The go kart market is seeing a surge in new owners. With all the variety of go karts on the market, it’s not unheard of to see a family with 2 or 3 go karts. Go karts can be a simple machine designed for riding around the yard all the way up to high performance off road machines.

Before running out and buying the cheapest go kart on the market, there are some things you need to know and some questions you need to ask before laying out cash for a go kart.

For starters, you need to figure out how you will be using the go kart. Are you buying it for the kids to ride around the yard or will you be taking it off road. Many consumer go karts will not hold up under severe off road use.

If you’ll be buying a used go kart, then you’ll need to pay special attention to several areas of the go kart.

Wheels should be the next stop on your inspection of a used go kart. Support the front end on blocks and check for excessive play in the wheels. You can do this by pulling in and out on the wheels and then side to side. Once done at the front, go to the back and do the same thing. Loose wheels normally indicate trashed bearings.

Start the engine to see how it runs. If it’s hard to start or dies often, this could mean a problem with the carb or ignition. Also, if the oil is milky colored, it means there is water in it. Be sure to smell the oil to see if it has a gas odor to it or a burnt odor. Either one is bad news and may mean an overhaul or replacement.

The throttle cables, steering linkage and brake linkage should all be checked also. Rust or damage on any of these parts means replacment.

Take the go kart out for a spin. Does it handle well? Is the steering loose? Loose steering can mean bad linkage problems or mis alignment. If you’ll be buying the go kart for kids, make sure the engine has a governor or limit switch. Kids driving go karts at excessive speeds isn’t safe.

By following these easy to do tips, you can go a long ways in ensuring yourself of getting a good reliable used go kart. Using the advice above doesn’t take any special skills, just some patience. A dependable go kart should give you years of enjoyment.

Some owners only care about getting rid of a problem go kart. Don’t let it be you that ends up owning this lemon!