Close friend of mine and I are thinking about buying a few 80cc or 125cc shifter karts and building a small track, nothing outrageous in size, just something small and fun. All we have around here are the super slow putt-putt go carts and I think some fast ones would draw a lot of customers. First and foremost, WHERE are you legally allowed to build a track? I know nothing about the zoning requirements or sound decibel requirements but i'm sure they have to come into play when selecting land to build something like this on. I also know that zoning codes and all of that stuff differ from city to city, but I was hoping maybe someone had some insight on this. I greatly appreciate anything anyone can come up with, and i've searched everywhere for information short of going to a lawyer. Thanks!
Shifter Karts - [ Legal Question ]
- Thread starter WarNipple
- Start date
I'm not sure, but most go karts are slow because people do retarded things on them. Any faster, and I bet the insurance goes up pretty fast too.
There won't be any insurance, I will have my lawyer draw up a personal injury waiver for customers to sign. Kinda like the Richard Petty Nascar program where you sign a waiver saying it's not their fault when you hit a wall and die at 160+
And like I said, the track won't be big enough to utilize the top end of those shifter karts. There's no way I would let a customer drive my equipment at 80+ lol
And like I said, the track won't be big enough to utilize the top end of those shifter karts. There's no way I would let a customer drive my equipment at 80+ lol
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Dude I raced a 125 for a weekend and I would bet the mass public would be scared of them and not even be able to get them rolling. If you do end up going through with the idea let me know cause i would definately come drive them if the price is right.
I've raced shifter karts, and they are not for the weak of heart and mass public.
They are verrrrry fast.
They are verrrrry fast.
HaHa. A waiver does not remove all of your liability. There are certain things that can not be waived. You will need liability insurance, especially if you are going to have any employees or outside people working on the track or the karts.
As to where this can be built. You need to check the zoning in your specific area.
:lol:
No insurance? that's a good one. I think you need to talk with a few local track owners and your local zoning board. As much as I hate to say it, opening a track is going to be very expensive and much more difficult than you think.
I'm sorry, but don't you think everyone would do that if they could? When providing a service, you are required to have insurance in the event that something expectant happens. Plus, you will want something to cover you in the event a negligent employee causes an injury.
This is an extremely high risk business endeavor that will almost definitely result in an accident. People drive go-karts because they think they can get away with acting stupid, and for the most part those "put-put" go-karts are as idiot proof as you can get.
There is a kart track by me that has fast go-karts (they are not shifter karts but they do about 50) and they have a huge amount of liability. In fact, they require all drivers to take a "training course" and to get a racers license just to drive one lap. Almost every time I went, someone did something stupid and after asking one of the employees, they said they call an ambulance there almost every week. The first company that owned the track was much more lenient, needless to say, they went out of business quickly.
I'm not trying to discourage you, this is just how I personally feel about this.
I agree with you completely, and like I said, I haven't consulted a lawyer about any questions covering the legal sides so I really don't have a clue, that's why I asked this board with all the auto background. Things are always more expensive than they seem and I'm prepared for that. As for the idiots who F off on the go-karts, these will only be 18+. I'm hoping that will get around a lot of the liability with having adults only drive them. This is so early in the development stages and I just thought it would be a good idea to see if there is any free information out there from those with experience before I spend money to see a lawyer. Thanks everyone.
We're aiming for 25$ a session ~10-15 minutes. I'll have to check out prices at other tracks but I think this should be a decent deal. 20$ a session would even give us a great profit with a few carts running at the same time.
a better idea would be allowing customers to choose from 3 karts at 3 different levels.
kt100 (100cc dry or wet clutch) single speed kart
tag 125 (touch and go 125cc) - no eletronic stater box needed to start, also single speed.
shifter 125 (6 speed shifter karts) usually these are all raced out with front brakes and 50mm axle.
btw i think kt100s and tags would be money, i would bet the public would have a blast in those karts.
this was me back in november at infineon raceway the sportscar track configuration.
kt100 (100cc dry or wet clutch) single speed kart
tag 125 (touch and go 125cc) - no eletronic stater box needed to start, also single speed.
shifter 125 (6 speed shifter karts) usually these are all raced out with front brakes and 50mm axle.
btw i think kt100s and tags would be money, i would bet the public would have a blast in those karts.
this was me back in november at infineon raceway the sportscar track configuration.
Thats the going rate here, but like I said, they are not shifter karts but they certainly aren't "put-puts." As far as 18+, I'm sure that will help with liability issues and you may want to consider doing what my local track does which is a licensing program. I personally haven't done it since the track switched owners, but from what I'm told is its about 30-45 min class and at the end, they give you a "racers license." This licensing program works as well by giving you an upper hand in insuring the riders don't act like idiots because you could pull their license and ban then from the track.
So I would say any leg work in the short run will most likely benefit you in the long run.
That's a badass pic there. I don't know if I will even go higher than an 80cc because the track is going to be small. If the business takes off and we end up with a lot of money we'll relocate and build a bigger track. A 125's power on a small track is a little overkill. My county's website has absolutely nothing on codes or any information for go karts or race tracks. I'm gonna have to pay and talk to someone most likely.
Is this racer's license a universal license across the states? How do I become qualified to train people for this license?
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