wanting to build a mini buggy

[ksaneinia]

Ok so wheels first what size do you recomend?
OOOhhhhh very grateful lol

[nutz4sand]

Originally Posted by ksaneinia

Ok so wheels first what size do you recomend?
OOOhhhhh very grateful lol

Power. How much you got?

Heres My take on it. We used to have built Banshees and unlike the dreamers who think they got 80 plus HP in a Banshee we were more realistic in that even though they were VERY fast and ran hard they "MAY" have been 60 horse if we were lucky. We used to run with machines built all over the USA by "pros" and could keep with and beat many of them. These were 350cc and we could run with 440 banshees on alcohol. We ran gas.

These machines weigh about 380 pounds and even in the lake level damp sand they would often spin 12 paddle haulers right off.

So take a buggy that will weigh at least 700 pounds and closer to 900 or more. Toss in a lot more power like 100 horse a 750cc four cylinder street bike can easily make with added four stroke torque and how much tire do you need?

I would NOT try to use ATV tires for anything over 60 horsepower. Especially if it weighs anything.

For sand I say 15 inch rims and 1300 paddla tracs MINIMUM for the butt end. Run the biggest fronts you can as front sand tires are light weight. Plus 1300 Padla tracs genrally wiegh LESS than the HUGE heavy ATV tires with paddle gluded (vulcanized) to them. Nothign worse than loosing a race due to spinning the tail end off.

Plus using common VW bolt patterns makes it easier to find rear axles and hubs and brakes and all that.

[ksaneinia]

Ok have you seen the mini buggy (my custom long travel mini buggy) if you search it you'll find it i want to build something like that?
i think you get the idea of what i want so you can help me go to that direction
Thanks again for all your help this typing is better than waisting time and money

[ksaneinia]

can you please help me with my banshee too

[Gene]

You can ask "my custom" how much he spent. Most important though is the time invested. My guess: 15 to 20k US or more.

[ksaneinia]

it is well worth it
does he have a reverse? i don't think he does
you can't buy one for 15 not even close he has lots of time invested but that's ok i can invest the time i am just trying to calculate the parts that i have to buy and modify and machine shop

[ksaneinia]

NUTZ4SAND is been a big help thanks sand man

[nutz4sand]

I have seen that machine (my custom long travel mini buggy) and watched the Youtube video a few times (Hes got two of it I am aware of at this time)
Hes definatly got a winner there. I wish I could take it for spin to see how well it handles a lil high speed running with corners. It looks like its got Jumps down pretty good.

To get that kind of travel expect to fork out a bit of dough for the shocks. You need to figure out the geometry you want for the kind of driving YOU will do.

Heres the catch. Unless he is selling the plans for that..... You will be forced to design your own chassis and arms. I have a few different plansets here and have been modifying them many many times and STILL aint happy with what I have come up with. And I hope to be building my new buggy soon!

Look at other designs and make your design with proven strong parts layout.

Do you have ANY plans in your hands now? It will help for you to see whats required to build a buggy from the plans then see what you would need to draw up to build your own design.

[ksaneinia]

no i don't have any plans
what do you think of his front steering the way he has setup the front spindles?(knuckles)
what kind of design are your plan 2 seater long travel?

[nutz4sand]

Originally Posted by ksaneinia

can you please help me with my banshee too

There is no help for Banshees anymore. (In saying that I mean for anything more than a fun play toy) Spend a few on shocks for a better ride "maybe" and some simple engine mods to your liking. By the time you spend any REAL moeny making Banshee realllllly fast I can show you how to make a MUCH faster machine for a fraction of the price.

In my opinion anymore buying more than a set of pipes for a Banshee is a waste. I have had 12 Bashees that were modded to different degrees. I can make a machine thats faster and rides better for less than I can buy a nice Banshee and mod it.

I would only buy a Banshee today if it was literally given to me for next to free. They do not ride that good the shifting is poor (I do not mind shifting. But Banshee were NEVER known for great shifting.) and the power band is narrow if built for dragging. Build the powerband wide and they suck at dragging. Lotta good four strokes today beating built banshees and with far better ride. Easy to build a big sled engine Quad to beat a Banshee in the drags and for duning. If I was able to afford it right now I would snag me Yamaha Apex motor and turbo it and put it in a quad frame JUST for dragging and some fun duning. Not much would touch it. Anyways back to buggies.