| Go Kart question So I'm looking to get my soon to be 8 year old boy a Go Kart for his birthday. I want something that will be strong enough for him to ride into his teens if he's still interested, so not looking for like a little battery powered plastic thing like you see in Wal-Mart.
He'll have 4 acres to ride it, so that's not a problem.
Just looking for ideas, brands, suggestions, etc. Don't know much about them and I'm sure like with everything else there's things to learn about it.
--
Therapy Chicks |
|
|
|
 stevek1949We're not in Kansas anymore
join:2002-11-13
Virginia Beach, VA | There are pleanty of places in Fayettville to go ask. Just do a Google search for:
go kart parts fayetteville nc |
|
| Thanks, that Google site is pretty cool! |
|
 n1zukmaking really tiny tech thingsPremium
join:2001-10-24
Malta
kudos:2 | Yeah, I think it might become pretty popular.  |
|
| reply to TherapyChick
Make sure that any Go Kart you purchase has a built in roll bar that is higher than the head + helmet of anyone going to ride in it and a seat belt or other restraint system.
I had one of these when I was just starting 3rd grade and in our own back yard (an acre and a third) I was able to flip mine end-over-end.
Mine did not have a roll bar so it was just my head and the steering wheel hitting the ground. I was lucky, my neck was broken and my arm got crushed between the steering wheel and the ground but I was able to recover with just some minor brain damage. Even a simple roll-over can cause similar injuries with out a roll bar and seat belt.
Oh yes, make sure the machine has a roll-over kill switch that turns off the engine should the worst happen. Mine kept running while it was upside down (and on top of me) while gasoline was leaking out of the gas tank. Luckily my parents killed the beast before it caught fire. |
|
JoelC707Premium
join:2002-07-09
West Point, GA
kudos:5 | reply to BlueMist
Re: Go Kart question I must have been EXTREMELY lucky with mine then. I didn't flip mine end-over-end but I did turn it over (took a turn too sharply and under power too) on the side. I was probably about the same age/grade too. No roll bar or anything, just a flat deck, steering wheel, seat and engine. I had nothing at all broken or injured. I got up on my own, flipped it back over, killed it (yeah no safety shutoff) and went inside and told mom what had happened. NO idea how I managed to be so lucky lol. |
|
| reply to TherapyChick
I do have another suggestion or two about the go-cart.
You can get a racing frame but most of them are setup for about 1/2 inch of ground clearance.
The alternative is to get one that has the low ground clearance needed when using racing with slick tires but have a second set of larger wheels/tires for off track racing, like in the yard. The tires for home use would not be slicks but actually have some tread similar to a riding lawn mower. More grab for the grass or dirt when it's time for the turns and for stopping/starting. With the right wheel/tire size you will have a couple of inches of ground clearance making the machine much safer for home style or off-road riding. No mowing the grass with the front bumper as would happen with the 1/2 inch clearance when in the racing setup.
The second suggestion is to get a frame that has two engine mounts. That way later as the child gets heaver a second engine can be added for more horse power or possibly for racing. My original go-cart had this kind of frame. No need to buy one with two engines at the start as long as it is setup for you to add one later with out needing someone to weld in a second engine mount.
A year after the crash I was able to ride the go-cart again, after my father had a welding shop add the roll bar, installed a kill switch and added a seat belt. My helmet came from my doctor who told me to wear it or else. I did have fun with my machine and with the yard size you mentioned the child will also have fun. At the same time the child gets older they should have fun learning how the thing works as well as fixing things as they break, like rebuilding the engine, fixing the clutch and all the rest of the fun things. |
|
| reply to TherapyChick
Along with seat belts, look into window nets or arm restraints. An arm flailing outside a kart's roll cage, during a roll over can easily break a hand, wrist, or arm. |
|
