like the name sounds, is for wet tracks or for handling more smoothly if it rains on the track.