ENGINE:  Ensure the engine is one for which you can obtain parts and service.  If the engine is built by Tecumseh, Honda, or another large manufacturer, you can obtain parts at many locations across the United States, and probably many foreign countries.  Robin engines seem to be a little harder to find parts for in our area, but they are still a large manufacturer.  Many engines, especially those measured by "cc," are built overseas, and parts and service may be difficult or impossible to obtain.  Twister Hammerheads are an exception to this, as their parts are normally readily available.  DON'T BE FOOLED.

BRAKES:  Scrubber brakes -- the ones that rub against the tires -- should be avoided.  They don't work well in the best of conditions, and if the tire is wet or goes flat, they can become inoperable.  Band brakes are a good brake for tires up to 15" in height.  (The "15" will be the first number in the tire size, stamped on the side of the tire.)  If the tire is over 15", don't settle for less than a disc brake.  You'll be disappointed if you do.  Disc brakes are recommended for tires over 15" tall.  Some of the mass-merchant karts have 18" rear wheels with the band brake.  These may stop the kart, but they will not be as effective as a disc brake, and you may not like the results.  DON'T BE FOOLED.
 

INEXPENSIVE KARTS:  What could be wrong with an inexpensive kart?  Several things.  You should ask how they can sell a kart so cheaply.  We've always heard that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  The answer can lie in poor quality of materials, pre-paid freight (see below), and/or parts (see next section).
 

WARRANTY:  Who does the warranty work?  Does the warranty cover labor, which can be more expensive than the parts?  Who has to pay the freight for parts?  How about the return parts?  (Freight for a part can sometimes cost more than the part itself.  It may be cheaper to buy the part yourself at a local store, rather than pay to return the defective part for "free" replacement.)  If you have to ship a defective part to the manufacturer for inspection, then they send you a replacement if they agree it's defective, how long does all this take?  Why should you have to pay freight to return a defective part?  How long is your kart out of service for a problem that is not your fault?  (No matter how good the kart is, any of them -- including the ones we sell from our store -- can break.  They're all built by humans.  We stock most parts, and often perform warranty repairs within 24 hours -- sometimes, while you wait.)

Any warranty is only as good as the manufacturer and manufacturer's rep (dealer) who stands behind it.  When you buy online, or from any non-servicing dealer, you may find yourself paying dearly for repairs that should have been covered under warranty.  Or, you may find yourself without anyone to repair it at all.

PARTS:  Some manufacturers sell their karts near or below cost, then sell the parts for 4 to 5 times what a similar part on another brand would cost.  Of course, the part is manufactured to be unique to that brand of kart, so you have no choice but to buy it.  Remember, the go-kart manufacturers are in business to make money; they're not a charity.  Don't fall for this common practice. 
 

Find out about the availability of parts, what you have to do to get them, and what the parts cost.  To perform a comparison, find a common part and see (a) if the dealer has it (or can get it), and (b) how expensive it is.  Some sites have a section on parts.  How well does it work?  Can you select the part you need, or do you have to buy a complete assembly?  How much does it cost, with freight?  Beware of companies that may go out of business, particularly foreign ones, where you may get stuck with a parts source.  We see this often --  DON'T BE FOOLED.  Try this suggestion from the past administrator of buggynews.com.
 

PRE-PAID FREIGHT:  Pre-paid freight can be a sneaky way to charge you more for the kart.  For example, they quote you a price for the kart, then say they will add freight.  You authorize the charge to your credit card, but they actually charge you twice what the freight really is.  This lets them quote you a great price on the kart, but you get taken to the cleaners!  If you order a go-kart on the net, make sure it is shipped to you "freight collect," so you'll pay the EXACT freight cost, and not a penny more.  (Confused?  We don't think so.  However, since one manufacturer sent us a rather terse letter about this paragraph, and since THEY obviously didn't understand it, here's an example:  A seller sells you a go-kart for $100 less than their cost.  The freight to you is $100, but they add $300 to the cost.  They turned a $100 loss into a $200 profit!  It's not illegal, but it CAN be misleading.  The manufacturer that didn't like our info on pre-paid freight?  Let's just say their letter mentioned the "motor" on their go-kart ... any reputable service technician, and many consumers, know that go-karts have gas-powered "engines," not electric "motors."  Can we mention the name of this manufacturer who seemed to think most of this page was written about them, and who wanted to restrict your right to this information?  Yes, our attorney suggested we display their letter on our site, but we prefer not to take the "low road" with them, so we won't.  As for the consumer who sent them the e-mail asking whose information was true (their sales site -- or our informational site, from which we recommend you go to a local dealer, and only sell directly if you don't have a dealer within 50 miles and only within our three states), we can only say this guy must have a fox guarding his hen house.  As we said, DON'T BE FOOLED!)  Update:  The company mentioned above is now out of business.
 

Another form of pre-paid freight is "normalized" freight.  This is where the seller averages freight costs and charges everyone the same, or says "freight included."  (Everyone knows there's no such thing as a free lunch.)  Here's how that works:  Let's say we sell karts from Dallas (very close to us).  If it costs $100 to send a kart to Denver, it might cost $300 to send it to Los Angeles, so our average cost is $200, and we would build that into the price.  If you live in Los Angeles, you save $100!  That's a good deal.  But, if you live in Ft. Worth, where the freight might be $50, you pay an extra $150 to help pay for the kart that was shipped to Los Angeles.  Not such a good deal for you, but the person in L. A. appreciates it.  "Freight collect" is a good way to make sure you're paying your freight, and no one else's.

Be aware there can be extra costs on freight.  It costs more to deliver to a house than a business.  Special services, such as lift gates and appointments, can also cost extra.  Check this out.  This isn't the dealer ripping you off (as long as they warn you), but be sure and ask if there is a charge before you request a service.
 

"FLY BY NIGHT":  Find out how long the manufacturer has been in business.  If they've been in business less than 10 years, that may not be a good indication.  (Go to their site and click on "About," "About Us," "Our Story," or something similar.)  One online sales company says they've been manufacturing karts full-time since September of 1999 ... that isn't very long!  (Although we don't manufacture, we've been in business since 1988.)  Many others, such as Ken-bar and Kartco, have been in business for many, many years.  For more info on who makes karts, visit our kart manufacturers page.
 

ASSEMBLY:  When you buy a kart over the internet, it's probably going to be in pieces.  Not only will you have to assemble it, but you'll have the service the engine, as well.  (One site says they'll assemble everything but the "safety cage" -- for an extra $300!  Of course, you'll still have to service the engine.)
 

FRAME  WELDING:  When we first looked at one of the mass merchant karts, we thought the manufacturer had made a mistake -- the frame was spot welded, not welded all around the joints.  After looking at the rest of the karts, we discovered it was not a mistake;  they were all "spot-welded."  Spot welding will save a few dollars, but do you want to trust the safety of your children to a spot-welded frame?
 

HIDDEN CHARGES:  Particularly when buying online, make sure you know all the "getcha's."  Look for fine print on shipping, handling, etc.  "Getcha's" can also occur at the retail store.  The parent selects a kart, and tells the child they can have it.  The child is, of course, elated.  When you get to the counter, they add $200 inbound freight and $150 assembly fee (or similar fees).  The parent doesn't want to go back on their word to the child, so they pay an extra $350!  This is a very common ploy with retail outlets.  DON'T BE FOOLED.
 

SERVICE:  Does the manufacturer have authorized service dealers, who can perform warranty and non-warranty repairs?  Or, do they tell you to find a "lawnmower only" shop to fix it?  (While many lawnmower shops, particularly those who sell go-karts, are quite familiar with go-karts;  some aren't.  Some don't know much about go-karts, and many will not work on them due to insurance reasons.  Just make sure whoever sells you the kart will also service it and provide parts.)  One of the current wide-spread problems is people are buying karts from mass-merchants, auto stores, and sporting goods stores, and then cannot find service or parts.  We regularly have people who did not purchase their kart from us come into our shop saying they cannot find anyone to work on their go-kart, or that they took it to a lawnmower shop and they didn't know what to do to it or they don't work on go-karts.  Would you buy a car without having a service dealer?  Would you take your lawnmower to your local auto repair shop?  Why would you buy anything mechanical from a store that doesn't service or sell parts for that product?
 

You need to develop a relationship with a servicing dealer that works on go-karts.  The best way to start is to buy your kart from them.  When we have time, we work on karts we didn't sell (most brands), but only when we're not busy.  And, guess who gets priority on repairs?

MISINFORMATION:  While much of this page has dealt with misinformation, watch out for obvious errors.  One site (visited 12/01/03) talks about a kart with which we're very familiar.  One place on the page says the kart goes "over 40 mph;"  another place on the same page says "approximately 50," while another says "over 50."  (The kart will actually go about 35 mph.)  The page also states the engine has a "full 2 year" warranty by Tecumseh.  While many Tecumseh warranties are 2 years, the warranty for the engine on that kart is only 1 year, and it is not "full;"  all warranties are limited (if you don't change the oil and burn up an engine, it's not covered by warranty).  One place says the kart weighs 538 pounds, another says 540.  (It's only 2 pounds, but it makes you wonder what -- and how much -- they're making up.)

If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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(Please note that while we welcome comments and suggestions about our web site coverage, we do not have the manpower to answer technical questions.  Please direct technical questions to your local go-kart dealer, or, if you are in the north Texas area, please visit us in person.)