Go Karts are entertainment vehicles much like sleds
. They are only required to have wheels and a steering mechanism. That is what makes Go Karts different from sleds. Sleds are propelled by the action of gravity as it pulls the sled down a slope. Go Karts are maneuvered by the driver using a steering column. These modified sleds were designed by mechanically inclined young men who wanted to drag race on their streets. The carts were built from scratch and engines were added to give quick motion that didn't require a long sloping hill for speed.
Adding engines turned the steering capable sled into a speed cart and many races with Go Karts are part of the high speed entertainment vehicles set. Kits are sold online in parts that have to be assembled. Putting a Go Kart together from a kit is much easier than looking for parts in auto dealers stores and assembling your own cart. Adding an engine is quite a feat and there are engines built and designed especially for them. Online stores generally charge around 500 dollars for a kit. The kit comes with instructions and makes for a great Christmas gift for the budding mechanic in your house.
Some communities allow them to be driven in areas that are restricted to normal traffic. In some cities, they are banned from highway driving for the protection of the driver. These carts are meant solely for entertainment and fun and not as means of transportation. The kits now sold include specially designed steering columns and wheels, leather back seats and ample room to stretch out for that feel of the road as the cart speeds along along with other specially manufactured parts of a cart. The old carts seen on television shows were the predecessors of the modern ergonomically designed, high tech molded parts of the new models.
The Go Kart is a vehicle with its own construction and purpose and has many faithful users who design and build their cart to suit their needs and wants in a fun motor driven, steering wheel controlled sled ride.