Anyone any knowledge on Petrol Go Karts for Kids

[ChrisPackit]

It's my boy's 7th birthday in a few months and was thinking I may get him a petrol powered go kart as a present. I have absolutely no knowledge on go karts and I was looking for some guidance on the most appropriate model for a young lad.

i.e.
- Single engine, or twin?
- What engine size to go for
- Best makes to look out for
- Can the seats be swapped so Daddy can have a play too!

Thanks

[SupremeSpod]

It's my boy's 7th birthday in a few months and was thinking I may get him a petrol powered go kart as a present. I have absolutely no knowledge on go karts and I was looking for some guidance on the most appropriate model for a young lad.

i.e.
- Single engine, or twin?
- What engine size to go for
- Best makes to look out for
- Can the seats be swapped so Daddy can have a play too!

Thanks

Where's he going to run it?

Try mumsnet, they'll be able to help.

[redgiant]

It's my boy's 7th birthday in a few months and was thinking I may get him a petrol powered go kart as a present. I have absolutely no knowledge on go karts and I was looking for some guidance on the most appropriate model for a young lad.

i.e.
- Single engine, or twin?
- What engine size to go for
- Best makes to look out for
- Can the seats be swapped so Daddy can have a play too!

Thanks

I used to race karts when I was younger when I lived overseas in the cadet class and another class that they don't have anymore. I was 9-10 when I started and looking at the UK site they start racing at 8 yrs old so your son may not be able to get a racing licence until then but should be able to go round the circuit and join a club.

ABkC - Kart Costs

Single engines to start with ranging from 60-125cc. There are classes that have two but remember you have to maintain them and parts and the time taken to look after them can be considerable.

Engines start at the 60cc Comer which can do around 50mph which being close to the ground is fast enough when you're that age.

As far as makes are concerned there were only a few manufacturers and there was little difference (if any) between them as there isn't that much to karts.

The chassis is too small on the cadet classes for a full size adult so if you wanted to have a go yourself you'll need one of the adult class karts. The fastest karts out there are the super karts - Superkart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bonkers quick and you need to have balls of steel to race these

[gingerjedi]

Is he a regular karter? Wouldn't it be a better idea to talk to people in the know down at the local track rather than asking a bunch of geeks??

I wouldn't just go out and buy if he is going to race (which is the point) as there will be classes and restrictions.

[Old Hack]

I'd take him to the local track and ask questions there. Start indoor, then if he loves it, get him a competition license and join one of the many competitions there are.

Don't go for a twin engined Kart from the getgo unless you want to start cleaning his underwear again

[redgiant]

Is he a regular karter? Wouldn't it be a better idea to talk to people in the know down at the local track rather than asking a bunch of geeks??

I wouldn't just go out and buy if he is going to race (which is the point) as there will be classes and restrictions.

Speak for yourself

You normally won't be allowed on the circuit if you're not a member of the club or have a valid racing licence so you can't just buy a kart and go out on a circuit straight away. The best place to start is to speak to a local karting club and go from there.

[ChrisPackit]

We're lucky to have a decent karting circuit within 5 minutes of where I live called Three Sisters. I've actually driven a 355 around there but it's a bit small for car racing really.

My next step was going to go down there and ask the guys for advice.

Cheers for the advice so far....

[redgiant]

We're lucky to have a decent karting circuit within 5 minutes of where I live called Three Sisters. I've actually driven a 355 around there but it's a bit small for car racing really.

My next step was going to go down there and ask the guys for advice.

Cheers for the advice so far....

No problem. Hope it works out for you both as I started racing with my Dad and we still talk about it now.

Watch how much you spend as it can get very expensive with the parts and if you race competitively you will need to travel to other tracks across the country to compete. I raced over in South Africa and even with the cheap Rand back then it was still a bit of a money sink.

I see that circuit is floodlit so you can have endurance races Le Mans style ... always enjoyed those events

[Troll]

I think it was Clarkson who said never ever let your kids take up karting as the costs involved to move up through the levels (and presumably then into the Formulas for car racing) becomes extortionate both in monetary and time spent ferrying them around the tracks at weekends

[redgiant]

I think it was Clarkson who said never ever let your kids take up karting as the costs involved to move up through the levels (and presumably then into the Formulas for car racing) becomes extortionate both in monetary and time spent ferrying them around the tracks at weekends

That's true however karting is where nearly all drivers start racing so it's a good place to see if you cut it as a racing driver. The karts are quite simple so it doesn't take too much learning to service a kart so you're much more evenly matched on the circuit than other types of racing.

I think that sponsorship is a bigger part now than it was in my day so if you are successful then you will get some help to progress through the classes and up into cars.