Go Karting is a hobby that many of us try when we are young, as it is extremely fun and exhilarating for those under the legal driving age of regular cars. Kart racing is generally the stepping stone for racing other types of cars when a certain level of experience and age has been acquired. The next step after the go kart is things like the V8's, rally cars and just general race built cars, then the peak is to move into formula 1.

Go karts were originally designed in 1956 in California by a veteran hot rodder Kurtis Kraft, and their popularity quickly spread to other countries around the world and currently has a very large following in Europe.

The engine in go karts is what separates them from their younger cousin, the soapbox car which is what the younger kids generally have a lot of fun with. There are many different sizes and types of engines which can push the go kart to quite incredible speeds for its small size. A 100cc formula A kart with a 2 stroke engine and overall weight of 150kg's including the driver can reach a dizzying speed of 85mph (140km/h) and can accelerate from 0-60mph in under 4.5 seconds. A 125cc kart can do 0-60 in just a fraction over 3 seconds and reaches top speeds of 115mph (185km/h)!

Components

Chassis

The chassis in a go kart is made of steel tubing and has to be quite flexible because there is no suspension in karts because of the lack of space and weight reduction needs.

Engine

2 Strokes - These engines were originally extracted from motorcycles, but because of the increasing popularity of go karts, specialized manufacturers of kart only engines have emerged, creating even more specific engines to power the karts.

4 Strokes - These engines are usually the same as those used in lawn mowers, with air cooling. They generally provide between 5 and 20 horse power, however there are some specialized 4 stroke engines for karting that create between 15 and 40 horse power and around 11,000rmp.

Tires

The tires on go karts are commonly made of the same materials as the tires on normal race cars, and go karts use different tires for different track conditions, however they are a lot smaller because of the low profile of the kart, and are still quite wide to enhance grip and control on the track at high speeds.

So as you can see, go karts are a very enjoyable hobby, but can also be taken as far as the enthusiast wishes, with racing and modifications. It seems very simple to the unaware spectator, but is actually quite complex when research is taken to a deeper level.