Howdy!

[jmcdaniel0]

Hello,


I recently purchased a go kart for my kids, they are finally getting old enough to ride. Honestly, I am in over my head lol. Im not a mechanic at all, but I can watch a youtube video and figure it out. I am pretty sure I messed up on my first go kart purchase, I bought one from a website, and come to find out, it is a un branded chinese 125cc engine. Which is making my life miserable lol.

 

[Texan]

Welcome! How is that engine making your life miserable?

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Well at first it was very slow and sluggish. I adjusted the throttle cable and it seems to have resolved that. Now I’m having this issue. When my daughter first starts it up and rides it, it finds great. It’s quick and pulls hills great. However, after it warms up, it’s like it loses power and it gets to where it won’t climb the hill in our driveway, which isn’t really steep. This afternoon she was riding it and it started acting up again, it wouldn’t pull the hill, so she put it in reverse and went to back up off the driveway so I could get my truck to her, and the thing took off it reverse just fine. So I told her to try and go up the driveway in reverse. It pulled it just fine.


I’m at a loss honestly.

I took pictures of the engine and data plate. Maybe y’all can tell me if it is a clone of a name brand, so I can find parts if I need to.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

If it's fine in reverse, the problem must lie in the transmission somewhere.
Be warned: these cheap Chinese buggies wear out/die/break down absurdly fast. The quality of the parts is absolutely terrible. It's not unfeasible to believe that the transmission has already worn out.

Is it one of the manual 3 speed ones or an automatic?

 

[jmcdaniel0]

If it's fine in reverse, the problem must lie in the transmission somewhere.
Be warned: these cheap Chinese buggies wear out/die/break down absurdly fast. The quality of the parts is absolutely terrible. It's not unfeasible to believe that the transmission has already worn out.

Is it one of the manual 3 speed ones or an automatic?

It has a lever to pull to the rear for reverse, the middle is neutral and forward is drive.

She literally has had it since Christmas Day.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Honestly my advice is to get that one fixed, sell it before she even rides it again, and buy a true go kart. Unfortunately that oftentimes means used, but since that buggy hasn't seen a ton of use, you might be able to sell it for a decent price.

www.azusaparts.com sells a go kart kit, and although it has to be assembled and doesn't come with an engine, the grand total comes out to around $800.

That's just my 2 cents, you may want to do something else.

As far as what to do about the problem, I don't really know. I avoid Chinese buggies like the plague.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Honestly my advice is to get that one fixed, sell it before she even rides it again, and buy a true go kart. Unfortunately that oftentimes means used, but since that buggy hasn't seen a ton of use, you might be able to sell it for a decent price.

www.azusaparts.com sells a go kart kit, and although it has to be assembled and doesn't come with an engine, the grand total comes out to around $800.

That's just my 2 cents, you may want to do something else.

As far as what to do about the problem, I don't really know. I avoid Chinese buggies like the plague.

Yea I was afraid of that. Unfortunately, it seems made a mistake. I’m going to call the company and have them ship me a new transmission. I’ll see if I can swap that out.

 

[SummersN]

Hey, I'm new as well! I can't start a new topic for some reason so I thought I'd great you and introduce myself too! Super excited to learn how to DIY a kart!!!

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Hello! Glad to meet you. I hope you have more than I have!


Also, I have been researching this chinese junk heap I bought. I have found out it is a Kandi 125cc. Now Im researching how to fix this thing. If nothing else, I am going to get angry at it and swap the engine out for a Briggs, or if nothing else the Harbor Freight Predator. I just dont know how Ill swap it.