CKRC Forums

Hi,

I am interested in getting my 5-yr-old son into karting this year, are there any rules or mandatory specifications for Kids Karts? I looked around the webpage but didn't see anything. Kid karts in Canada/Alberta seem to be few and far between.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi Mike,

We were actually the pilot project for kid karts in Canada last season, so the odds on there being any used ones available are pretty slim. They have been used in the US for a while, so there may be some available on-line. I am unsure of the exact size of the karts, but they make a cadet look large. They run a Honda GX35 engine, which is a weed trimmer engine.

Phil

Hi,

Welcome to the world of kid kart.

I got my son started last year and I think to date 8 families have bought karts.

Call Joey at overdrive, he can get you everything you need. When we bought our kart, I shopped it pretty hard and buying new from Joey was the best deal. You can find used kid karts on eBay but shipping more than the difference on a new kart.

I don't know what our collapsing Canadian dollar has done to kart pricing since last summer.

Another option is to bring your son out for a try a kart session to try the karts and see if this is something they want to do.

Best regards.

Thanks for the info guys, very helpful. It's great to see a facility like this here in Strathmore, I really want to support it and try to get as many locals out to the track as we can. Most local residents still don't even know this track is in town. It's great to hear 8 families are involved with the kid kart program.

The US exchange is definitely driving the prices up on the karts (just like everything else), a friend of mine got quotes on kid karts from Overdrive. I probably had unrealistic expectations for what I thought a chinese motored kid kart should cost. I did have a couple of questions on kid karts in general:

- Is 35cc (Honda GX35 or chinese clone) the max limit for kid karts? I have seen other 1 hp karts but some are 50cc.
- It looks like a cadet kart would be too big for a 5-yr-old, but if one fit my kid and it was possible to put a GX35 in it (I have no idea if it can fit) would that work? There are alot more used cadet karts out there.
- There are cheaper chinese karts out there, anyone have experience with them? I believe the kid karts the club has have chinese engines, but I don't know about the rest of the kart, or even who the manufacturer is. Definitely don't want to buy anything that isn't safe or is junk.

Try-a-kart is probably where we will start (if I don't find a kart that will work right away) with my son, that's how I got introduced to karting last year and I ended up buying a kart for myself from Phil last fall! Phil and Steve run a great program.

The karts the club has are the same as the ones Joey sells. They are Italian karts with Honda engines. The karts are Righetti Ridolfi baby karts and are real deal karts.

A Cadet kart is too big for a 5 year old.

Our kart will be on display at World of Wheels if you want to have a look at it first hand.

Due to the newness of Kid Karts in Canada, there is definitely an issue with supply of used karts for the time being. I only know of one local Kid Kart that was sold second hand last year. The Kid Karts and the Cadet karts do hold their value well because the chassis technology has remained the same in them for a very long time and the engine specs have also been very stable. There are Cadet karts that have changed hands many times for very close to what they were bought for each time.

John K

Hi Mike,

Great questions as to the specs of the kid karts. The general outline of the ckrc kid karts are to use 35cc 4 cycle honda engines. Likele the 50cc engines you are referring to are Comer 2 cycle engines which are noisier and create more smoke. With that being said, copies of the gx35 are also permitted.

Tires and chassis are open as the class is not a traditional racing class. It does not compete during club races. Kid kart nights were held on monday afternoons in 2015. Fred Causer coordinated the program and operated most days, while I filled in from time to time. Drivers were put through basic drills to develop their skill and also had some open lapping sessions for repitition. There is also usually track time during lunch hour on race day for lapping of kid karts.

Drivers of that age benefitted from the basics: how to get dressed, how to treat the kart, entering and exiting the track, flags etc.

Please keep posting here and also feel welcome to come visit me at Overdrive for more information.

Regards,

Joey

Thanks to all for the responses, they are a huge help to me (being completely green). I was surprised how hard it was to source any info on kid karts off the web. I know what to look for now, and I'll try to get down to the world of wheels or to overdrive (you definitely come highly recommended Joey) this weekend to take a look.

Phil and Steve showed me the kid Kart in Strathmore at the Canada Day booth last year, but I obviously wasn't paying enough attention!

Thanks,

Mike

MIke
We only allow the 4 stroke kid karts in the program. As stated they are 1hp Honda engines that propel them to around 50kph (they can out run my golf cart I use for lead follow sessions). Also as stated we were the pilot club and there are very few of them in Canada. The diving $ has upped the price a bit and they are now quoted as $2,900 landed and assembled by Overdrive motorsports. Of course you can look around and source your own but again as stated shipping negates any decent savings. A cadet kart is way too big for a 5 year old and even fitting some 5 year Olds to kid karts can be a challenge with us having to use foam behind them even when the seat is adjusted fully forward. I am looking forward to welcoming you into this exclusive club and a great set of willing parents. If you have any other questions please call me or Joey and we can help you out.

A big thank you to all of you for your input on the kid kart. A friend of mine and I started searching for a used one and we got lucky and found one. I just picked it up yesterday, its hardly been used and has the Gx35 engine. Kids are really excited!

Can't wait for the track to open!

Thanks again for the input,

Mike