When I first thought about buying my child a 50cc go-kart, I had a few worries, mostly related to speed and safety. Below, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about the speed and safety of 50cc go-karts so you can make the right choice when purchasing a kart for your child as well.
Most 50cc go-karts from the major manufacturers will reach a top speed of around 30 mph (48 kph), although some may reach speeds of 50 mph (80 kph). The exact speeds reached will be determined by a range of factors, such as the weight of the driver and the type of tires on the kart.
Below, I’ll share everything you need to know about 50cc go-karts. I will also go over a list of popular 50cc karts and their max speeds, and I’ll share which one I would buy.
5 Examples Of 50cc Go-Kart Top Speeds
| Chassis | Engine | Top Speed |
| Coyote Kryptonite Cadet Kart | 49cc LO206 | 34 mph / 55 kph |
| Top Kart Kid Kart | 49cc Comer C51 | 32 mph / 51 kph |
| Tony Kart Micro Kid Kart | 49cc Comer C51 | 32 mph / 51 kph |
| Margay Racing Wildcat Kid Kart | 49cc Honda GXH50 | 30 mph / 48 kph |
| Praga Baby Kid Kart | 49cc Honda GX35 | 30 mph / 48 kph |
How To Choose A 50cc Go-Kart For Kids
When it comes to choosing the right 50cc go-kart for kids, it’s difficult to go wrong. The biggest difference between the karts is the chassis, and most kids that drive 50cc karts will find it difficult to pick out the differences between the chassis. Even most adult drivers will struggle to find the differences between chassis, so don‘t expect younger kids to be able to!
In most cases, it comes down to affordability and availability. The kart that you choose should be convenient for you both in terms of costs and keeping it maintained. Most people go out looking for the ‘best’ kart, when in reality it doesn’t really matter or make a huge difference for drivers at such a young age.
Better Kart Doesn’t Mean Better Driver
Not only can they not tell the difference, but they also won’t yet know how to take advantage of the kart’s strengths. Each chassis will be unique, but young drivers won’t understand what they need to do to play to that chassis’ strengths and truly make a difference out on track. Drivers in the 50cc category are still learning the basics, and buying the best chassis won’t necessarily make them a better driver.
The kart you buy needs to be decent, but it doesn’t need to be a top-of-the-range chassis. You do need to keep a few things in mind though, so let’s take a closer look at them below.
The Cost
The most important factor that you need to keep in mind is the cost of the kart. Overall, you want to invest in a cheaper kart for kids. Remember, they’re still learning the ropes and getting into the sport. There’s always the risk of them giving up on karting while they’re still young, so it’s best to invest in cheaper chassis when it comes to 50cc go-karts.
Investing in the most expensive karts won’t make kids learn any faster or become any better at driving. That’s one of the biggest mistakes parents can make when they get their kids into karting. Sticking to your budget is critical in karting, especially in the early years when you need to make sure that your money can stretch enough to cover the full season.
From regular maintenance to crash repairs, you need to make sure you have some budget left for the future. If you spend all of your cash on an expensive chassis, you might not have funds available when it really matters later on in the season. If you’re stuck and unable to pay for repairs and maintenance, spending all that money early on is pointless.
On top of that, keep in mind that you will need to upgrade the kart when the driver reaches an age where they are ready to jump to the next class. Having those extra funds available can make a huge difference in choosing a more expensive and better chassis when it truly matters.
Maintenance
Another critical factor that you need to keep in mind is the maintenance requirements of the kart. With kids still learning the ropes, there’s a good chance that they will be involved in scraps on track and even some heavy crashes. This could cause some serious damage to the kart, and if a certain chassis is going to be too difficult or expensive to repair, then it’s best to avoid that one.
You also need to make sure that you have access to spare parts. Whether you need to order them online or if you have access to them in a local shop, you need to know how you can get them fitted to your kart and how long it will take.
If you need to find spare parts online, make sure to find a reliable retailer and figure out how much you’re going to spend and how long it will take to ship to you. The last thing you want is to keep your kids waiting before they can get out on track because of spare parts that need to be shipped from overseas.
Availability
Finally, you’re going to have to go with the karts that are readily available in your area. If you’re buying a kart, you want to get one that you can buy and take straight to the track rather than waiting for it to be shipped from another area. On top of that, shipping could come with additional costs that will affect the affordability of the kart.
Ideally, you want to get a second-hand kart if you’re buying a 50cc kart for kids. This means that you can get a decent kart for a much cheaper price. If you’re going to buy second-hand, you need to make sure to check the kart out before you buy it. Look out for any damage or wear and tear before you hand over any money!
Now that you know how to choose a 50cc go-kart, let’s talk more about picking the right one.
What 50cc Go-Kart Should You Buy Your Kid?
My personal choice for purchasing a 50cc go-kart would be the Tony Kart Micro Kart for several reasons, chief among them being the reliable and widely-available Comer C51 engine that powers it. When compared to some other 50cc engines, Comers are far more common. Fixing them and otherwise tuning them to the specifics of your child is also a much easier process.
Between that and the long history of kart development at Tony Kart, this choice is certainly an easy one! Of course, it does still depend on what chassis are available in your area, and you can easily switch out the Comer C51 for others depending on which manufacturers are most prominent near you as well.
But from my personal experience working with C51s, I’d feel the most comfortable maintaining that type of engine, especially since 2-stroke varieties are less complex to deal with.
Final Thoughts
The top speed for the majority of 50cc go-karts is approximately 30 mph (48 kph). These karts are designed for kids, and as such they don’t go quite as fast as the likes of 100cc go-karts. They therefore serve as a great introduction to the fun sport of karting!
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