RFI: Go carts

[Joe in PNG]

Okay, so my mum wants to play the grandmotherly role for the nephews, and buy them a go-cart.
Motorbikes or ATV's aren't wanted.

What's the best one for under $1000?

[OlongJohnson]

That may be equivalent to asking what's the best new pistol for under $200. I have >$1000 in just the safety equipment I'm wearing when I get on an off-road vehicle and point it down a trail.

Anything I've seen under $1000 is more of a yard kart. Off-road looks, but not real suspension, not actual durability for off-road use, and probably a bit tall and tippy for any kind of use on pavement. Wouldn't expect it to perform well or last long without breaking parts, and service parts are unlikely to be available. Most appear to have structures of some sort above the driver, but they should be carefully inspected and evaluated for actual usefulness as rollover protection.

Real race karts can be bought and assembled one piece at a time, but they are a much more expensive proposition.

An older, used, major-brand side-by-side will likely be a better deal in the long run. Engineered with effective rollover structures, built with real durability and environmental protection for the gubbinses, almost all mechanical parts remain available nationwide for many years after production of the specific model ends, etc. Made to be serviced, and shop manuals exist. Note that even these are intended for off-road use only, not pavement, regardless of how various laws require them to be tested.

If this plan does move forward, make sure safety is primary, even if it has a "cage" and they sit "inside" the vehicle. Safety belts must be properly adjusted, and must be worn to be effective. Body parts can still move around more than you'd think if it rolls over or crashes. Helmets with face protection (eyes, teeth, etc.), hearing protection, gloves, abrasion-resistant clothing, appropriate footwear, etc. are all imperative at all times. Make sure everybody who is allowed to drive it is properly trained. The labels on many of them say they are only to be driven by people 16 and over, which is meant to indicate that driving them is just as serious as driving a car, and requires a similar level of maturity and respect for physics.

[Peally]

Racing is expensive as shit compared to shooting, but karts are the cheapest way in unless you've got buddies for a Chump Car entry.

I have no idea if you're buying one for youngster racing or just for the yard, but if you have a karting club local to you that might be a good place to get info.

[OlongJohnson]

Racing is expensive as shit compared to shooting, but karts are the cheapest way in unless you've got buddies for a Chump Car entry.

With the safety equipment, brakes and tires, Chump Car or LeMons will still be ~$3500 by the first time you get to the track. And that's sunk cost that can never be sold for more than $500. And the amount of time you end up spending to do something for no money instead of just spending a few bucks to solve the problem and move on is staggering. I looked at it seriously in the first few years, and decided that if I built a car, it would be for a NASA class with an actual rulebook, where a quality build, quality parts and good workmanship would make the car worth something closer to what it cost to build. And which could be moved up through various classes as budget allowed. I know people who've built race cars for real spec classes and sold them for a profit after racing them.


Back on topic, regular visits to an indoor karting facility like K1Speed or something could also be a good idea. Show up, race, make the memories; leave the equipment, storage and maintenance to someone else. You can do that a lot of times for $1000. Even with these, take some time to make sure the harnesses are adjusted correctly. I've seen some really wack, in ways that could cause serious injury in a hard enough crash. The facility staff can't be relied on to stay on top of this, as each driver adjusts it for themselves.

[Peally]

Yep. Like I said, racing is expensive as shit :D

[rayrevolver]

Lol, I am not reading this like his mom wants to support the next Michael Schumacher in a shifter kart.

That said, how old are the kids? They live in suburbia or the back woods?

I have a $350 Razor electric cart that has been fun for my son, bought when he was 7. It's shite off road but does well enough on grass. Razor stuff seems to work OK and is a known brand vice the random stuff you see online.

When you say ATV, I assume you mean 3/4 wheeler motorcycles. Like other have proposed, the new full roll cage UTV types look like fun and are in the $600-1000 range.

[Joe in PNG]

Yeah, my sis isn't looking to get them into either racing or heavy offroading. They're just wanting a simple gas cart to drive around their suburban neighborhood.
They're about 10 and 8 years old, so we don't need something too heavy duty or fast.

[rob_s]

Yeah, my sis isn't looking to get them into either racing or heavy offroading. They're just wanting a simple gas cart to drive around their suburban neighborhood.
They're about 10 and 8 years old, so we don't need something too heavy duty or fast.

I was wondering if I missed something. You post asking about go karts and next thing you know the mario andretti's are all posting about racing and Nitro Circus (http://nitrocircus.com/) shit.

I was recently gifted/loaned a go kart from another family for our kids to use. it belonged to the mom when she was a kid so it's probably 30 years old. Just like the ones I lusted after 35 years ago when I was 7 and dying for a go kart. We have 1.25 acres so the kids will be able to ride around on it once I get the chain fixed. yeah, the kids. That's it.

Sorry I can't help with current tech. I was actually planning on getting my girls an electric one when this one dropped in our lap. A buddy of mine seems to be having good luck with an electric he got his boy.