Go kart racing has become hugely popular and consists of open and caged go kart chassis. Caged chassis are used in off road racing while open chassis are solely for track use. The kart can have a four or two stroke engine for racing but karts that are typically found in amusement parks and recreational parks are usually four stroke or electric. The four stroke engines are built by several companies including Briggs and Stratton and Tecumseh. The two stoke racing motors are manufactured by WTP, Comer, and Vortex to name a few.

Kids go carts are much slower and built with a child in mind. Parents are often choosing electric go karts for kids because of their safety factors. They have no combustible Go kart parts and give off no toxic fumes. They are also cheaper to maintain with very little mechanical issues. Gas carts are more powerful but for young kids electric is a good start. Then parents can assess a child’s interest and gauge whether getting into gas powered is a good idea.

The off road go cart has become a mainstay with the adults. These go carts are much larger than the traditional cart and have a lot more power. The tires are much larger, engine and chassis are considerably larger resembling that of a dune buggy. Off road carting has sanctioned races as well and is considered far more dangerous so kids are not allowed to participate.

Buying a go kart is not difficult and you can find them just about anywhere these days. Pep Boys retails the Baja line of karts but if you are new to carting then I suggest buying used. This way you are not out a whole lot of money in the beginning. Try your local classifieds or local yard sales. Be sure to ask lots of questions and test drive the cart before buying. Look for red flags such as rust or damage to the cart. Ask for a test drive as well, if you are not permitted then move on to another seller.