New to Go-Karts looking for advice

[Tupauc]

I am in the process of purchasing a used Hammerhead 150 for my 8 year old daughter. I want to go with something a little bigger from the start, so she can grow into it. I went & test drove 1 today from a guy I found that is selling a 2004 Hammerhead Twister 150cc. My 1st question is: is this a good brand & model? I have done research & found a variety of reviews on them, so I am not 100% sure if its a good brand/model.
2nd question: when I took it for a test ride, the steering wheel was a little hard to physically turn, is this normal? I know its rack & pinion steering & have not ever had/used it, so I am not sure if its "normal" for the steering wheel to be a little hard to turn? What I mean is, when I went to turn the buggy, it almost felt like when your car gets low on power steering fluid & the steering wheel itself becomes a little harder to turn. I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone would have, as I am supposed to be getting back to this guy in the next day or so, with my answer to buying it & I dont want her 1st go kart to be a dud & turn her off to it. Thanks in advance

 

[Hellion]

Steering wheel effort can be simply regulated by tire pressure.

The tires could have been low on air, making the effort required to turn the wheel excessive. Were you trying to turn the wheel with the kart stopped? That's difficult even in an automobile with power steering.

EDIT:
If the kart/buggy is in sort of poor condition and/or has been stored outside, the steering components could be rusty, crusty and no longer smooth.

..to the forum!

 

[Tupauc]

Thanks! The front tire has a slow leak he said, so I assume that could be the cause then. I was turning the wheel while I was moving but, I was not going fast by any means. I plan on getting 4 new tires for it, as the tires looked a little warn & I want her to be as safe as possible. Today was the 1st time I had been in a go kart in about 20 yrs, so I am completely new to this & I really appreciate you responding! Thanks again!

 

[Hellion]

Stay tuned for more in-depth replies to your other inquiries. There's bound to be members more knowledgeable than I on your particular kart there, the Hammerhead.

We like photos here so if you have any, please post them. They speak 1,000 words as you know.

There's all kinds of tires available too, some that have a round profile and others that are more squared, like a passenger car tire. The former would be easier to steer as its 'contact patch' would be smaller--less friction with the ground...

 

[Tupauc]

Thanks, I appreciate it! I am going to go & buy it Saturday, so I will defntly post pics. Thanks again!


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[Bbqjoe]

Once you get over 45-50 mph, the steering should be much easier.

 

[Tupauc]

Once you get over 45-50 mph, the steering should be much easier.

Do you think a stock 150 will be able to get going that fast? As she grows, I plan on modifying the engine (if not doing a complete engine swap to something bigger) but for now, the previous owner did not do any mods/upgrades.


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[Hellion]

Here's what a Gewgle image search turns up...

(no idea if that is an adult or child in the photo)

May your purchase be fruitful and not sold out from under you...

 

[Bbqjoe]

Do you think a stock 150 will be able to get going that fast? As she grows, I plan on modifying the engine (if not doing a complete engine swap to something bigger) but for now, the previous owner did not do any mods/upgrades.


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No.

But in a perfect world, we'd all get 1 mile per hour per CC.

 

[Tupauc]

Here's what a Gewgle image search turns up...

(no idea if that is an adult or child in the photo)

May your purchase be fruitful and not sold out from under you...

Thats the model I am planning on buying. I assume its at least a teenager, I am 6'1 & was still able to get in & drive it pretty comfortably. I was really impressed with how much these things have advanced from when I was younger.


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[Bbqjoe]

That's hardly a go cart.
More like a sand buggy.

 

[Hellion]

Well, to be fair it's not a simple, glorious go kart of yore.

It's a buggy. Bucket seats, seat belts, head lights, tail lights, turn-key starting and rack and pinion steering is my guess. F-N-R gearbox?

EDIT: and rear view mirror! Yuck. Who cares what's behind of ya?

 

[Tupauc]

No.

But in a perfect world, we'd all get 1 mile per hour per CC.

As long as it goes at least 25mph, which based on my short ride on it today, I dont see a problem with it hitting & exceeding that, she will be more than happy with it & I will be happy driving it whenever I can get it away from her. Thanks for all your help & advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond, its extremely helpful to hear from people that know about these machines.


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---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------

Well, to be fair it's not a simple, glorious go kart of yore.

It's a buggy. Bucket seats, seat belt, head lights, tail lights, turn-key starting and rack and pinion steering is my guess. F-N-R gearbox?

EDIT: and rear view mirror! Yuck. Who cares what's behind of ya?

Yes, it is rack & pinion, has f-n-r & everything you mentioned, which unfortunately includes that rearview mirror, which will be ripped off as soon as I had over the cash.


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---------- Post added at 07:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------

That's hardly a go cart.
More like a sand buggy.

Thats what I thought too. When I started to do some research, before even getting to the point of possibly buying, all the manufacturer's call them "go-kart's" but, I thought they looked more like a sand buggy or even a hybrid of the old midget/track cars but without the "shell".


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[chancer]

Nice Buggy. Welcome.
Yeah its a Buggy!
I hate that Manufacturers have Taken over the name Go Kart and stuck it on those!

Anything with a roll Cage, Suspension, Reverse, and Rack and Pinion is NOT a Kart!

But I welcome you and all Mini Buggies here anyway.

 

[OzFab]

with hellion re: steering; either low tyre pressure or dry joints, nothing a little lubrication shouldn't fix...

As for the buggy itself, two words: Chinese manufacturing; they're getting better but, as you probably know, their QC standards aren't great...

Having said that, I haven't heard many bad stories regarding the hammerhead; with the proper care & regular maintenance, I can't see why it wouldn't last quite a few years...