What’s The Best Go Kart Kit? Top 5 Options

“Some assembly required” is almost never a phrase parents like hearing when deciding to buy a new toy or product for their children. 

Online shopping has certainly made it a lot easier to find just the right product for you and your family, but the problem comes with packages arrive, and it’s time to start building. And no matter how much joy you get out of your child’s happiness with their new gift, you may find yourself frustrated and worn down by the process of building that gift yourself.

And for one of the most popular gifts for young children—go karts—that assembly can certainly take a lot of time and energy. Finding a way to get your children involved in the process of building their products, however, can serve to reduce the strain on your and help your children come to appreciate their gift in a new way.

Comparison Table

To make things easier for both parent and child, go-kart manufacturers have moved over to the practice of selling go kart kits. These kits are designed to come partially assembled, with the difficult mechanical work already completed in the factory. That means that all you’ll need to do is attach the larger pieces and you should be ready to ride.

However, with so many kits out there, which one is going to be the best for you and your family. And can a kart made for little ones still be used by older siblings and even the adults?

To help you decide, we’ve rounded up our top five favorite kits that can easily be found on the market today. We’ll also be going over what you need to look for in a go kart kit and how we’ve made our picks to help you better understand what you need to look for in these products. 

Hopefully, by the end of our overview and Buyer’s Guide, you can be confident enough to pick, build, and ride one of our great options and answer the question: what’s the best go kart kit for my family?

What to Look For In A Go Kart Kit

Kits are going to be as complex or as simplistic as you need them to be. There is no one universal kit standard—as go-karts themselves come in so many different shapes and sizes. However, there are a few basics that we think are worth keeping in mind that can help you uncover which of these go kart kit is going to be right for your family.

Keep the following in mind as you move through our picks:

  • Is it gas, electric, or pedal-powered?
  • What is the highest speed limit?
  • How much assembly is required?
  • Where will we use this kart?
  • How often will we use this kart?

While you may have initially envisioned a gas-powered go-kart for you and your family, the simplicity of a pedal-powered kart and the ease of use of an electric kart may be enough to sway that initial inclination.

As far as pedal-powered karts go, these options are best for young children and toddlers that have taken a specific interest in racing and driving. Perhaps their favorite go kart video game has given them a few ideas, and while they may not be old enough to operate their vehicle quite yet, pedal-powered options are a great middle ground.

Electric choices are also great for families that tend to struggle with mechanics or otherwise want a product that can just “plug and play,” essentially. Electric karts often need to be plugged in for a considerable amount of time--but provided you remember to charge your kart overnight, you should be able to get a considerable amount of use out of them. 

The only real problem with electric karts is that these carts need a significant amount of time to recharge. This is a stark contrast to traditional gas karts, which only need more fuel. Ultimately, the choice of power options will come down to personal preference—alongside some of our other considerations.

For instance—where will you be using this kart? Is there a local park or field you intend to take your family to, or just around the backyard seems more up your speed? Likewise, what is the terrain like? Is it hilly and bumpy, or flat and mostly paved? 

Gas karts are going to be best for rough terrain, but if you want speed and consistency, electric karts on a flat track or asphalt may perform better. The only real consideration here is just how fast the kart moves, and whether or not you are comfortable with the little ones moving at top speed. 

The assembly is also one of the biggest considerations to make. You and your family may have a busy schedule, and due to the importance of assembling a kart correctly, may want to opt for one of the easier-to-make options. Generally speaking, you can assume that building a pedal or electric kart will be easier and involve far less moving parts than their gas-powered alternatives.

There’s a bit of give and take to consider with all of these considerations. Older sibling and parents will appreciate the torque and power that can only come from a gas-powered option, while speed enthusiasts will prefer the simple operation and motion that comes from an electric choice. 

Finally, the young ones will appreciate a pedal-powered option and the control that comes with it. And if you move through our choices and still aren’t entirely sure on which option is right for you, we recommend checking out our Buyer’s Guide at the end of our overview.

How We’ve Chosen Our Kits

Go Kart Driver hill climb Motorsport race

Image by m_baecher from Pixabay

The kits listed below represent the wide-ranging field of kits available on the market today. We wanted to make sure we talked about just about every option available—from the higher end choices to budget picks and everywhere in between. 

That’s why it’s crucial that you know what kit you’re willing to build before you make a purchase. While we’ve given each of our picks a rating based on a myriad of factors from price to ease of use and total build time, that doesn’t mean that the top-rated kart is going to be right for everyone.

Every one of these go kart kit options would be perfect for a certain family. The key is to recognize which kart aligns with your needs and making a conscientious purchase from there.

Top 5 Best Go Kart Kits

Little boy driving the go kart at the race track

Image by Bernd Schray from Pixabay

Need to get the kids outside or just want to have a little bit more fun on the weekends? Consider these five kart options for indoor and outdoor play: 

Sale
Razor Ground Force Drifter Fury Ride-On - 25143498
  • The Ground Force Drifter Fury ups the ante with the added flash of its unique Spark Bar
  • Reach speeds up 12 mph (19 kmh), leaving a shower of sparks in your wake
  • Race-tuned chassis and super-slick rear wheels for serious neighborhood drifting

Our first pick is an electric-powered kart that’s got a focus on speed and theatrics.

The Razor Ground Force Drifter Fury Ride-On is reliant on a simple handle acceleration system and tries to bring a primary focus to racing. This is especially self-evident in the slick rear tires that are designed to slide and drift, and the included spark generator to help the younger ones feel as if they are moving far faster than they truly are.

At a top weight limit of 140 pounds, this product should be just fine for most children of any age, and the price is certainly right here. The only real issue is that the adults won’t be able to join in on the fun. 

The Razor Ground Force Drifter Fury Ride-On is one of the best overall options on our list. 

Taotao GK80 79cc Go Kart Red
  • 15 mph Maximum Speed
  • Hydraulic Disc Brake, 13" Tires
  • Automatic Tranmission without Reverse

If you’re trying to keep younger ones entertained without introducing them to powered motors, perhaps the Hauck Thunder II is more like your style.

This pedal kart offers much more than initially meets the eye. Boasting lights and an adjustable bucket seat, you can fit many children of most age groups inside and let them ride safely from sun up to sun down. Likewise, the included ball brake is quick to stop on a dime without throwing riders from their seats. 

Speeds are going to be up to the riders themselves, but you probably won’t have an issue with speeding here. This is a high-quality kart that offers a lot of value for many years, and while it may not have an engine, it has just about everything else you may need.

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Razor Dune Buggy
  • Compact kids dune buggy with powerful 350-watt electric motor
  • Reaches speeds of up to 10 mph; 8-inch knobby pneumatic tires
  • Durable tubular steel frame; padded bucket seat with seatbelt

This second electric option from Razor is hyper-focused on outdoor play and is our featured product for rugged terrain. 

The dune buggy uses a 350-watt motor and can move your little ones up to 10 miles per hours across most backyards. The included knobby tires are equipped to handle the usual bumps and hills of a backyard. Though with a 120-pound weight limit, adults are again going to be forced to sit out on the fun.

Throttle and brake controls are left to the hands, which can make the operation somewhat clumsy. However, there’s still a whole lot to love here, and assembly couldn’t be much easier.

Taotao GK80 79cc Go Kart Red
  • 15 mph Maximum Speed
  • Hydraulic Disc Brake, 13" Tires
  • Automatic Tranmission without Reverse

TaoTao brings the only gas-powered option to our list and doesn’t disappoint with a great engine and lots to love in a smaller package.

The GK80 Go Kart uses a 79cc engine, which is easily the most powerful on our list. You’ll be able to move young ones up to 15 miles per hours using the standard gas pedal system, and although there’s not a weight limit listed, you should be able to get the largest of kids (and maybe some smaller adults) in on the fun.

This TaoTao product is perfect for the older ones who are willing to help just a bit more on the building end—as this will take some time to complete.

Segway Ninebot Electric GoKart Drift Kit, Outdoor Racer Pedal Car,...
  • Double the Fun: By attaching your Ninebot S (sold separately) to the GoKart Drift Kit, you can enjoy a fully-functional...
  • Drift Racing Excitement: Segway GoKart features a handbrake and brake pedal to switch forward and backward. A high...
  • Options for Everyone: Segway GoKart features three driving modes suitable for different ages. The adjustable frame...

Our final pick is a high end, high-priced electric option that can fit kids and adults alike. 

The Ninebot Electric Go Kart ships almost entirely assembled and is designed for high speeds in primarily indoor settings. You can reach up to 15 miles per hour racing this option around and go for about nine miles before needing to stop. 

There is also a built-in drifting option in the hand brake, so older kids and adults will be able to cut ahead of the competition and keep moving without losing a bit of speed. 

However, we do have to admit that the cost is somewhat prohibitive—and younger kids won’t be able to use the product. Still, if you have the cash, this is perfect for older families.

Buyer’s Guide

Man riding a go kart for the Motorsport race

Image by Ha Ess from Pixabay

Still not sure which of these kits are right for you?

Remember the age of your children. While it may be tempting to purchase the higher-end options in the hopes that your kid's age into them, go-karting can be a fad. Have a clear discussion with your child about whether or not they truly wish to make their go-karting dreams a reality.

Likewise, you’ll need to keep a close eye on the “cc” rating of the gas-powered options, as different parts of the country have different rules on what is and is not acceptable to ride on the streets. You’ll also need to do your research on proper safety protocol and also ensure that your riders, both large and small, wear a helmet at all times.

Otherwise, with the right go-kart at your side, you can appease a vested interest in motorsports and bring a little bit of excitement to your family’s day-to-day life. And who knows? You may spark an interest in much larger racing vehicles someday as well.

Featured Image by spamforpic from Pixabay

Melissa Gibson
 

Melissa has been a technology writer for the last five years. She lives in New York City and during her vacation, you will find her riding scooters, reading books and hiking mountains.

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