Go Karts

Types of Go KartsThe rev, or whine, of the engine.  Zipping around a track, field or street, and feeling the acceleration.  Nothing like that to get the blood flowing.  That pure feeling of power teetering on the edge of your control and it is all up to you!  This is why I love go karts.  Some people call it karting.  It doesn’t matter what you call it; what does matter is that you made it here so you must feel the same way.

There are several different kinds of go karts and I will briefly discuss each one of them.  Don’t get too overwhelmed if you are new.  It really is simple.  As I mentioned before there are many different kinds of go karts including: Street, Dirt, Electric, Gas, Ones for Adults, ones for kids, and even family fun ones. People drive them for a few reasons as well.  You can drive them just for fun or for competition.


Street karts are designed to be driven indoors or outdoors.  It does not mean that you drive them down your neighborhood street.  You will need to check with your local jurisdiction to know what the laws are as far as driving on the actual street. Street karts typically have smaller wheels than dirt karts, some are electric and some are gas.

What it does mean is they are designed to be driven on a hard surface.  Many indoor tracks are made of asphalt and some are rubberized tracks.  These karts are designed to be driven on this style of track.  They don’t need to be indoor, but you get the idea.

I might have peeked your interests as far as the laws go.  Some places it is legal to drive on the street.  You might need to make some slight modifications to the vehicle, but it normally is not difficult.  It is always best to check with your local authorities to make sure you understand the laws before driving down the road in your go kart.


You can probably guess what a dirt kart is.  It is one that is designed to run on dirt.  That was a tough one.  Sometimes people will drive them on dirt and mud tracks, other times they are driven in fields or sand.  I have to say it is a great feeling kicking up rooster tails as you accelerate to incredible speeds.  These karts generally have larger tires and less ground effect fairings.  Many of these are gas, but you can find electric ones as well.

If you really want the off road experience this is the direction you will want to go.  You will typically need some additional accessories with these, unless you have a track in your backyard.  Most people who have dirt karts also have trailers.  That does not mean you can’t drive them on the street, just make sure you obey the local laws.


Electric engines are great.  They can last for what seems like ever and typically need less maintenance than a gas engine.  They still have great acceleration and can be recharged in a reasonable time.  Of course they are typically better on the environment as well.  Most of these are street karts not dirt karts as I mentioned earlier.  Just a few things to keep in mind.


The old standby gas engine.  They sometimes take some tinkering, but you can tune them up and they run great.  When they run out of gas, all you need to do is fill them up and you are off and running again.

These can be both street or dirt carts.  They can be run on tracks or just about anywhere you can think of.  I love the sound and vibrations of the engines that you have with the gas engine.  They are not as environmentally friendly but they are pretty good now days.  Especially if you keep them tuned up.

Adult, Kids, and Families

Just about anyone can enjoy the trill of driving a go kart.  It doesn’t matter their age.  As long as they follow a few basics they can remain safe and have a great time.  Most places recommend kids to be at least 8 years old before they drive themselves.  Eight is also the normal suggested starting age for most manufacturers of go karts.

They can come with one, two, or even four seats in them.  This is perfect for the entire family.  Of course the larger ones typically have more powerful engines and should only be driven by older and more experienced drivers.

Fun or Competitive

There really are two main reasons people get into karting.  Either they just want to have fun or race competitively.  Most of the time people start out at the fun aspect and the more they do it the more they want to pit their skills against the best out there.

As competition starts people will typically build their cars up with all kinds of things to make them faster.  Modifications are not unusual, but many competitions require the vehicles to be the same or have certain specifications at least.  Competition is great to have and one of the best aspects of the sport.types of go karts

Wrap Up

Well that gives you a quick rundown of the different kinds of karts that are available out there.  The reasons people do it and some things to keep an eye out for.  Remember to always practice proper safety precautions as well as follow your local laws.  You never want to find out the hard way that you should have done something or that you broke a law. Ignorance is not an excuse!  Be Safe and Have Fun!

If you enjoyed this article or found it helpful please leave any comment, questions or personal experiences below.  As always thanks for reading.