We have covered some of the most insane DIY projects here at RideApart, from a cooler-kart build to an electric three-wheeler. But something just seems sketchier, rawer even, about this 180 horsepower CBR 1000 swapped shifter kart from the folks at BUM (Building Ugly Machines).
For starters, the kart they picked up on Facebook's Marketplace is a rust bucket. Even with its wildly underpowered 212cc Harbor Freight Predator engine, it seems like a bit of an accident waiting to happen.
So when I heard their plan was to lump in a CBR 1000 powerplant, which puts out 180 hp, something in my stomach let me know this is either the best or worst idea I've seen in a long time.
But you can't just drop an engine like this into a sketchy-as-hell go-kart chassis, so the team at BUM extended and reinforced the frame. This meant that it could accommodate the CBR engine and hopefully wouldn't snap in half once the driver put the foot down. They also fitted a GSX-R 750 radiator to stop it from overheating.
Ironically, on its very first outing, it burned the seat and wire harness, and the exhausts would eventually go on to burn holes in the driver's t-shirt. But hey, the engine never overheated.
Via GPS on the driver's phone, we learn that he managed to hit 58.4 mph in first gear. Unfortunately, at this stage of the build, there's no shift linkage so whatever gear he sets off in is the one he stays in. At one stage the driver is about to get a bump start from a car so he can set off in fourth gear in the hopes of hitting 100 mph. But right before this, he lets the viewers in on the condition of the tires, and all I wanted to do was shout, "Don't do it!"
The left front tire is clearly about to pop at any stage and one of the rears is off the bead. But that doesn't stop the crew from sending it as hard as possible.
Based on what the crew says in the video, this kart is either going to get turbo or twin-turbo in the near future, I just hope it gets new tires before then.
Honestly, if you were handed the keys to this contraption—I know it probably doesn't have any keys, but you know what I mean—would you drive it? Let us know in the comments.
