Chinese-made off-road karts

**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/List...x?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?

Originally Posted by skidMark

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

Originally Posted by WRT

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

Originally Posted by rudolph

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.

**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.