What is a Mini-Buggy?
A journey to Mini-Buggy ownership
So, you're interested in a Mini-Buggy! A great choice but now that you have started thinking about it, how do you wade through all the information out there?
Do I need a 150cc or a 250cc? Where do I get it repaired? What can I expect to break?
If you are here, you've had a stroke of luck already!
We are a group of Buggy enthusiasts that know this sport from the frame up and we'll fill you in on important information you need to know before making a purchase and what to do after!
Do I need a 150cc or a 250cc? Where do I get it repaired? What can I expect to break?
If you are here, you've had a stroke of luck already!
We are a group of Buggy enthusiasts that know this sport from the frame up and we'll fill you in on important information you need to know before making a purchase and what to do after!
A Mini Buggy is an off road vehicle, safer than an ATV and more fun than a UTV!
(The MBRA does NOT SELL buggies but can help you find a trusted dealer nearest you!)
Simply put, it's an Off Road Go kart with Roll Bars (brush bars), 2 to 4pt safety belts, gas peddle, brake peddle and steering wheel and Off road tires but are far from what your parents called a "Gokart".
Europeans even put street tires on their 250's and drive to work in them!
There's a size that's perfect for any age in your family and brings out the "Kid" in the Parents & Grandparents too!
Kids love to drive and this is a great way to start them on the road to safe driving practices, both on and off road. 2 seats means you ride "together" and not "behind" so there's more control from a parents stand point.
Plus, it's so much better to see ones face when you're out riding together!
The Best part? You & the kids are outdoors having fun as a family instead of "veggin out" on the couch in front of a video game! Although we do like video games! :-)
A Buggy is a blast to drive and it can be a real work horse around the house too! The 4 stroke engine purrs like a kitten and it's far quieter than a lawn mower and not even close to a 2 stroke ATV! The engines are strong and these buggies are simple to work on with just a basic tool assortment.
You can get out in the garage with the kids and do your own standard maintenance or even do a few mods, it's your choice. You'll learn a lot, spend time with your kids and it's a great way to bond with the elusive teenager!
The MBRA staff has been around Buggies, owners & dealers since 2006 when we hosted the 1st ever Buggy Bash in Upper PA. We've met and talked with most of the top manufacturers personally and we keep "in the loop"!
We'll tell it to you straight, no bull!
It may cost much less that you may think!
Price ranges for a decent 150cc are between $1000-$1800 and a 250cc will run you between $1800-$3800 depending on model and add-on's.
That's one good family weekend at "Wally World" and the buggy will give you hundreds of weekends of fun with the family and you'll make new friends too!
Most buggies have around a 2 gallon tank that will last most of a day of riding and even at these high gas prices, you're looking at less than $10 a day!
Before you buy one though, you need to do some research first and you've come to the perfect place!
We won't steer you in any direction as far as particular Dealer or Brand as that is a choice you have to make on your own after you collect all your information but we will do our best to help you understand where to look and where your support will ultimately come from down the road. If you know what to look for and the right questions to ask, your 1st Buggy experience will be greatly enhanced!
Here's what you can expect to find in your Internet Search.
All stats are for an average, Stock buggy, "out of the box" with no modifications and are approximate according to our personal experience with all these models and not according to what you may see from a specific Mfg or dealer)
- Price Range- (Average costs from low end models with the bare bones to higher end models with all the bells & whistles including shipping and/or dealer prep)
- Avg Age group - (Fits most occupants of average size within age range)
- Occupant max weight - (Weight of both riders and gear)
- Terrain Explanations-
(Mild) - Flat terrain, low ground clearance, great for yard, hard packed dirt
(Moderate) - Steep but Short length hills or lesser steep hills of longer length, rides well on assorted Off road trails, 5-6"ground clearance
- (Advanced) - Can go where most full sized ATV's can go. More HP for longer inclines (75-100'@25% grade) and a 6-8" or more ground clearances).
- Top Speed - (on flat, hard packed dirt,
carrying the minimum weight with no modifications)
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- 70-90cc Buggy -
Price Range: $400-$800 Avg Age group: 4-6yrs old Occupant weight max: 120lbs Terrain: Mild, 2-3"clearance Top speed: 4-5hp, up to 25mph |
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- 110cc Buggy -
Price Range $1000-$1300
Avg Age group: 6-8yrs old Occupants weight max: 180lbs Terrain: Moderate 3"clearance Top Speed: 5 to 5-1/2HP, 25-28mph |
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- 150cc Buggy - Price Range $1000-$2300
Avg Age group: 8-80yrs old Terrain: Moderate (Advanced w/ mods), 5"clearance Occupants weight max: 300lbs Top Speed: 9 - 9-1/2HP 30-35mph |
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- 250cc Buggy - Price Range $1800-$3800
Avg Age group: 10-80yrs old Terrain: Moderate (Advanced w/ mods) 5"-6" clearance Occupant weight max: 350lbs Top Speed: 19HP 35-40mph |
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| There are also 300, 600, 800 and 1100cc buggies available but over the 250/300cc class, they start to get too wide for most of the existing ATV trails, most of our members have access to. |
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| Buy a TOP BRAND! |
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"Top Brand" Usually means parts availability! To have the best chance of finding parts down the road, stick with the GY6 150cc and the CFMoto or CN250 engines on any buggy you decide on. |
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| A "good deal" may not be, if you can't get parts! For instance, Carter Bros and Joyner (Both, great Karts!) both had problems and went out of business around the same time, for different reasons but what do you care why AFTER your purchase! (They may come back but who knows for sure!) This can't be totally avoided of course but you want to make as sound a decision as you can here. Manufacturers come and go but most buggies have interchangeable parts (But not ALL parts!). It's best to stick with the top brands as there are more people selling parts and doing work on those models. Who are the top imported buggy brands for parts availability at this time you ask? Buggy and parts availability fluctuates between all companies and it's hard to determine at any given time how it is going to be but these "hit" more than "Miss", compared to others right now. Don't just go by what's popular in your neighborhood because there might have just been a salesman in the area who just unloaded a couple hundred XYZ buggies and now every car dealership and ATV store is selling them. Once they're gone, no one will support them because the company went out of business a week ago and that's why they were so cheap so, do your research! The names you will see the most that appear to still have parts available are, In Alphabetical order... American sportworks (ASW) Baja BMS Carter Bros.(Pending company rebuild) CFMoto (Engine) CN250 (Engine) GY6 150 (Engine) Hammerhead Joyner (Pending a new importer)
Kinroad/RunmasterRoketa Tomberline Now, there are several "other" names you'll hear such as Crossfire, Dune, Adventure Buggy, Sahara, Blade, Coolster etc. Some are actual imported brand names, some are just a body/model type and others are whatever the heck the guys is selling them, wants to call them! Most appear to have too many similarities to be coming from that many separate factories, which suggest at the least that a lot of the parts are coming from the same few factories over seas. It is very hard to get accurate information on this as the Chinese factories don't care who they sell to and sub out much of their work to other factories. They will put anything you want on a buggy to call your own, if you buy enough of them. Just stick with the brand names you hear the most on the forums and ads such as the ones above because a lot of these parts are interchangeable or there are dealers around selling parts for them. Do a little forum and Internet searching for reviews on the models you're most interested in before plunking down your hard earned cash! AND, Before choosing a dealer, read "Before you buy"! |
