BuggyMasters Used Buggy Buying Guide

[BuggyMaster]

I thought I would spend some time creating a checklist for people who are in the market for a used buggy but don't have a lot of experience with them. I can't count the number that we have owned. It's an expensive habit but a lot of fun and we have gained a LOT of experience in the area of buggy buying.

In our experience, there are not many who sell a used buggy that is absolutely problem free (or will tell you of any issues). Fact is, every single buggy we have ever bought needed something. This does not mean that there are not people that will sell a problem-free buggy. It just means we haven't found them yet. Close, but not perfect. Besides that, a buggy with an issue is a buggy that can be negotiated. You can buy a brand new one but that's not a real guarantee that it will be problem free. Also beware that a lot of buggy warranties may only cover parts, not labor. The fact is though that you have the best chance of getting a problem free buggy by buying new.

Don't let any of this scare you off though. These things are a ton of fun and well worth any time that you have to put into them.

I have to have near perfection so I'll fix every problem. Drives me nuts otherwise. A lot of people have a much higher tolerance and will be perfectly fine with a few things that aren't right. The point of this guide is to give you a check list of all of the things we have learned to check over and hopefully spare you of some after-purchase discovery that you wish you had found out about before handing over your hard earned cash.

We sell ours just because we get bored with them. For most sellers, that is not the case. They are selling because they don't want to deal with it. When buying used, you need to go into it expecting to have to do something to it for it to be perfect. This way, when you discover the post-buying issues, you are not disappointed. If you are the type that doesn't like to have to work on anything, you may want to just go ahead and bite the bullet and buy new.

If you find something wrong, that doesn't mean it's the end of the road in buying that buggy. Fact is, in most cases, parts are cheap and the machines aren't too aweful hard to work on. You can always get on the forum and ask questions. Other members are more than happy to help.

One thing I do suggest is try to stick to major brands such as American Sportworks, HammerHead, Carter, Dazon etc. The engine parts aren't so much a big deal. Most of these use the same type of engine. It's the other things that make parts buying difficult. For example: Our 110cc buggy had the standard ol' 110cc engine on it. The buggy was kind of off brand though. When the throttle cable broke, that's when the fun started. This particular manufacturer (Fuxin) made the throttle cable with the carb slide cap built into the cable. The ONLY place to get that cable is from them. I never did find a place to get that cable. I got lucky and was able to fix the one that broke. Would have been screwed otherwise.

Here is the most important rule ever:

If you are not sure, just ask!

There are plenty of people willing to help out. Just ask. No question is a stupid question.

Don't be afraid to ask the seller as many questions as you feel you need to. It's your money. Note that there are plenty of good sellers too. Lots of bad...but plenty of good as well.

There is a document attached that is the checklist. I am going to go through each item on that checklist below and give you an explanation and pointers about that item. I suggest you read this first and then print off the checklist and take it with you when you go buggy hunting. One version is in Microsoft Word. The other is good ol Word Pad which all of you should have on your computer if you have a Microsoft operating system. I'll update this list and the attachments as necessary. So here we go:

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Used Buggy/Go Kart Check List (Version 1.0)

General

How long have they owned it and why are they selling? - The best scenario would be the original owner that has owned it for say a year or so. This to me means that they may be just bored with it. If it was a big piece of crap, they would have sold it in short order. So if they just bought it, and now they want to sell it, why is that? Granted, some people just don't like them. This is just something to consider for the big picture observation. Beware of the guy that just bought it used and is now quickly selling it. They may have bought it and didn't use my checklist. Then they got it home and found a ton of post-purchase problems and want to unload it (and the problems) to you.


Do they have original paperwork? (MSO and/or Owners Manual) - Great if they do as this can confirm that they are the original owner. Not a deal breaker though.

Ask if they have ever replaced something and where to get parts - This is pretty important. Where can you get parts if say the throttle cable breaks? This could also indicate if they have a repetitive problem. None of this is a deal breaker.

Frame – Any bends? Look for cracked welds or other - Bent areas on a frame in common places (such as the very rear where they may have backed into a tree) are not as big a concern. It is a used buggy afterall. But be sure to take a look at the welds in various places. Especially where shock mounts are. This can indicate how well a machine is built and how hard it has been driven. There are good china maufacturers and bad ones. The difference is hwo well they build the machine and how good a metal they used. The bad ones use cheap metal and that will show up in mounting areas and welds.

Frame – Any cracks elsewhere? - Same as above. Take a look around. Cracked frame can be dangerous. Just ask my collar bone.

Fenders – Are they all intact and un-cracked? - Depending on the manufacturer, these can be expensive. American Sportworks machines have inexpensive fenders. Carter on the other had are expensive. More importantly, cracked fenders indicate how the machine has been ridden. Ya they're plastic but I'm here to tell you that we have never cracked a fender in our riding experience (I'm sure I just cursed myself). A machine with good fenders all around could indicate that it was not abused. Ask if they are new if you have to. Not a deal breaker though.

Tires – Ask if they hold air. Although not a deal breaker, it can be annoying.

Tires – How’s the tread and are there any plugs - China tires hold up remarkably well. Any machine that has worn tires indicates a lot of wear. Not a deal breaker but a good indicator that you may find a fair amount of other things that need attention due to wear. Plugs just come back to the whole "do they hold air" thing.

Wheels/Rims – If possible, pick up corners to spin wheels to look for bends - Bent rims suck and straight rims are a pet-peeve of mine. Bent rims can also give you an indication of how the machine was treated. Take someone with you. I usually pick up each corner in the front and have them spin the wheels while I observe them. For the rear, if it's light enough, I'll pick up the back end and have them spin wheels while I look at the rims and the axle itself. If too heavy, I'll observe on the test drive as noted below.

Suspension – Grab each wheel and pull side to side up and down look for play - You are looking for excessive ball joint play and if the machine has half shafts, excessive bearing play. I actually bought one machine with half shafts in the back that had NO inner bearing. Had I done this test, I would have found this out prior to purchase. You are also looking for excessive tie rod wear. This will be checked directly in short order as well.

Suspension – Push machine up and down and physically grab each shock - This also gives you another opportunity to look at the shock mounts. You are looking for cracks at the mounts and any play in the shock and rubber bushings.

Steering – How much play is in steering? Observe tie rods while moving the steering wheel back and forth - Excessive tie rod play can be fairly common depending on the amount of use on the machine. It can also be very dangerous. Imagine running wide open and the tierod just separates. Not cool.

Steering – Steering wheel installed in proper orientation? Besides being a pet peeve of mine, this can also indicate how much attention went into the assembly of the machine. With a three spoke steering wheel, there should be a spoke to each side and one facing down when the wheels are straight.

Rear Axle – Look for bends. You’ll observe this during test drive as well - Rear axle condition can indicate a hard ridden machine. Axles are expensive to replace and are also a real pain to replace. Just take a look. You'll do a better observation on the test drive. This can be a deal breaker for me.

Chain and Sprockets – Obvious wear on sprockets? Excessive Chain Slack? - Simply used as a wear indicator. Perfect stock chain and sprockets can indicate a lightly used machine which is ideally what you are looking for.

Brakes – Physically look at each caliper and brake pads. Are they there? Wear? - Amazingly, I actually bought a machine that had NO back break pads. I never even realized it until after I got it home and the guy I bought it from certainly didn't offer up the information. The machine had good solid brakes on it...just that it was front brakes only. Had I followed this rule and physically looked at the pads, I would have noticed that there weren't any. This can be a deal breaker for me if the parts are impossible to find. Also, pads that are almost gone will require you to have to change them after actually locating them. Plus they indicate how much the machine has been ridden.

Brakes – Are all of the brake lines intact and dry? - As mentioned above, you could be missing a brake line completely and not notice unless you look.

Emergency Brake – Ask before you pull then see if it works - Some machines may have an emergency brake that once you pull, it won't retract. That's why you ask ahead of time if it is safe to put on the emergency brake. Lack of emergency brake is not a deal breaker for me. Might be for you.

Push brake pedal and gas pedal. Feel ok? - The brake pedal should have a good solid feel to it and not a mushy feel. The gas pedal should move freely and return properly. I have bought a couple machines where the return spring at the gas pedal didn't work properly. Fairly easy fix but should still be noted.

Horn – Does it work? - Might as well check. It not working could indicate wiring issues which are typically a deal breaker but lack of horn doesn't not necessarily kill the deal for me.

Headlights – Do they work?

Turn Signals – Do they work?

Brake Lights – Do they work?

How many miles does it show? How many hours? Ask if these are original. - Be sure to check this good and make sure you are looking at hours and miles. I had one get past me that I was told had 30 miles on it. Turns out it was 30 hours. Also, some machine actually reset the odometer/hours by disconnecting the battery. Overall condition of the machine should trump the mileage but this is definately a good marker to note.

Rear view mirror – Is it intact and does not move real easily? - If it's loose, it may get annoying to you while riding cause it just drops down. Not a deal breaker.

General Wiring – Anything look spliced, hacked, or out of place? If so, why? - Wiring problems can flat out suck. Potential deal breakers but not for sure if the machine runs really well.

Does it have seatbelts? Buckle each one to make sure they work. - Seat belts happen to be one of the more expensive parts on these machines. Click them all to make sure they all work right.

Try to adjust seat backward and forward. - This is 50/50. A lot of the ones we have had were stuck/frozen. Nothing a little wd-40 and working it back and forth didn't fix though. Occassionally have to take the seat out to get it freed up.

Grab muffler and gently wiggle. All intact? Cheap china metal built machines will commonly crack at the mounts. Check it over and make sure it has a solid feel. The fix requires either finding the proper bracket or having the means to weld it back correctly with reinforcements.

Inspect muffler for any cracks. Especially around where pipe goes into it - This is a common problem. Not a deal breaker for me but I can weld.

Obvious Oil Leaks - Any oil marks on ground below vehicle? Around engine? - If you hate oil leaks, you'll want to check all this out. Changing seals and or gaskets can be a drag. Bear in mind, these are a mechanical toy and leaks may be common place and acceptable to many. Honestly, oil leaks are not really typical on most machines unless they have some good wear on them or have been exposed to the weather.

Check oil dipstick? Has oil? Clean? Ask when last oil change and what kind of oil. - I have had machines where the oil had NEVER been changed and they ran just fine. Clean oil indicates low use or good maintenance pattern.

See any obvious fuel leaks? Check at tank and look on ground too. At carb? - Gas leaks can be dangerous!

Any obvious coolant leaks? - Can be a drag to repair.

Ask if cooling fan works - You'll find this out in your test drive below. This can be a BS indicator. If the guy tells you it works but you find out later it doesn't, what else did they BS about?

Pull spark plug if allowed and observe coloring on tip - This is a major plus if you are able to do this. I have said many a times before that American Sportworks machines tend to run lean. Excessive lean = Boom for the engine. On the other hand, excessive black indicates a rich condition and may result in frequent plug fouling. Either of which will command some attention. A white tip (not the insulator) is a bad sign of lean condition. If you see this, look at the intake boot for cracking (leak). If not obvious vaccuum leaks, usually just a sign that a rejet is in order which to me is not a big deal but it may be to others. This may or may not be a deal breaker for some. Also keep in mind that a lot of manufacturers run them on the lean side for the sake of being able to pass emmissions certifications in the U.S.A.


Test Drive and Observations (try to drive on pavement and dirt):

Attempt to start engine with just tap of key no foot on gas - A good running engine with a proper choke will fire right up. If it does't that doesn't mean it is bad. Some engines are just cold natured. A good easy start is a plus though.

Did it turn over easily indicating a good battery? - I swear...this is the one thing that people seem to refuse to do is buy a freaking battery. Ya, they're typically about $60 but they are worth a hell of a lot more than that to a buyer that doesn't have to bother with it. I don't want to tell you how many batteries I have bought for the sake of cheap-skates. Lack of a good battery is a great tool for negotiating price. Poor starting can also indicate a weak starter.

How’s the idle? - Should have a good steady idle both cold and warm. Lack of which may just be a matter of tuning but if you don't have a good one, inspect for vaccuum leaks.

If you can, bring a volt meter and check battery while running. Can save you $$$$ - By all means, do this if you can. I bought a 250 once that looked brand new. Didn't do this test until after I bought it and sure as heck, the stator was gone in it. The guy simply charged the battery before I bought it. Eventually it wore down which prompted me to check and discover the problem. Stators on a 250 are a real drag to replace. Even a 150 requires you to have a special tool to remove the flywheel in order to get to the stator to change it. At idle, you should have at least 13v DC at the battery and you should see that fluctuate upwards when you step on the gas. If you have a meter, take it with you and check this.

Any obvious obnoxious noises (knocking etc)? - And knocking going on? Could be bad. Engines will make some noise, especially when cold prior to the parts warming up but anything heavy is cause for concern and probably a deal breaker for me.

Any exhaust leaks? - If so, look agaiin for cracks somewhere. Could just need tightening up at the head which costs nothing but pay attention to this to indicate something that might cost you money. Not a deal breaker for me.

Put in gear and drive forward. Engage ok? - As you go forward, the buggy should move forward without any jerking which would indicate potential clutch and/or transmission issues. NOTE though that it is very common when you go into forward or reverse that it takes a little motion of the gears to pop into place. In fact, I tell everyone that rides any of my machines to blip the throttle to make sure the gear has engaged prior to stepping on the gas. Drives me nuts when people get in it, put it in gear, and stomp the gas. That is how transmissions and gears die. Blip the throttle make sure it is in the intended gear and then proceed to make sure everything feels smooth.

Have friend observe machine from rear as you drive away from them to check axle - bent axles are expensive and such to repair. Have a friend pay attention to the rear axle and tires to look for anything that looks bent. This includes axle and rims.

Put on pavement and look at each wheel while going forward looking for wobbles. - Goes with above. There are some things that will be very evident on pavement but not at all on dirt. Sometimes it is just the tires themself. As you are watching the wheels, pay most attention to the rims. Not perfect tires is not nearly as big a deal. they are more annoying. You may change tires one day anyways. Rims and axle are expensive though. Bent axle is usually a deal breaker for me. Plus it can indicate a hard life for the buggy.

At moderate speed on pavement let go of steering wheel to see that it tracks straight - Not a deal breaker, just annoying. If all else is straigt in the rims and axle department, this is usually more of an indication of bad alignment. Not that uncommon and you may never notice in dirt. I like my stuff perfect.

Step on brakes with hands off wheel – Does it pull to one side or another? - Can indicate brake issues. should brake about perfectly straight.

Brakes – Do they have a good feel and do they stop the machine as you expected? If either is not up to expectations, could indicate brake work needing to be done. Not a deal breaker for me but may be for some. I'll use it to negotiate on price. Be sure you know you can get brake parts though.

Drive for a little bit to get general impressions – Anything seem weird? - Spend a few minutes on it. Somem things may not become evident until you spend a few minutes in the machine. Better to find out now than to find out later after you gave them your money.

Once engine is warm, stomp the gas from a standstill. Engage ok or fall on it’s face? A properly running engine will simply take off as you expected. One that needs some carb adjustment may fall on it's face. Not a deal breaker if it runs good otherwise.

Observe all gauges available. - Make sure the speedometer works. I actually bought one (the same one I thought only had 30 miles on it) and never realized that the speedometer didn't even work! Amazed myself! Got an oil pressure indicator? A volt indicator? Do they all work? If not, the only one that may be a deal breaker for me is a speedometer that doesn't work thus the odometer doesn't reflect the actual mileage.

If possible, do a top speed run. Get general feel and observe backfiring on decel - Some problems only show themself at higher speed. The coolster was a great example. Ran great putting around but was really bouncy at speed. Still wasn't a deal breaker but may be for others. Extreme backfiring on decel could indicate lean condition. Not guaranteed though. The emissions systems on a lot of these lean out the exhaust which can cause the same and is normal.

Any strange noises? - Just get a general feel for it. Anything yelling "look at me" should be addressed.

If water-cooled let engine sit and idle to get hot and make sure fan comes on - Time to see if the guy was BSing you. Let it idle and see if the cooling fan comes on. Proper running machines will have it come on for a few minutes and then it will go off shortly afterwards once it has cooled it down. Some machines actually run cool enough that it will never come on but if the guy told you it works and you never see it happen, that's an indication in itself.

Shut machine off. Wait 30 secs or so and tap key and see if engine fires right up - Ideally it will. On a machine with a starter problem it is not uncommon for it to only show a starter problem when hot. If this machine has this problem, it may show itself now.

Get out of machine and do another walkaround looking for leaks. - Just to make sure that the seller didn't wipe off an oil, fuel, or coolant leak prior to you getting there to hide the problem.


Leave key in machine. If you buy, make sure you get the key! Ask for spares. - You'd think after leaving without the key enough times I'd remember this but I still occassionally do it. Drive me nuts. Rarely is anything I buy close. Nothing better than to have to make the trip twice for the sake of forgetting the key.





Notes: