How Much Horsepower Does Go Kart have?

We all know that the speed of your go-kart can affect your performance, just like your skills behind the wheel. But as I become more involved in local go-kart racing competitions, I’m learning that the number of horsepowers and the size of your go-kart engine are other important factors to consider. After realizing that, I dug deeper into research to find out how much horsepower does the 4-stroke go-kart I usually race with have. 

A typical rental go-kart with a 4-stroke engine and a displacement of 150 – 250 cc will have 5 to 16 horsepower. However, the most powerful go-karts have a horsepower rating of 20 to 48 horsepower. I also learned that some professional racers install aftermarket go-kart engines to increase horsepower, but this is a good topic for another post. 

If you’re a beginner like me, the last thing you want is to get into a go-kart with an engine that is too powerful than you can handle and get yourself hurt. I’ve had my fair share of injuries when I started out because I got too excited. I eventually figured out that go-karts with a horsepower of between 5 to 8 are easier to handle as a beginner, especially at tight corners.

Of course, after I gain more experience, I was able to rent go-karts with much more power. If you didn’t read my article on my first experience with a 2-stroke go-kart in Phuket Speedway, check it out.

Does Engine Size Matter?

As I dug deeper into the internet, I was curious to find out if a bigger engine size (displacement) means more horsepower.

Here is a table of different go-kart engine displacement sizes and average horsepower.

From the above table, we can conclude that it’s possible to have a smaller engine displacement in your go-kart with more horsepower than your friend with a bigger engine. However, it depends on the design and type of your engine. 

Does More Horsepower Mean More Speed?

To find out if more horsepower means more speed, I tried out different go-karts with different horsepower. Interestingly, the higher the horsepower of the go-kart I tested, the more I felt the adrenaline rush.

While I was on the race track trying to overtake my friend riding a go-kart with less horsepower, it dawned on me that more horsepower means more speed which gave me a huge advantage. Even better, more horsepower means that you will accelerate faster.

Here is a video of a 60-hp go-kart with a 2-stroke engine that is super-fast.