Kids, go carts, and safety

My wife and I have been kicking around the idea of getting a go kart for our two sons, ages 9 and 5.

I put the stipulation on it that it had to be a cheap fixer upper, and they had to help fix it. A way to get their feet wet on all things mechanical. The 5yo is too young to get much out of that but the 9yo will.

Her rule is that it has to be safe. We thought a roll cage and helmets should be in there for one thing. I also thought wiring in some sort of kill switch would be good in case of a stuck throttle or steering failure. I guess if it has a cage then seat belts would be in order. What else should i be considering besides having everything in working order? This would be for around our property, would knobby tires be better or slick tires so it can slide in turns instead of biting and getting tippy?

We went with lawnmower tires on ours. Also, amazon sells a remote kill switch. Long enough range for fun and freedom for the kiddos.

Exactly. Tires that slip more than they grip will keep them out of a lot of yard kart trouble. One wheel drive will also help. Throttle stop. Engineer the steering to be slowish.

When I was a kid I had several friends with big pieces of property and a variety of yard karts, three-wheelers, quads, bikes and golf carts. These were always a load of fun to play with and race--when they were running. Kids are hard on machinery, so plan for that.

Some of my most painful injuries as a kid came from riding my friend's quad (counterpoint: His worst injuries came from skateboarding). Did they stop me from getting back on? No way, the fun factor was way too high.

Between sports, bicycles, and skateboards my friends and I got hurt pretty often -- and powersports equipment amplifies the opportunity for carnage. Kids are going to get hurt, so you might as well make your peace with that.

We never wore helmets or padding of any kind; we often didn't wear shoes. These days body armor for powersports is inexpensive and easy to find--I highly recommend that you make your kids wear it.

I have a side shaft 8hp briggs sitting in my garage that ive been looking for a go cart frame to toss it on for my 9 year olds. Seatsbelts, helmets and a remote kill switch are my wifes requirements. My dad has a 110cc four wheeler they ride and the remote kill switch on it has been more valuable then anything else for keeping the kids from being too crazy.

The following is a snap shot of our family's path to adding a kart to a SCCA weekend. I have been driving and working on my weekend bad habits for more than a few years. Adding my sons kart to the mix has removed any need for a gym membership. That and the thing is forever requiring ongoing maintenance.

What does the SCCA offer? A path. With safety requirements and rules. Locally we are very lucky, our club is very supportive and the graduatits have gone on to now be national champions in "real cars". There are three classes; FJA, FJB and FJC. You can start with FJC for kids from 5 to 8, our son was tall for his age and I could not see him fold himself into one of these. We waited and purchased a local kart that will work for both FJB and starting next season FJA. The spec tires are hard, they will last a season in FJB and they are just over $200 a set. Yes these are little "race" cars.

Starting with a full size kart has is draw backs, not having to buy a different kart for each class is a plus. Having our son go through three seats, bigger and wider, in less than 24 months has been a testament to picking where we were going to end up. The safety gear is also flex able.

The helmet shell allows three sizes of internal padding, the "squirrel" cheek look is a tell that he needs the next size thinner.

Our next step to FJA allows the removal of the SCCA supplied restrictor in the carburetor. It also means more tires and gas. Lots more of both if he gets comfortable going faster. Both my wife, a retired show horse person ( no more jumping ) and I have had stuff go bad at events. Our son has had one "off", the rear axel is spring that will bend and he wanted back in the kart. That was our "tell".

Now that he is 12, I can take him in my car for a lap and he can tell me were I am going slow.

I'm going through this same thing with my boys, but they're age 13 and 9. I posted about it earlier. However, we live in a golf cart community, so they're interested in everything from golf carts to go karts to 50cc scooters. My 13 year old has his mind set on a 50cc scooter that looks like a crotch rocket. I like that idea the least...they have no storage, and I don't like the thought of him being on two wheels.

At the same time, I can't be a hypocrite. Whenever I get the opportunity, I spend a weekend on a race track with 120 of my fellow competitors driving hoopties with roll cages. I know I need to "let go" a little with them. But yes, whatever they get I'm going to make them as safe as I possibly can. If it's a 50cc scooter, then helmet is 100% mandatory each and every time he sits on it. I'll give him my old race helmet, it actually fits him. If it's a go kart, I'm not worried too much if it has knobby tires, but it must have a cage and 3 point belts (or more).

Helmet, seatbelt, and as I always tell my kids, "The most important piece of safety equipment you have is the one between your ears." If you do something stupid, it's probably going to hurt.

I cobbled together a kart from an old frame and a free 5 HP horizontal shaft B&S. The kids have had a lot of fun with it, and no injuries that I can recall. Certainly nothing serious.

Side note on the kill switch. Our kart has one, but apparently it got a little loose and rusty and didn't ground out. Well, naturally the throttle stuck, but I had coached my older son on what to do if it did. Steer safe, brake, and hit the kill switch. If that doesn't work, reach back and pull the wire off the plug (to which I had attached a zip tie for that purpose). He handled the crisis with a cool head. Remember, Murphy was an optimist! Take the time to check your safety equipment.

Put helmets on them and let them learn from the school of hard knocks. My kids and grandkids have a blast with ours. No serious injuries so far, just bruises and scrapes. It helps them understand limits.

I've been going back and forth on whether this will be useful or useless, so I'll just offer it up for a reference point and let you decide. My brother had a kart very similar to this when we were both kids. We ran the crap out of this thing and it stayed in the family for years. The engine was the first one I ever rebuilt. It's also where I got my first taste of speed. No rollcage, no seatbelts, none of us ever wore helmets, and I don't remember anyone ever getting hurt. This kart was a doorknob, everyone took a turn. Again, never any injuries, not even close. Sometimes the throttle cable would get hung, but we always dealt with it. I also remember it was easy to flip if you knew what to do, and I did it often.

I got my kids, 9, 8, and 4, one for Christmas. My wife found one for $150. I replaced the tires and brake, and added seat belts. So it runs and is safe, and is a good starting point for the kids to use as a project to fix it up and make it look nice...

My 9 year old daughter and 8 year old son are very different. My daughter is safe and calculating. She was fine from the start, and paced herself. If it had turn signals, she would have used them.

My son- not so much. He's more of a cross the limit and then dial it back kind of kid. Plus- it's a two seater, so I could squeeze myself in and ride along while he was learning. Minus- he almost threw me out a couple times. Those skinny, cheap tires have way more grip than you would expect on pavement. After a few ride alongs and some supervision, they are both safe divers now. The four year old is way too young, but does ride along and we let him steer from the passenger seat.

Safety- Full face helmets Kill Switch Seat belts Good brake Roll cage- not sure if this is actually a plus or minus. Kinda sketchy (bolt on removeable.) would probably help in a roll, but make a regular colllision worse. Big empty area to learn- I took them to an undeveloped industrial park with wide open pavement.

When my daughter is big enough, she will inherit the kart that I had as a kid. It is a 1968 Rupp J Kart (still on Goodyear Bluestreaks!). It has no cage and no belts. She will wear a helmet and shoes. I can't wait!

ncjay wrote: I've been going back and forth on whether this will be useful or useless, so I'll just offer it up for a reference point and let you decide. My brother had a kart very similar to this when we were both kids. We ran the crap out of this thing and it stayed in the family for years. The engine was the first one I ever rebuilt. It's also where I got my first taste of speed. No rollcage, no seatbelts, none of us ever wore helmets, and I don't remember anyone ever getting hurt. This kart was a doorknob, everyone took a turn. Again, never any injuries, not even close. Sometimes the throttle cable would get hung, but we always dealt with it. I also remember it was easy to flip if you knew what to do, and I did it often.

I had one very similar to that. Only injury I had was getting my hand stuck under the drive wheel while hauling butt down a gravel road. Took all the skin off. Ended up getting infected and I've got a scar to this day.

I came across this picture yesterday. My rules are helmet and long pants are required. Seat belt on the cart must be worn at all times. They have had a lot of fun with them and the grand kids are getting old enough to play with them now.

My cousin had one similar to what ncjay posted, though the seat was wide enough for my cousin who was a little chunk at the time, and a skinny kid to both ride, however it may not have officially been a "2 seater," but we made it one.

We too had no safety gear, grandma bought us all bike helmets for Christmas one year, but short of trying them on when we opened them, they were rarely on our heads for any of our antics.

A note on the "1 wheel drive karts," if your kids are anything like we were, they'll find a way to do something fun and stupid with even the safest kart.

A friend from school's little brother had a similar 1 seater, 1 wheel drive, kart to the one ncjay posted, but with the added "safety" of a roll bar. Just a single hoop behind the seat, no cage, and no triangulation to speak of, it may have had some additional bracing, but all I remember for sure is it had a roll bar. While that roll bar's design intent was obviously for safety, we found it also served as an excellent hand hold for some one to ride standing up on the back. Additionally with someone standing on the back it was real easy for the "rear passenger" to shift their weight around and make the thing pop a wheelie, whether the pilot of the kart wanted to or not. Being 1 wheel drive, once the front end was off the ground, it instantly became a spinning, donut, machine, spinning more or less in place until the pilot let off the throttle, or one or both occupants were flung from the kart.

Once this trick was discovered, the challenge then became to jump on the kart as it passed by and cause it to "spin out," especially when my friend's little brother was piloting the thing.

We all eventually got into ATVs, my friends all had 3 wheelers or quads of some sort, and I had a slow as molasses Kawasaki Mule, though I still managed to go over some sweet jumps even in the Mule.

My son karts on track now, but it all started with an electric ride on toy, and then a gas yard kart.

Know that they are learning. I have a pretty safety conscious kid, yet things can still happen.

Full face helmet, seat belt at the minimum. A kill switch in reach of the child. Gearing can do a lot to mitigate speed until they are ready for it. If no suspension, and a bumpy yard, the one wheel drive karts kind of stink. Make sure the brakes work well. The band style brakes aren't the best on the planet.

Plan that they will hit things while they learn. Not worried about the kart, but maybe that flower bush in the yard that your wife loves. Grass will get destroyed(especially as they try to master the donut). The kart will fail....and you'll bend over backwards to fix it, so your kids new found love for 4 wheel fun doesn't lead to disappointment. Have spare chain links on hand at all times. Make damn sure the motor is lined up and your chain tension is correct, or you and your kid will be miserable. Make sure the seat is good. Those bench seats let kids slide side to side and lose control.

I picked this up for the boys last night. It was a craigslist deal. They were pretty psyched. We are going to give it a good once over tonight and make sure its ready to go. It made the wife happy because it has two seats, a cage, and seat belts. It made me happy because it was all there, appears to be in good shape, starts, and was priced pretty cheap. It is a Manco, which Ive heard of, but I don't know if they are considered good or bad quality. It has a subaru 5hp motor.

I want to get my son a cart and he even asked for one yesterday. He's 6 years old and I don't have big property for him to learn. Where do you guys suggest? 

In reply to Boost_Crazy :

Ugh a Kensington Grey Galant VR4. 

In reply to yupididit :

I saw in your profile you are in san antonio, a quick googling didnt give me any good off road park options in the area. Maybe you have friends in the area that have a pasture field or "scrub ground" they would let you use? Anywhere there is an acre that the owner doesnt mind if the vegetation gets a little roughed up would work.