Quick answer: How to drive a go-kart comes down to four habits. Sit back in the seat with your arms slightly bent, hold the wheel at quarter to three, brake in a straight line before each bend, and look through the bend towards its exit. Gentle inputs keep the tyres gripping.
How should you sit in a go-kart?
Everything starts with the seat. Sit right back until your lower back meets it, then check two things. With a pedal pressed all the way down, your knee should still bend slightly. Reach for the wheel and your elbows should bend slightly too. Stretching for either means the seat or pedals need moving before you drive, and on an adjustable kart you set them for whoever is driving now.
These basics hold for most karts with a steering wheel, electric or pedal, at home or at a karting circuit. Drift karts steer with a handlebar and are set up to slide, so pedal and battery drift karts have their own guide. Still picking one? See choosing a go-kart for a grown-up or teenager. On a home build, seat and pedal positions belong in the plan from the start. Wear a helmet that passes the helmet fit checks, plus gloves and closed shoes, every time.
Where do your hands go on the steering wheel?
Picture the wheel as a clock face and hold it at quarter to three: left hand at nine o'clock, right hand at three. Keep both hands on the rim, with your thumbs resting along the top rather than hooked round the spokes. A wheel that kicks over a bump can catch a hooked thumb. Grip firmly enough to steer, but not so hard that your arms lock.
Kart steering is direct. There is usually no power assistance and very little give, so small movements of the wheel do a lot. Turn smoothly, and only as far as the bend needs.
How do you work the pedals without jerking the kart?
On a kart with two pedals, the right foot works the accelerator and the left foot the brake. Never press both at once. Squeeze the accelerator on gradually rather than stamping on it, and come off it just as gently. Sudden inputs make the kart lurch or the rear tyres slide, and either one costs you control.
On a pedal kart your legs do the work, and the same idea applies: build pace steadily, and stop pedalling before you brake.
Why should you brake in a straight line?
A kart's tyres have only so much grip to share between slowing and turning. Spend most of it on braking while the wheel is straight, before the bend, and the kart slows under control. Brake hard while already turning and the tyres can run out of grip, so the kart slides or spins.
- Brake before the bend, with the front wheels pointing straight.
- Ease off the brake as you begin to turn in.
- Turn the wheel smoothly towards the inside of the bend.
- Feed in the accelerator gently as the wheel starts to straighten.
How do you look through a bend?
Your hands follow your eyes. As a bend comes up, look to where it opens out, not at the edge or the thing you want to miss: drivers who stare at a hazard tend to steer towards it. Keep your head up and your eyes working ahead of the kart. On a narrow stretch, pick a point well ahead and aim for it.
Does driving smoothly make you faster?
Usually, yes. A sliding kart is scrubbing off pace, while a driver who brakes, turns and accelerates in one smooth sequence keeps the tyres gripping. If you want to know how to drive a go-kart fast, get that order right first and the pace follows. On private land, pace is the last thing to add: space, supervision and a kart in good order come first.
Which three drills help a new driver?
These short drills work at a karting circuit, if the staff allow it, and on private land, once the person it belongs to has agreed. Keep them slow to begin with, with nobody else in the area, and any child who drives under adult supervision.
| Drill | What to do | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-line stop | From a steady, slow pace, brake firmly to a halt with the wheel straight. Repeat, braking a little later each time. | How much brake the kart needs, with the wheels kept straight |
| One wide bend | Choose a single wide, open bend. Brake before it, look at the exit, turn in, and add accelerator as the wheel straightens. | The order: brake, turn, then accelerate |
| Gentle start | Pull away and come to a halt again as smoothly as you can, with no jerk and no tyre spinning. | Fine control of both pedals |
What changes on a sit-down hoverboard kart?
Almost everything above assumes a steering wheel. A sit-down hoverboard kart steers with two levers instead, so the wheel technique does not carry over to our seated hoverboard karts. Fitted to a hoverboard, the kart may only be used on private land, with the landowner's permission.
Stop and get the kart looked at
Pull over, switch off or get out, and have the maker, the seller or someone competent check the kart if:
- the brake pedal feels soft, sinks further than before, or the kart veers off line under braking;
- the steering wheel has play, feels stiff or catches as you turn;
- you hear grinding, knocking or rubbing from a wheel or the axle;
- on an electric kart, the battery area gets very hot or smells odd, or the motor cuts out.
An electric go-kart is a motor vehicle in law. Use it off-road, on private land only, with the landowner's permission, and under adult supervision. For a pedal kart: Not to be used in traffic. Use it on private land, under adult supervision.
Questions riders ask
Why does my go-kart spin when I brake?
Usually because the brake went on while the wheel was turned, or too suddenly. The tyres cannot brake hard and turn hard at the same moment. Brake earlier, with the wheel straight, and squeeze the pedal rather than stamping on it.
Why does the kart carry straight on in a bend?
Usually it is going too fast for the bend, or the wheel went over too sharply. Turning the wheel further only makes the front tyres slide more. Brake earlier, turn in more gently and wait for the front to grip before adding accelerator.
What keeps my arms from tiring?
Sit back so your elbows stay bent, and grip only as hard as you need to. Straight, stiff arms take every bump. Stop for a break before your arms start to ache, because tired arms make the steering rough.
Is driving a hired kart at a circuit different?
Wheel, pedals and eyes work exactly as described here. What changes is the rules: a karting circuit sets its own briefing, kit and flags, and its staff decide who drives and how. Listen to the briefing and follow it, even if you drive at home as well.
How do I handle a spin?
Come off the accelerator, press the brake firmly and keep your hands on the wheel, with your arms and legs inside the kart, until it stops. Then look around before you move off again.