The world of go-karting has changed considerably over the years, as many companies have struggled to stay in business, while those that have stayed have flourished. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find replacement parts for many of the defunct brands, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many other options. This industry as a whole is struggling a bit, although you can still find countless highways across the country. Learning as much as possible about the various kart brands is essential for anyone looking to make a go-kart purchase in the future.
American Sportworks is a major brand in this industry that still exists today. This company not only makes go karts, but also imports them from China for sale in the United States. This means that they have a variety of different styles for you to choose from and should remain in business for the foreseeable future due to this connection to the Chinese market. Brister’s was a major kart brand in the past as it was founded by the Brister family in 1959. It was eventually bought by Manco, which was later bought by American Sportworks, adding more sparkle to the Sportworks brand.
Carter Brothers was a major kart brand for a long time, although some people have complained that their parts are hard to find. This is because most parts are custom, so you must go through a Carter dealer to find them. Unfortunately, the Carter Brothers plant burned down in July 2010, so it remains to be seen if this company will survive or simply retire after this setback.
Formerly called Twister, Hammerhead Offroad is one of the leaders in this industry at the present time, mainly because its parts are so easy to find, making them extremely popular with highway operators. The fact that you can repair your karting in a matter of hours when you choose Hammerhead is important because it means you won’t have to search like you would other brands. Most customers agree that you will get your money’s worth when you stop by Hammerhead as they produce a high quality kart and will give you access to high quality replacement parts. Note that some parts may take a while to ship, especially when customs is involved, but overall Hammerhead is one of the top brands out there. This is a Chinese company, so items need to be shipped from abroad.
Kinroad is another Chinese company that offers great go-kart products as the parts are of high quality and they have pretty good customer service. The only problem with this company, however, is that it takes some time to order parts, so if you can’t find the parts somewhere in the United States, you may have to wait a few weeks. Kinroad and Hammerhead Offroad compete directly with each other for the American market, so take a look at these two manufacturers and see how they can serve you.
One of the most controversial go-kart companies, no longer in business, was Murray. Once upon a time, Murray was a popular go-kart company that produced go-karts and parts. When the company went bankrupt in 2004, things began to change dramatically. Eventually, Murray was bought out of bankruptcy protection by a company called Briggs and Stratton Corporation. Almost immediately, Briggs and Stratton Corporation decided that they did not want to get involved with the go-kart industry and stopped selling and manufacturing this equipment. In addition, they stopped providing warranty coverage, parts, and customer support for the product Murray had sold and is even believed to have destroyed all excess parts. As a result, most buyers steer clear of Murray karts as they are very difficult to repair.
Other companies have closed their operations over the years, as the market is not as strong as it used to be. Many of these problems are associated with KINT, which bought into several different manufacturers over the years, but had its own problems. KINT purchased Thunder Karts, USA Karts, and Straight Line in an attempt to expand their business. They then changed their name to Nitrous Go-Karts and stopped producing karts for all the companies they bought. Over time, however, this company also closed, taking all the acquisitions with it and creating a significant hole in the US market. Other examples of kart companies that have recently closed include Kartco, which was a very good manufacturer, Ken-bar, which closed in July 2010, and Yerf-Dog.
As you can see, some gaps have been created in this market due to the recent economic downturn, as many of the Go Karts now being sold in America come from China. That said, newer companies like Nor-Am Go Karts, Electra Motorsports, Formula K Raceways, and Johnson Kart are trying to keep the US market relevant right now. While these companies are certainly not as big as the ones coming from China, they do produce high-quality go-karts and will ship replacement parts to you fairly quickly. Keep in mind that it is always best to go with a company with a long history, as their parts are more readily available and less likely to suddenly disappear and leave you without proper technical support.