Trailmaster Go Karts, Dirt Bikes and Mini Bikes

What Trailmaster makes

Trailmaster sells gas ride-ons. In our Amazon US data, the lineup has three types:

• Go karts: Cheetah 6, Cheetah 8, Mid XRS, Mid XRX, Mid XRX/R, Mini XRS+, Mini XRX/R+ and Blazer 200R
• Dirt and pit bikes: the TM line from the 60cc TM-06 to the 300cc TM38E, plus the MK, SK, SX, MX and LX300 models
• Mini bikes: MB200, MB200X Hurricane, Hurricane 200Pro and Storm 200

Every one is gas-powered. Our research notes found no electric Trailmaster models listed, and no Trailmaster ATVs. Nearly all the listings are sold by TrailMaster Powersports through a brand store on Amazon.

The grid above shows every Trailmaster listing we track. Some models appear twice, as separate listings. The notes below go by type.

The California note

Many Trailmaster listings in our data carry the line "NOT CA CARB-compliant". CARB is the California Air Resources Board. Its own page says off-highway recreational vehicles sold in California need CARB certification, from model year 1998 on. That's a listing fact and a state rule, nothing more. If you live in California, read that note on each listing before anything else.

Trailmaster go karts

The karts sort by listed age and seat count better than by engine.

Youth karts:

• Cheetah 6: ages 6 to 12, 163cc, 4-point safety belt, remote kill
• Mid XRS: ages 10 to 14, 4-stroke, pull start, disc brake, rear swingarm with mono shocks

Two-seat karts, 10+:

• Mid XRX/R: ages 10+, two seats, 196cc, reverse, electric start, disc brake, safety harness and full roll cage; two listings
• Mid XRX: ages 10+, two seats, 212cc, electric start, disc brake, safety harness and full roll cage
• Blazer 200R: ages 10+, reverse, electric start; one listing says mostly assembled

Karts with no listed age:

• Mini XRX/R+: 212cc, automatic with centrifugal clutch, reverse, electric and pull start, five-point seatbelt
• Mini XRS+: two seats, 212cc, automatic with centrifugal clutch, full suspension
• Cheetah 8: 208cc, CVT, electric start, 3-point retractable seat belts, 20 mph listed

A "remote kill" on the Cheetah 6 is a remote engine shutoff. It lets someone standing outside the kart stop the engine. For a 6-year-old's kart, that's a line I'd read twice.

Who suits the Cheetah 6: a rider 6 to 12 who fits the manual's height and weight limits. Who suits the Mid XRS: 10 to 14. Who should skip the two-seaters: a family planning to put a small sibling in the second seat. A second seat is for a second rider who meets the same limits and wears the same gear.

For karts from every maker, see go karts and off-road go karts.

Reverse, starters and belts

Three lines on a kart listing matter more at home than the engine size.

Reverse. The Mid XRX/R, Mini XRX/R+ and Blazer 200R list reverse. In a yard with fences and a shed, reverse means backing out of a corner instead of pushing a heavy kart by hand. The "R" in the name lines up with that feature on these listings, which is handy. A letter in a model name that actually means something is rarer than you'd think.

Starter. Most Trailmaster karts list electric start. The Mini XRX/R+ lists electric plus pull, so there's a backup. The Mid XRS lists pull start only. A pull start takes arm strength and practice; the adult will likely be the one pulling.

Restraints. The listings name them plainly: a 4-point belt on the Cheetah 6, 3-point retractable belts on the Cheetah 8, a five-point seatbelt on the Mini XRX/R+, and a harness with a full roll cage on the Mid XRX karts. A belt only works when it's worn and adjusted to the rider. The manual shows how.

Trailmaster Mid XRX vs Mini XRX

These are the two names people compare most. Here's what the listings state.

Field	Mid XRX (and Mid XRX/R)	Mini XRX/R+
Listed age	10+	not stated
Seats	2	not stated
Engine	212cc (Mid XRX), 196cc (Mid XRX/R)	212cc
Transmission	not stated	automatic, centrifugal clutch
Reverse	yes (Mid XRX/R)	yes
Start	electric	electric + pull
Brakes	disc	not stated
Restraint	safety harness, full roll cage	five-point seatbelt

The Mid XRX listings are the ones with a stated age and two seats. The Mini XRX/R+ listing states more about the drivetrain but no age or seat count. If you're choosing between them for a specific rider, the Mid's 10+ is the number you can check. For the Mini, the manual has to supply it.

Trailmaster dirt and pit bikes

The bikes are the biggest group in our data. Seat height is the number that tells them apart for a rider.

Small bikes, seat 25 inches or lower:

• TM-06: 60cc 4-stroke, CVT, electric start, disc brake, 10-inch wheels, seat 22.05 in
• TM-SX150: 140cc, manual clutch, 4 gears, 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheels, seat 23 in
• TM SK110E and SK110A: 4-stroke, automatic, front and rear disc, seat 25 in

Middle bikes, about 29 to 34 inches:

• TM MK125, MK125S and MK125E: 125cc 4-stroke, seat 29.5 in; the MK125S is semi-automatic, the MK125 manual
• TM24: 125cc, semi-automatic, 4 gears, hydraulic discs, seat 32.7 in
• TM SX125: 125cc, inverted fork, nitrogen rear shock, seat 33 in
• TM29 and TM C50: 125cc and 145cc, manual, 4 gears, seat 33.5 in

Full-size bikes, about 35 to 37 inches:

• TM MX250: 250cc, manual, 5 gears, seat 35.4 in
• TM T5-250: 250cc, manual, 5 gears, seat 35.7 in
• TM 35-250: 250cc, manual, 5 gears, seat 36.2 in
• TM33 and TM38E: 250cc and 300cc, manual, seat 37 in; the TM38E lists 6 gears and 300 mm of fork travel
• LX300 Dual Sport: 283cc, electric start, seat 37.43 in

Several bikes list no seat height in our data, including the TM15, TM23 and TM27. The TM15 is 110cc, semi-automatic, 4 gears, with 12-inch front and 10-inch rear wheels. The TM23 is 125cc, semi-automatic, with hydraulic discs.

Theo read the TM numbers and noted they mostly climb with engine size. He gave the system partial credit and a note in the margin about the TM-06.

Semi-automatic means gears but no clutch lever. Manual clutch means a lever and real shifting. For a new rider, fewer controls is the easier start.

For more pit bikes, see pit bikes.

Wheel sizes tell you the class

If seat height isn't listed, the wheels give you a rough idea of size. In our Trailmaster data:

• 10-inch wheels: the TM-06, the smallest bike
• 12-inch front, 10-inch rear: the TM15
• 14-inch front, 12-inch rear: the TM23, MK125S and MK125E
• 17-inch front, 14-inch rear: the TM24, TM29 and TM C50
• 19-inch front, 16-inch rear: the TM-SX150, TM SX125 and TM 31X-250
• 21-inch front, 18-inch rear: the 250s, the TM38E and the LX300s

Bigger wheels usually mean a taller bike. But the TM-SX150 lists 19- and 16-inch wheels with a 23-inch seat, so wheel size is a clue, not a measurement. When a listing gives both, trust the seat height.

Trailmaster mini bikes

All four are 196cc gas mini bikes:

• MB200: torque converter (CVT), rear disc brake, front and rear suspension
• MB200X Hurricane: CVT, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, suspension, 19x7-8 tires
• Hurricane 200Pro: CVT, electric start, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, suspension
• Storm 200: rear disc brake, 200 lb max rider weight

A torque converter is an automatic drive: twist and go, no shifting. The Storm 200 is the only Trailmaster mini bike in our data with a listed rider limit.

For more, see mini bikes.

Delivery and assembly

Our research notes say Trailmaster listings ship by freight or carrier delivery to our test ZIP code. Plan for a large crate and a delivery window, not a box on the porch. One Blazer 200R listing says the kart arrives mostly assembled. Most listings in our data don't say, so ask before you order how much assembly is left and what tools it takes.

Whatever the listing says, check every bolt, the brakes, the throttle return and the tire pressure before the first ride, with the manual open. A crate that rode a freight truck has earned one slow inspection.

How to pick within Trailmaster

My one opinion: fit the ride-on to the rider today, using the maker's age, height and weight limits. "They'll grow into it" is the wrong plan for anything with a motor. Trailmaster's seat heights make this easy to check. They run from 22.05 inches on the TM-06 to 37.43 on the LX300 Dual Sport. Stand the rider next to a tape measure and the list gets short fast.

Then:

1. Young rider, kart: Cheetah 6 (6 to 12) or Mid XRS (10 to 14)
2. Two riders 10+: Mid XRX or Mid XRX/R, both riders within the limits
3. First bike, small rider: TM-06, or an SK110 with an automatic
4. Teen with some riding: an MK125 or TM24
5. Experienced, full-size rider: a 250 or 300 with a manual clutch
6. Simple yard bike, rider within the manual's limits: an MB200-family mini bike

Safety, every ride

Riders need a properly fitted helmet made for motorized riding, plus gloves, boots, eye protection and long sleeves and pants. Follow the maker's age, height and weight limits, and keep an adult watching every ride. The CPSC's helmet chart lists a motocross or motorcycle helmet for dirt- and mini-bike riding and a karting or motorcycle helmet for go-karting.

Refuel outdoors with the engine off and cool, and store fuel in an approved container away from the house. Never run an engine in a garage or any closed space. The CPSC says to store gas cans in a cool, well-ventilated area, never inside the house.

Rules for riding mini bikes, pit bikes and go karts vary by state and town. Check yours, and ride only where it's allowed.

Measure the rider. Then read the seat height. Then talk engines.