Go kart for kids

[rob_s]

Figured there might be some folks here that have experience with this.

Kids are 9 and 11, girls.

Yard is 1.25 acres, mostly grass (although I assume that if they start tearing around on the thing it won’t be grass for long).

Trying to find a go kart that would best suit our situation, but the web is so clogged with bullshit SEO pages that I don’t trust any of the online “review” sites I get when I google.

Would love to hear from some folks that have experience with these things. Hoping to stay under $1k but could spend more if I have to.

[GOTURBACK]

My buddy has a two seater Yerf Dog go cart it is rear wheel drive with a Honda 4stroke engine, electric start, a lightweight roll cage, centrifugal clutch and belt drive similar to a snowmobile design. His daughter (now 15) has a blast driving it around with her friends, it is large enough to fit an adult (for some fun) as well as allowing for direct supervision while the kids are learning, when she was younger he just put a pillow behind her so she could reach the pedals. He also said that most all parts are readily available online for it so it is repairable too.

[BJXDS]

It’s been a long time but opt for one with some type of suspension as opposed to solid axle or you be constantly replacing wheel bearings. And don’t forget to let the kids drive it once in a while😃

[SJC3081]

https://rzr.polaris.com/en-us/rzr-170-efi/

You should be able to get one used for $3000. Worth the extra money and has resale value. Cheap go carts are poor quality and dangerous.
Real seat belts and sturdy roll cage worth every penny.

[RevolverRob]

Two words: Shifter kart -

Seriously though, when I was a kid, we just had steel tube-frame, solid rear-axle go-karts, without roll cages or seat belts (we somehow survived...).

If it is grass without a lot of rocks/stumps/hidden dangers, go with a low ground-clearance kart. The big Yerf Dog-like things are fun when you have a lot of space, but 1.25 acres is just enough space to open up a 5-7hp 4-stroke to the max, before you run out of ground. The smaller, low-ground clearance karts, will be plenty of fun and offer a nice sensation of speed in a small space, they also are extremely unlikely to flip over.

I'd shop the local classified and find something. Personally, I'd go with two single seaters over one two-seater. Yes, you'll have more maintenance and more pullstarts that way, but the kids can race each other instead of fighting over whose turn it is to drive.

EDIT: You may try a local Pep Boys or Tractor Supply. They tend to have a lot of "powersports" stuff. I don't really know any good brands out there, I get the impression they are all pretty much Chinese-made things these days.

[rob_s]

https://rzr.polaris.com/en-us/rzr-170-efi/

You should be able to get one used for $3000. Worth the extra money and has resale value. Cheap go carts are poor quality and dangerous.
Real seat belts and sturdy roll cage worth every penny.

something like that is way too big for our property and area.

[SJC3081]

Do you consider making it a family sport. There are many great places to ride in South Florida. I bought a Honda Pioneer 1000-5. So I can ride with my 5 and 7 year old sons.

[rob_s]

Do you consider making it a family sport. There are many great places to ride in South Florida. I bought a Honda Pioneer 1000-5. So I can ride with my 5 and 7 year old sons.

I haven't found anywhere to ride that's not an hour+ drive in either direction. We just don't currently have the time to add another all-day activity into our lives.

I'm more interested in things we can do from/at home.

[Odin Bravo One]

From your price tag and previous comments, I assume racing is out. In which case, if you can finger fuck an AR into functioning, you can finger fuck a simple 2-stroke into working. And I recommend doing it yourself to the extent possible. This will prevent unnecessary expenses and you ultimately control all aspects of what goes into your cart.

[ralph]

You could put one together yourself, kart frames shouldn’t be too hard to find, As for power, I seem to remember there’s a engineering firm in Taiwan that was making these little jet engines that put out 200lbs of thrust... . Just sayin..