n1ke Kart

[Scott Elkes]

Well? A Breaking News first!

I was being the good Forum member and I was going to place my recent FB observations to the "Kart Brand" section. To my surprise, no NikeKart section! The kart was manufactured in Toledo, Ohio. (Note: Forum spelling change.)

I hope Ted Johnson see this post. He was the one that told me about the NikeKart, Toledo, Ohio connection and I seem to recall he brought such a kart to the 2014(?) REARs TBO. Maybe he can share a picture or two of this kart?

Quentin Haines quote: "That is more than I have ever read about the elusive, reclusive NikeKart. I hope your friends have some remembrances to share, too."


The picture I saw on the Facebook post...
   
My comment: My guess is winter 1962/1963 show season with the kart having skinny tires and with everything being a little older.

NikeKart (see pedals) kart was manufactured in Toledo, Ohio. I had some work done on my Speed Mobile kart (tension idler pulley throttle control system as a 9/10 year old did not understand) at a lawn mower shop on the same street as NikeKart Mfg. and I never knew that until recently.

Hmmm? A "past" project for today?

Found this ad and address...

   

Satellite photo...
   
NikeKart location. NikeKart building(s) appear to be long gone after reviewing street view, area is a parking lot. I think I found the Mower, name escapes me for now, shop building, but I thought it was closer to Laskey Avenue, thus the line reference. NikeKart and the mower companies were at close proximity...

Satellite map view,
   

[ted johnson]

Ya gotta remember, my n1ke is a "standoff" replica, made from some tiny black and white pix in a Sept. '63 Karting World test article. The early Nikes were "forward look" karts, with the seat shoved far forward, but the '63 was much more conventional. The kart was built by While Away Products. Here's a pic of mine after it won best modified single at Riverside 2016. Pic taken in Joe Kanocz' side yard in Mesa. TJ

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I sure have trouble adding more than one attachment. Here's the KW article first page. TJ

[Scott Elkes]

Ya gotta remember, my n1ke is a "standoff" replica, made from some tiny black and white pix in a Sept. '63 Karting World test article. The early Nikes were "forward look" karts, with the seat shoved far forward, but the '63 was much more conventional. The kart was built by While Away Products. Here's a pic of mine after it won best modified single at Riverside 2016. Pic taken in Joe Kanocz' side yard in Mesa. TJ

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I sure have trouble adding more than one attachment. Here's the KW article first page. TJ

Awesome Ted! Thanks!

You are not alone dealing with multiple picture attachments. Not the easiest to navigate. All we can hope for we'll get better with practice.

Scott E.

[Randy Dacus]

n1ke Ted.......

[Sterling Brundick]

Ted, I'm curious as to what attracted you to duplicate the kart?  Did you play with one way back "in the day"?  It's interesting that it follows the SAE design in the seat bottom.  Or was it the other way around?

[ted johnson]

Ted, I'm curious as to what attracted you to duplicate the kart?  Did you play with one way back "in the day"?  It's interesting that it follows the SAE design in the seat bottom.  Or was it the other way around?

Sterling, I was just looking for something unusual to build, and I saw that test article, so I went for it. I think n1ke came before SAE, and there were other karts as well with the hanging seat bottom. Ron Cubel and I did all the frame jigging on his nice jig table, and Ben Herr did all the welding. That pic at Bakersfield was an inauspicious day! I, along with Ron, Louie Figone, Paul Bennett and a couple more, wrestled with the HL307 gas carbs all day long. I finally got it to run maybe a hundred feet before it stopped. I switched back to the alky HL250's after that. Never DID get those 307's to pull fuel properly. TJ