Go Karts are coming back into popularity. At one time, most go karts were home made jobs with old lawn mower engines attached. Nowadays, go karts come in all shapes and sizes. You can get mini go karts designed for kids all the way up to high performance racing go karts.

Before you decide on whether or not to buy a used or new go kart, you must first decide on what you'll be using it for. Taking a cheap yard go kart off roading will likely leave you with a busted and broken go kart.

For starters, you need to figure out how you will be using the go kart. Are you buying it for the kids to ride around the yard or will you be taking it off road. Many consumer go karts will not hold up under severe off road use.

If you'll be buying a used go kart, then you'll need to pay special attention to several areas of the go kart.

Wheels should be the next stop on your inspection of a used go kart. Support the front end on blocks and check for excessive play in the wheels. You can do this by pulling in and out on the wheels and then side to side. Once done at the front, go to the back and do the same thing. Loose wheels normally indicate trashed bearings.

You'll also want to pay special attention to the wheels and wheel bearings. Try supporting the front and back of the go kart and check for excessive play in the wheels by pulling in and out on the tiries then side to side. Excessive play may mean trashed bearings.

The throttle cables, steering linkage and brake linkage should all be checked also. Rust or damage on any of these parts means replacment.

Take the go kart out for a spin. Does it handle well? Is the steering loose? Loose steering can mean bad linkage problems or mis alignment. If you'll be buying the go kart for kids, make sure the engine has a governor or limit switch. Kids driving go karts at excessive speeds isn't safe.

Picking a good used go kart is easy if you know what to look for. This advice will help you choose a dependable and safe go kart. You don't want to buy someone elses problem, that's why you need to take a few minutes and look the machine over well before buying.

These simple tips for choosing a used go kart will help ensure that you don't buy a lemon. There are many owners out there looking to unload crappy or damaged go karts to unsuspecting consumers. Follow the tips above to make sure you're not the one buying their problems!