Chinese-made off-road karts [Archive]

timorang

27th May 2007, 22:06

Anyone got any advise on buying one of these. Last weekend I busted my daughters nose while out on a quad bike bouncing around a sandy track (she was wearing a helmet). Anyway Mum says no more quad biking for father and daughter which is fair enough and needless to say i felt/feel terrible. But we have great fun and she is certainly not discouranged - actually she feels bad she can't go out again.

Anyhoo after a cooling down period and crawling, I have the boss' permission to look at a 2 seater kart with two seats and belts. So I am starting to research. TradeMe being the first place to look. Even a 250 sounds a little gutless but that seems to be as big as these things get. This is an example...

Picture attached.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=100700147

So anyone got advice or experience? Appreciated.

Sand dune (easy), track and beach use.

skidMark

27th May 2007, 22:09

if it's from a shop called 50/50 racing by the panmure roundabout,

do not touch it with a bargepole

i used to work for them the boss is a prick to be honest, he is in debt up to his arrse...not paying his bills... i have friends which he owes anywhere from $1000 up to $8000

he will say they have plenty of spares...in reality they do not and cannot get them.

that is the only advice i can give

and no i'm not just being a disgruntled ex employee

i quit becuase i did not approve of the way he ran his business , and treated his customers.

hes just a rogue.

skidMark

27th May 2007, 22:11

i don't think that is 50/50 in the picture/ but from looking at all those bikes....

he is the one that supply's them

timorang

27th May 2007, 22:14

thx. I live near there but will avoid them. Do you know if the karts are any good. I suspected parts for servicing the motor could be an issue. The picture is the one on trademe - listed in papakura.

laRIKin

27th May 2007, 22:15

The *No warranty available* part would have me turning around and walking away.

I would pretend that I owned one and wanted parts, to see if there is any back up.
Before I parted with any money, if you do decide to buy one.

More Chinese made junk.
We get enough of it at work.

PS: Shit I must type slow by all the other answers that got in before me.

rudolph

27th May 2007, 22:23

Do they have 2 shops now?

if it's from a shop called 50/50 racing by the panmure roundabout,

do not touch it with a bargepole

i used to work for them the boss is a prick to be honest, he is in debt up to his arrse...not paying his bills... i have friends which he owes anywhere from $1000 up to $8000

he will say they have plenty of spares...in reality they do not and cannot get them.

that is the only advice i can give

and no i'm not just being a disgruntled ex employee

i quit becuase i did not approve of the way he ran his business , and treated his customers.

hes just a rogue.

Reckless

28th May 2007, 07:05

I'm not 2 sure of this but one of the kart shops sell these as well.

You might try asking the 4wd club boys if they have a site or nearby club. they will know what is shit or not.

Depending on your daughters age. If she is keen on motorsport. You might like to let her have a go herself and try Karting. I was in it for many years.

jimmy 2006

28th May 2007, 08:26

in reply to the comments about 50/50 racing.

i know this guy also. but from a different angle. I used to look after his shipping of his bikes from China.

he is a bit rough, but the delays with product therefore owing people money, or bikes, is to do with the shit delays in China. I know he should not run a business this way, (taking orders and money, ordering from supplier, then waiting and delivering to customers) but when everyone tells you the leadtime on your stock is 5 weeks, then it ends up taking 3 months to get them in, what else do you do.

But if i was a customer i would be very very weary of anything that comes out of the factories from china. DODGY !!!

cheese

28th May 2007, 09:23

To be honest I think you could make your own one that would be way better. somthing like a nice 400 road bike engine, tyres off a 4 wheeler and away you go. Or even better make a frame and use your quad bike as a power plant. unless you have a nice quad bike that you don't want to rip appart!! LOL

Or, get her a bike too. How old is she?

WRT

28th May 2007, 10:21

You could get around the parts supply issue by dropping a hayabusa engine in it . . .

timorang

28th May 2007, 11:32

You could get around the parts supply issue by dropping a hayabusa engine in it . . .

I did think that if the chassis and components were good and the motor crap itself there are plenty of repower options. Although I would want something with a bit more go than a bussa donk.

So does anyone know it the chassis build on these is any good?

skidMark

28th May 2007, 11:47

Do they have 2 shops now?

they shut down on morrin road bro move to next to the panmure roundabout

tri boy

28th May 2007, 11:56

I spent new year at a mates farm with family, friends, kids between 7 and 13.
We hooned around the farm, (as you do) in a chinese kart similar to that. The build quality was a bit cheap, and we had a few little issues. (rolled a tyre off the bead doing slides, lost the throttle return spring at the pedal, and had to keep tightening the hub nuts each day to save the axle splines.
It got the shit abused out of it and the kids loved it. Keeping the girls off the thing was damn near impossible.
Three adult men and five kids hadn't buggered it by the fourth day, so we hosed it down, sprayed it with crc, and gave it back to the farmers relatives.
I think it cost about 2k new. with roll cage/twin seats/harnesses etc.
Maybe you would kill it in 2-3yrs, but thats pretty cheap entertainment. And the kids got a chance to "drive" a little car.
Your call.:mellow:

skidMark

28th May 2007, 12:22

in all honesty my opinion is spend the extra money and go japanese....the build quility is there...and they are well established companys that have parts back up, chinese shops will say they do, but 9 times out of 10 they will not be able to get the parts.

GR81

28th May 2007, 12:44

chikety china... the chinese chicken!

deanohit

28th May 2007, 12:44

I would go for it.As you said if it craps out on you,you could always repower and put in a 400 or 650 out of a trail bike if it felt a bit gutless with the 250.

Edbear

28th May 2007, 16:32

Warkworth Suzuki sell them. Not sure where they get them from, but the boys in there would know if they were any good. Look pretty cool!

Azzman

28th May 2007, 19:22

chikety china... the chinese chicken!

Hey, someone else into BNL?

You may have a good run if you go chinese...but then again you may not...its just a bit of a gamble really. If thats what you can afford then yea go for it.

Henk

28th May 2007, 19:48

My main concern would be that if it does eat itself you could be stuck miles from anywhere with a broken axle or something else terminal.
If she's old enough get her an LT50 /80 PW50/80 and get her riding along in front of you.

Bullitt

28th May 2007, 20:52

I had a play in a mate of mines one that looked similar to that. Im not sure what size engine was in it but it was painfully slow, on gravel you could flick the back out with the steering but it didnt have the power to hold it there and itd instantly straighten up.

Managed to brake it too, the exhaust fell off completley and then a piece broke off the centrifical clutch so the motor died then the starter wouldnt engage the engine...apparently both problems happened quite often.

In all it was really easy to drive and alot of fun, if you could get one with a decent buildquality and some power itd be alot of fun

cheese

28th May 2007, 21:25

I wish you could juust get a frame and put your own power plants in them. somethign like a 400cc road bike engine would be really good, a CR500 engine would be fucking awesome (appart from the lack of electric starter and reverse gear......)

Skunk

28th May 2007, 22:14

Suzuki Fronte based kart. 500cc 2 stroke, quad bike wheels, farm reg.

This started as a stripped out car. Better idea is to start with a rusty old Subaru Domino(?) van - 4 wheel drive and 4 stroke.

timorang

28th May 2007, 22:19

Suzuki Fronte based kart. 500cc 2 stroke, quad bike wheels, farm reg.

This started as a stripped out car. Better idea is to start with a rusty old Subaru Domino(?) van - 4 wheel drive and 4 stroke.

thats neat - make me one?

barty5

29th May 2007, 00:32

skidMark

29th May 2007, 00:36

NighthawkNZ

29th May 2007, 07:57

Probably made everything else that comes out of china... cheap and nasty shit that will fall to pieces...

oh like certian warehouse bikes and many other things

timorang

29th May 2007, 12:47