Go Kart

Build it or Buy it?

Go karting is an extremely fun-filled and exciting hobby to take part in. With a go kart, you can participate in very riveting social events like showcases and racing, and you can apply new and better innovative designs to your creation, making it not only a practical working vehicle, but also an item of beauty and style. Those new to go karts will be faced with an important decision: whether or not to build their own go kart or to buy one that has already been assembled. Both options have their pros and cons, and ultimately the decision will come down to personal preference.

Obviously go kart parts cost money, but the accumulation of all the parts will cost significantly less than a pre-assembled go kart itself will. On average, the go kart can cost anywhere from $800 to $2000, depending on the style, the materials used, the size and of course the quality of the final result. The accumulation of the go kart parts may cost between $500 and $1100, depending on the same aforementioned factors that determine the final cost of the pre-assembled go kart. Although a pre-assembled go kart will cost more, it is guaranteed to work and last for a long time, having been produced by professionally paid constructors.

Many people will end up choosing the pre-assembled go karts because they may not have sufficient building experience to craft one of their own – or they are not certain how well their own final outcome will work. On the other hand, purchasing go kart parts and assembling your vehicle yourself will add more sentimental value to the final product, which itself may be customized to a higher degree than a pre-assembled one, due to the fact that you are the crafter and will decide what will be added. By assembling a go cart yourself, you will value it more, having taken painstaking care to make sure that it is optimal and ready for performance in the field.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to budget, personal ability, and time constraints. If you need a go kart to be readily made as soon as possible, and you have the money to spend, no doubt you will want to purchase one that has been constructed already. Of course, if you are good with your hands or don’t plan on spending a great deal of money on go karts, it is recommended that you experience the rewarding activity of making the kart by hand.

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The Sport of Go Kart Racing

If you really want to get serious about go karting, you might want to join a karting club or start doing some racing at local tracks. There are many clubs around the world where go kart enthusiasts get together and share their passion. Some have tracks of their own. Some travel around to races locally or far away.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a cart you can race. There are dirt tracks, paved tracks, ovals, off road tracks and more. Before deciding on the type of kart you need, you probably want to decide what type of tracks are available and what type of racing you want to do.  Much of this decision will come down to what is available in your area. If you are lucky, there will be a non profit group with a track somewhere near by. This is a great way to know new people, to have fun riding and eventually to start racing if you wish. Off road and dirt karts can be purchased for a few hundred dollars if you look in the right places. You can also spend a lot more if you really want to. The more serious the racing, the more money people tend to spend on the racing go kart.

There is some serious racing to be had out there. Once you know what tracks are available to you and how far you are willing to travel to race, you can decide what type of kart to get. There are 4 cycle go karts and 2 cycle karts. There races available for every skill level, up to and including professional racing. Who knows, you might end up at the top some time in the future. One step at a time though, you don’t want to aim too high until you have obtained some skills.

Engine type, size, weight and other factors are important and may determine what class you can race in, so do some research before getting that first go kart.  You should also make sure you can find go kart parts for what ever machine you buy (or build for that matter). The World Karting Association is a great place to start your research for local tracks and to learn more about the sport. There are also many links on this site to places where you can find go karts for sale of all types. Karting is a very fun pass time and I’m sure that by now you are excited to get started. Visit the go kart guide often for interesting articles on the sport and best wishes in your search for the perfect go carts.

Filed Under Go Kart Racing | 1 Comment

4 Steps to Buying a Go Kart

If you have come to this page it is assumed you are either in the market for a go kart or you are a go kart enthusiast. This article will cover the steps we believe you should take to find the right go kart at the right price.

Step 1

Determine the Type of Kart you want – There are quite a few different types of vehicles that could fall into the category go kart (or go cart depending on how you want to spell it). The possibilities range from the most basic garage build karts to the professional racing karts costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. There are off road varieties of karts made to run in sand or just on trails. What you choose is of course dependent on your purpose for the kart. Will you be racing it? Do you just want something for the kids to play with around your block? (Is it safe?) Do you want something you can take off road?

Step 2

How much do you want to spend? – Your budget will have a lot to do with where you go from here. It is assumed that if you are going to race that you already know the prices for good race karts are not cheap. As with any consumer good, the more money you are willing to spend, the better quality and presumably longer lasting the kart will be. If you are not worried about the cost, we recommend you find a reputable manufacturer and buy a quality piece of equipment. There are ways to save money, however, if you are on a budget. If you are just going to use the kart as a toy for your kids to play with around the block, the quality is less important than if you are going to be traveling at high speeds around a race track. There are many bargain basement type karts out there if you have a limited budget.

Step 3

Build it or Buy it? – One of the ways to save money is to buy a kit and/or plans for a kart and build it yourself. This may be something you wanted to do anyway. It’s a great project to do with your kids which will give them a great jump start on their mechanical skills and great memories to boot :) You can build it completely from scratch with a set of plans and obtain the go kart parts as you go or you can buy a ready made kit and save on the assembly labor.

Step 4

Research and get started – Now that you have all of the criteria in mind, it’s time to start looking for the item you want to buy and/or build. The Internet is a great place to start that search. Visit the links on our site as a starting point if you wish. There are a lot of great vendors out there with go karts for sale. Also check this site for additional advice based on specific types of karts.

Remember no matter if you are racing or just playing in the local culdesac, it is highly recommended that you wear a helmet. Be safe and have a great time with your new kart.

Filed Under Getting Started | 3 Comments

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