Good buy ?

[gegcorp2012]

I found this on one of the local market listings. I think it has some good bones... a decent kart with a nice looking cage, electric start, good tires over 10HP with a series 40 (?) TC.

No suspension but I am looking at this to get the motor for swapping around and to have a 2 kart household without too much building.

Can you tell much about it ?
I'm thinking to offer $350 as is.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

 

[karl]

That is definitely not an 11hp engine, it's a 5hp briggs , and no 40 series either

You can still a 5 on the recoil starter

Its down to what the frame/chassis is worth to you.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

I'd see if you could get it for half the price. I paid $200 for mine, and it wasn't covered by 10yrs of leaves, and needed a carb clean (it had an OHH60). But that's a Ken-Bar streaker DD9 I believe. It's the same model and color as mine.

Pros:
It's a beefy frame that can handle some abuse.
It won't get stuck with those tires, I've tried, in sugar sand.
It has a differential.
And it's also perfect for us bigger (6 foot+) riders.

Cons:
It's heavy, and really needs 7" driven to wake up.
There is absolutely no literature on these things (people are still debating what engine came on them).
That seat isn't original.
The rims are 8" if they're original, so tires aren't that cheap (especially at 60-80 bucks a piece for the back).
The sprocket has a weird pattern, so sprocket swaps require some machining.

I got mine while looking at a gy6 kart that didn't have an engine or engine frame. All things considered they're a nice kart for some off roading, and the diff really helps with turning. Also they're long and really comfortable for a person who's 6'3" like me.

I'd ask him what he want's or it. I got a reply of $300 on 3 karts the ad was wanting $500 for, so that helps. Then talk him down from there. Though I wouldn't pay more than $250 maybe $300 since it's almost Christmas. (Plan on at least an engine and TAV rebuild, or replacement).

And you're going to want some new front tires if your going on sand, those turf tires suck, and the sides like to grab on the sides of ruts. a set of 15 ish inch knobbies or v treads work good (I'm using the v treads). You really want a tire with a round profile.

I'm seriously thinking of starting a fan club for these things.

 

[gegcorp2012]

Its gone... I was liking the idea of having a chase cart so my son and I can do some laps together on the yard track.

Thanks for the write ups. I appreciate it.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

 

[BigWes]

dang, it was a Ken-Bar...I would hate to guess the model number...but that's why it didn't last...someone else knew what it was as well...lots of potential with the heavier models like that. The reason I say I would hate to say I would hate to guess the model number is that just when I think I have them figured out I am wrong...if there is a surviving sticker under the seat it is the best way to ID the kart. Those things have a somewhat silent fanbase. I am one myself.

Sorry, but that engine had an electric start...and if in running order I would have gave the guy 400 for it. I might have given 375 if not in running order if the engine was free to turn over...regardless of the horsepower rating...that kart was in excellent shape...I may have even given asking price if it ran good...just saying...

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Dang! That's too bad you missed it!
He may have been saying 11 HP due to the header. But we all know a header cannot increase HP by 220%!
Probably a mistake/exaggeration/hyperbole.

The E start on a 5 HP is different though, I would've jumped on it, if only for the engine.
From the carburetor controls and recoil starter, I'd guess that Briggs was built in the mid to late 1990s.
That's too bad!

 

[gegcorp2012]

The owner said it was 11hp for sure, a runner, and If you rode it you could tell. Looks like the owner put on a recoil starter from a 5hp motor.

I am not sure what visual cues distinguish a 5HP from an 11HP Briggs, but I try to learn how to spot them, so here is a 11hp head from another listing....

I woulda checked the motor model number tag as well, but it happened too quick to even ask for a photo of the tag.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

No, it is absolutely NOT an 11 HP. The physical size of the block shows that. Besides, 11 HPs are uncommon, and I believe most of them were either vertical shafts of fixed speed. That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The size of the block in relation to the gas tank is a dead giveaway.
5 HP can feel like a lot in a kart, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[BigWes]

At this time it's a moot point...but I agree with JT... it's definitely a standard 5hp B&S Crankcase. As far as if anything has been done inside who knows...but it's not an 11hp block. It just has electric start. It just might happen to run very hard and the guy is optimistic about what he thinks he had.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Yep, doesn't matter what it is/was, but it's fun to debate!

The engine on the left of this pic is an 11 HP Briggs(got the picture off Craigslist).
Seeing it reminds me as well: 11 HPs probably didn't have pull start, and they mostly had Flo-Jets I believe. Plus they're frickin' HUGE!

 

[J.S.@SMS]

I always hate it when an ad disappears just before you go to call about it. I had that happen to be a month or two ago. This guy was selling 3 racing kart frames (1 was raced, 1 was not, and 1 was never even assembled), 3 built briggs flatties (1 was methanol tuned, but the entire crankcase was coated in rust, no wonder it was seized, but the other 2 ran), along with three 50 gallon storage bins. One bin was full of nothing but briggd 5hp parts, there were probably two or three engines worth of parts. One bin was full of clutches, clutch sprockets, split sprockets, sprocket guards, etc, along with some other parts. And the last bin had the parts for the frame that wasn't assembled.

Either the guy A, didn't know what he had, B, was a complete idiot, or C, was trying to get rid of the stuff asap, because he was asking $700 for everything. And of course, it was late, and I was going to call in the morning. Well my alarm clock didn't go off, and I didn't wake up till 11, and when I checked the listing was gone. It was only on CL for 3 days.

PS: The asking price for yard frames around here is usually 200-300, and for a running kart people are usually asking $750 for yard karts, and $2000-$3000 for race karts.

And that was definitely a briggs 5hp.

 

[itsid]

I think the pullstart cover was taken from a 9hp engine not the 5hp
since IIRC the 9hp and the 11hp are pretty much the same size.

just to throw in my 2ct to that (now unfortunately rather pointless) discussion.

That was indeed a nice kart though, too bad you came a tad too late

'sid

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Late last year when I was starting to get serious about getting a go kart, I found a bunch of listings on Craigslist that would work, but when I contacted them, they were all sold!!
Take down the friggin' POST then, people!!
I made sense, though, because it was the holiday season, and other people probably wanted karts for their kids or themselves.

But hey, in the end, the kart I now have wasn't sold, and the guy took a lowball offer!!!
And so I ended up with a rare frame and totally decked out, intact engine!!!

Evidently the guy had gotten several offers for just the engine, but he wanted to keep it all together, and then I came along!!
Everything worked out juuuuust right for me!