Off Road Go Karts: What the Suspension Line Tells You

What makes a go kart an off road go kart

A go kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle with a seat, a steering wheel and pedals for the gas and the brake. An off road go kart adds the part that matters on rough ground: suspension. Shocks and springs let each wheel move up and down on its own, so the tires keep their grip when the ground doesn't stay flat.

That's the rule for this table. Every kart lists some kind of suspension. Then they're sorted by stated engine size, biggest first. If a listing didn't state an engine size, it sits lower in the table, not because of anything else.

At our last check, the table holds 12 listings from three makers: MotoTec, Trailmaster and X-PRO. Some models show up more than once. The X-PRO Ranger 125 has three listings with the same specs, and so does the MotoTec Sandman. A form filed in triplicate is still one form, so the table holds 8 distinct karts.

All of them list a gas engine. There's no electric kart in this table, because none we track lists both an electric motor and suspension. The electric go karts page covers the battery-powered side, and the full go karts page covers everything with four wheels and a seat.

What to look at on an off road go kart listing

Suspension: read what kind, and where

"Suspension" covers a lot on these listings. Here's how the eight karts describe theirs, in their own words.

• Full suspension: MotoTec Mud XL 212cc, MotoTec Mud Monster, Trailmaster Mini XRS+
• Coil-spring shocks on all four corners: X-PRO Ridge 200
• Front and rear hydraulic spring shocks: X-PRO Rover 150
• Four-wheel spring suspension: X-PRO Ranger 125
• Rear suspension only: MotoTec Sandman
• Rear swingarm with mono shocks: Trailmaster Mid XRS

Suspension at all four wheels handles bumps at the front and the back. Rear-only suspension softens the back end, where the rider sits and the engine pushes. Neither tells you how far the wheels can travel. None of these listings gives a travel number in our data, so the words are what you have to go on.

Seats: one rider or two

Four of the eight karts list 2 seats: the MotoTec Mud XL 212cc, the Trailmaster Mini XRS+, the X-PRO Rover 150 and the X-PRO Ranger 125. The others don't state a seat count in our data.

If I get one strong opinion on this page, it's this. A second seat is a second rider, and a second rider needs everything the first one does. That means a fitted helmet, gloves, eye protection, a fastened belt and a place inside the maker's limits. If you only have gear for one, it's a one-seat kart until you do.

The reason is in the CPSC's go-kart injury report. In one group of injuries, from riders falling out of karts, most of the injured were passengers. Most of those passengers were 2 or 3 years old. None of them wore a helmet or a seat belt. Don't let a small kid ride along because there's an empty seat. Follow the maker's passenger rules exactly.

Theo put it the way he'd put it on a whiteboard: "Two seats is a word problem. Two riders, two helmets, two belts, one adult outside the kart watching. Show your work." It reads like homework. It works like a checklist.

Engine size and listed top speed

Engines in this table run from 52 cc to 212 cc. The MotoTec Mud XL and the Trailmaster Mini XRS+ list 212 cc. The X-PRO Ridge 200 lists 174.5 cc, the Rover 150 lists 150 cc, and the Ranger 125 lists 125 cc. The MotoTec Mud Monster lists 98 cc. The MotoTec Sandman lists a 52 cc 2-stroke. The Trailmaster Mid XRS lists a 4-stroke but no engine size in our data.

Two listings give a top speed: 40 mph for the X-PRO Rover 150 and 32 mph for the MotoTec Sandman. That's a fact about the machine, not a target. A bigger engine isn't a better first kart. The right one fits the rider and the ground you have.

Brakes

The X-PRO Rover 150 and Ranger 125 list front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. The X-PRO Ridge 200 lists front and rear disc brakes. The MotoTec Sandman lists a rear disc. The Trailmaster Mid XRS lists a disc brake without saying where.

Brakes at both ends share the work of stopping. A rear-only brake puts it all on the back wheels. Either way, the first thing a new rider practices is the stop, the same way, every time, before anything else. If a listing doesn't name its brakes, ask for the manual.

Transmission and reverse

Three kinds of transmission show up here. The MotoTec Sandman and the Trailmaster Mini XRS+ list an automatic with a centrifugal clutch, which engages as the engine speeds up. There's no clutch to work. The X-PRO Ridge 200 lists a CVT, a belt-driven automatic that changes its ratio smoothly. The X-PRO Rover 150 and Ranger 125 list a semi-automatic. The owner's manual explains how the rider selects gears on those.

Reverse is listed on three models: the X-PRO Ridge 200, Rover 150 and Ranger 125. On rough ground, reverse is how you back out of a spot you shouldn't have pulled into. Without it, an adult pushes the kart out with the engine off.

My tía wanted to know whether any of these karts has a cup holder. The listings don't say. She considers that a missing spec.

Start type

The X-PRO Ridge 200, Rover 150 and Ranger 125 list an electric start. The MotoTec Sandman and the Trailmaster Mid XRS list a pull start. The rest don't say in our data.

Either way, an adult should start the engine and handle the fuel.

Tire sizes, decoded

Off road tire sizes look like a locker combination. The X-PRO Ridge 200 lists 20.5x8-10. The X-PRO Ranger 125 lists 18x7-8. The X-PRO Rover 150 lists two sizes, 19x7-8 at the front and 18x9.5-8 at the back.

Cyclepedia's service manual reads these numbers in order. The first is the tire's height when inflated, in inches. The last is the diameter of the rim it fits. The middle number is a width. So a 20.5x8-10 tire stands about 20.5 inches tall on a 10-inch rim. Taller tires roll over ruts and rocks more easily.

Two karts list sizes in a different format. The MotoTec Sandman lists 9.5 in wheels. The Trailmaster Mid XRS lists 16x6-8 at the front and 145x70-6 at the back. That rear size is written in a different format, so check the owner's manual before you order spare tires.

Rider age and weight

Only two models state an age. The X-PRO Ranger 125 lists 13+, and it's also the only kart with a stated rider weight limit: 350 lb. The Trailmaster Mid XRS lists ages 10 to 14. Never put a rider in a kart below its stated starting age. For the karts with no age in our data, get the owner's manual before you buy.

The CPSC report adds one more benchmark. It notes that the fun-kart safety guide written with industry recommends karts for riders at least 8 years old, unless the maker specifies otherwise, and only for riders who meet the maker's physical and thinking-skill requirements. The maker's number wins.

The California note

Four X-PRO listings in our data, the Ridge 200 and the three Ranger 125 listings, say the kart cannot be sold to California. CARB, the California Air Resources Board, says off-highway recreational vehicles sold in California, model year 1998 and later, must be CARB-certified. If you live there, read for this line first.

Which kind of off road go kart fits

Here's how the eight karts group by what their listings state.

• Bigger two-seaters (125–212 cc): MotoTec Mud XL 212cc, Trailmaster Mini XRS+, X-PRO Rover 150, X-PRO Ranger 125. The Ranger 125 is the only one with both an age (13+) and a weight limit (350 lb) on the listing.
• Bigger, seat count not stated: X-PRO Ridge 200, with a CVT, reverse, an electric start and disc brakes at both ends.
• Mid-size: MotoTec Mud Monster, 98 cc with full suspension. Its listing gives little else in our data, so research it in full.
• Smaller 2-stroke: MotoTec Sandman, 52 cc, rear suspension, rear disc, automatic, pull start.
• Youth-labeled: Trailmaster Mid XRS, listed for ages 10 to 14, with rear mono shocks and a 4-stroke.

The Mid XRS is the only kart here with a stated age range that starts below 13. If your rider is 10 to 14, it's the one our data can match by age. For any other kart, get the age from the maker first.

An off road kart doesn't fit in Bay Three with the door down. I checked with my arms out. Marisol has opinions about that method.

Get the ground ready before the kart arrives

Off road doesn't mean any ground. The CPSC report found that bumps, ruts, trees or fences played a part in about 62 percent of the tipping and turning-over injuries it studied. Rough surfaces such as grass, dirt, gravel and stones played a part in about 79 percent of them. Almost all of those injuries happened on private property: driveways, yards, fields and private tracks.

So walk the ground first.

1. Pick open, level ground away from roads, parked cars, other kids and pets.
2. Clear rocks, stumps, branches and anything a wheel could catch.
3. Mark trees, fences, ditches and slopes, and keep the riding area away from them.
4. Start on the flattest part. Add rougher ground only after the rider stops cleanly every time.

Off road go kart safety: gear, belts and supervision

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 karting or motorcycle helmet for go-karting. A bicycle helmet isn't made for it, and novelty or toy helmets offer little or no protection, per the CPSC. Replace a helmet after a hard impact, even when it looks fine.

Fasten the seat belt every ride, for every rider. Tie back long hair and skip loose clothing, scarves and drawstrings. The CPSC lists long hair and loose clothing caught in exposed moving parts among go-kart hazards.

Rules for riding mini bikes, pit bikes and go karts vary by state and town. Check yours, and ride only where it's allowed. Stay off public roads. The AAP's HealthyChildren.org says the same for ATVs.

Fuel and exhaust

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 keep gas cans in a cool, well-ventilated place, never inside the house or basement, and out of kids' reach. Buy a child-resistant can and put the cap back on after every use. It also warns that opening doors and windows or running fans isn't enough to make a gasoline engine safe indoors.

Who should skip an off road go kart

Skip one if you don't have open, legal ground to ride on. A kart with suspension still needs space and a cleared area. Skip a two-seater if you can only gear up one rider. Skip any kart whose listing has no age, weight or brake information until you have the owner's manual in hand. And if nobody in the house wants to handle fuel, start the engine and stand at the edge of the field every ride, wait.

If your ground is smooth and flat, a regular kart on the go karts page may suit you better. For a lower-key start with no fuel, see electric go karts. The cheap go karts list covers karts in our lower price tiers.

Suspension first, seats second, ground third.