Big question about little karts... First timer!

[noah harper]

Hi, I'm looking into buying a 250cc off roader... but I don't know what brand to go with...

I've been doing research and comparing different brands but I don't have a real working knowledge of the machines yet as I'm a city boy and haven't found a dealer around me yet.... still looking.

Roketa, Hammerhead, Kandi, Blade, Coolster, BMS and kinroad are popular brands I've been looking at... At first I thought I wanted a center single seater, but now I'm thinking a double would be good.. I'm 225 Lbs. but would be riding single most of the time in upstate New York off road on somewhat rough trails.

I'm also looking to make this a part time paintball tank, so it would have to sit idling for times and also at times only drive under 10 mph with starts and stops (would this affect the cooling/battery life?)

HELP MEEEEEEE PLEASE

[noah harper]

can anybody answer my questions? Is this is the wrong forum section...?

Admin, could you help me out... move the thread?

[metalstudman1]

Welcome-Your thread is in the correct place! Sorry that you haven't received a response yet. Biggest consideration would be-How much $ are you willing to spend? Using it as a paint ball tank brings up other questions too- will you be adding armor (body panels), is it easy to get in & out of ,are the trails wide or narrow, are there lots of hills? Idling for long periods isn't good for any buggy, when running right they crank right up. Is the concern about the battery because it'll be idling a lot? most buggies don't charge efficiently @ idle.
How mechanically inclined are you? If you have skills and tools then top quality won't be as important for parts replacement & availability.Sorry if your question sounded simple.
You could call Tom @SYC (vendor top of the page) as he has a working experience with most of the ones you listed- as the balance of us would have limited experiences with all those brands.

[noah harper]

Originally Posted by metalstudman1

Welcome-Your thread is in the correct place! Sorry that you haven't received a response yet. Biggest consideration would be-How much $ are you willing to spend? Using it as a paint ball tank brings up other questions too- will you be adding armor (body panels), is it easy to get in & out of ,are the trails wide or narrow, are there lots of hills? Idling for long periods isn't good for any buggy, when running right they crank right up. Is the concern about the battery because it'll be idling a lot? most buggies don't charge efficiently @ idle.
How mechanically inclined are you? If you have skills and tools then top quality won't be as important for parts replacement & availability.Sorry if your question sounded simple.
You could call Tom @SYC (vendor top of the page) as he has a working experience with most of the ones you listed- as the balance of us would have limited experiences with all those brands.

I was thinking $3000 after all is said and done...
I have experience with converting vehicles into PB tanks, the armor around the engine, radiator, exhaust, wiring harness and lights would be easy for me to do... demo netting, PVC sheet and sheet metal are my go to's. yes, flaps and doors make it easy to get in and out.
The idle time vs. battery is a concern of mine... also cooling down the engine (air or liquid cooled?) and I could always add fans to the radiator right?

as far as my mechanical abilities, I'm apt, BUT I do like top quality... that's why $3000 puts me in a good price range of 250cc class karts... no?

The back story on this is I'm a member of a paintball team/field in upstate NY and have 370ish acres of very diverse terrain to play on.... wide paths, hills, mud, pathed out stone walls, everything you could think of is there... waiting for me....

We have a 2008 Polaris Ranger that rocks.... but it's a whore for all the workers there, I want my own toy...

[GX150]

If you build an enclosure over the radiator, you will have overheating issues without thermal management. Running additional fans at idle will help the heat but make your power draw worse.

Consider using plastic panel material for the cockpit to minimize additional weight and mesh over the engine compartment and radiator to minimize trapped heat.

[x-bird]

Great concept. i could see being all snuggled up in the tank with about a dozen gatling gun pb guns pointing every which way ... We put a plane on our driving range as a target (piper cherokee) the guy i got it from has a lot of fuselages and main wings and said he's sold a couple for pb. Roger Sell at Slatington Airport, Slatington, PA. You can find contact info on the internet if you're interested.

[noah harper]

Originally Posted by GX150

If you build an enclosure over the radiator, you will have overheating issues without thermal management. Running additional fans at idle will help the heat but make your power draw worse.

Consider using plastic panel material for the cockpit to minimize additional weight and mesh over the engine compartment and radiator to minimize trapped heat.

demo netting "tents" and "shrouds" is what I had in mind for the radiator... the old 1981 Jeep I had as a PB tank before had heating issues I solved with fans run off another battery... thin plastic sheeting and netting is all I would really need around the cockpit, I have the design all worked out... just need advice on the platform... the key for me would be to make it almost like a body kit for the buggy... I would use it more as just an off road fun toy, but turn it into a PB Tank for our big games... kids love the thrill of a tank in the game!

Originally Posted by x-bird

Great concept. i could see being all snuggled up in the tank with about a dozen Gatling gun pb guns pointing every which way ... We put a plane on our driving range as a target (piper Cherokee) the guy i got it from has a lot of fuselages and main wings and said he's sold a couple for pb. Roger Sell at Slatington Airport, Slatington, PA. You can find contact info on the internet if you're interested.

thanks, our field is a mostly natural field... only a couple of automobiles and 1 boat are used for bunkers... we build up everything from logs and building wood... tons of huge trees.... I could go on all day, but I want to stay on topic here...

[metalstudman1]

Just curious- Why do you leave it idling? Doesn't noise make you a better target and less stealthy?
How tall are you? as that may get us closer to helping with a choice of preferred buggy

[noah harper]

Originally Posted by metalstudman1

Just curious- Why do you leave it idling? Doesn't noise make you a better target and less stealthy?
How tall are you? as that may get us closer to helping with a choice of preferred buggy

oh, hahaa.. let me explain. I would be leaving it idling or driving really slow while it's in paintball tank mode... We keep a 5mph limit on the game field so we don't squish any little kids... So, I would have the breaks on and be shooting out of gun ports from inside the buggy during games, but I wouldn't want to shut down for fear of "rocket attack" ok, nerd time... We shoot nerf rockets at the "tanks" to take em out with these..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8uHAtwIJ3k
So I would need to keep it running while I was in play... hahaha

I'm 5'8"

[metalstudman1]

Thanks for the explaination- that's very helpful. If it were me and I was going to basically idle (5mph) around a lot I'd find a buggy with a transmission versus a CVT. Your height is perfect for fitting into just about any buggy. Whether you want to buy new or used is another thing to consider- $3000. is a good amount of money to spend on a decent buggy. Would a UTV maybe be an option?

[noah harper]

Originally Posted by metalstudman1

Thanks for the explaination- that's very helpful. If it were me and I was going to basically idle (5mph) around a lot I'd find a buggy with a transmission versus a CVT. Your height is perfect for fitting into just about any buggy. Whether you want to buy new or used is another thing to consider- $3000. is a good amount of money to spend on a decent buggy. Would a UTV maybe be an option?

I could go utv.. We have a Polaris Ranger 700 xp... but I didn't think I could get 4x4 for less than $5000... The buggy looks like a great fit for my needs, it's small and light... the roll cage would make converting it into a tank easy and it would be super fun to rip it around all the property!

2wd is fine, and like I said the size is right... I guess I have to figure out a way around the heat and battery issue... like getting a 2 seater buggy and removing the passenger seat for a 2nd battery and some equipment, or fitting it in somewhere... MODS TIME!!! haha

Does anybody know where I could test ride a few different 250cc buggys in the tri-state area?