BuggyMasters Review: Large Bodied 150cc

[BuggyMaster]

http://www.buggymasters.com/files/pics/reviewpics/bigyellow.jpg

I'd love to tell you what brand this is but it's not really branded. What I can tell you is that it appears to be made by Kandi which is the same maker of the Roketa 250 that we had which turned out to be less than desireable. This one is a little bit different.

All indications are that it is a very well built machine physically. For big/tall guys, this is a pretty good choice because it has a lot of cabin space and will accomodate many different size people including the bigger drivers. It scores high on our "looks" scale. Definately one of the cooler looking machines that we have owned. Something we have never seen before this machine is that it actually has metal rear fenders. That's a plus to us as these will be awefully hard to break when compared to the standard plastic ones found on most machines.

Something that is very noticeable about this machine is not only is it very big physically, but along with that comes a lot of weight. This thing is heavy. This gives it a couple pros and a couple cons.

Because of the size and weight, this machine is probably the best riding machine we have owned to date. The seats are very plush in it too which adds to this effect. Very comfortable machine to drive.

A drawback to that weight is a poor power to weight ratio. Ya...rides and looks great but because it weighs so much, it is under powered with the 150cc engine. Would be great with a 250 or bigger in it. It is not necessarilly a slug however I think all of the other machines that we have had will outrun it across the board. This machine is one that would definately benefit from mods. The clutch / variator mods alone would likely make this a different machine all together.

The suspension and handling are excellent on it. Has a very wide stance and large shocks in the front with standard shocks in the rear. Corners better than pretty much any other machine we have had. That suspension adds to the excellent ride qualities.

Brakes are standard issue two disks up front, one in the rear. I should also mention that this particular buggy is one of the 2-bolt valve cover engines. The engine is very quiet too.

This buggy has a speedometer in kph, horn, turn signals and four headlights (vs the standard 2 found on most) however the speedo doesn't work, nor to the turn signals. We haven't diagnosed those just yet.

Another unique thing about this buggy is that the engine cage is removable via it's bolt-on nature. Excellent candidate for a swap with a large four wheeler engine. We'll see.....

Pros: Excellent looks and ride quality
Cons: Under powered

Overall BuggyMasters Rating: 6 out of 10

[24evanwilson]

big daddy ! of mini buggy

[roysheepdog]

sweet

[jpman]

I've got one of these. It's a Roketa. Drifts well at speed but can be rolled ( day #2 on hard dirt corner). Is excellent in the snow or muddy track, needs front fenders. I am 6 foot and 200pds but it pulls well with me in it. I just installed a 155cc kit, rejetted, uni filter and made my own pipe...what a difference!

[KID4LIFE]

hey rick,
i notice the buggy has 4 lights on it. what wattage are they. if that buggy is a 150, i assume it would have a smaller stator than my 250 and if it can handle two 35w and two 55w or even four 35w i would like to know.
thanks, dave

[jpman]

Kid4life, on mine there are 4 -10 watt lights, not as bright as I would like but they get the job done. I will be experimenting with some different off road lights from one of my Jeep projects.

[KID4LIFE]

i've kind of settled for two of the 35w flood lights down in front and two rectangle 55w halogen up on the cage. the floods do a good job but i'm not sold on the two 55 watters yet. they seem to be more of a spot light than a driving light. i'm looking for more of a wide light pattern that shines about 25-30 feet out in front. there are soooooo many lights out there it's hard to choose before buying them.

[JakeTheSnake]

That's pretty much my ride right there but SunL branded. I've seen these body types branded Kandi, Roketa, Kinroad, and GIO. Zhejiang Mengdeli Co. in China mass produces these, and the aforementioned compainies slap their logo on 'em. I'm biased because I own one of these, but I'd go 7.5 maybe 8 outta 10! lol

[JakeTheSnake]

I just put up some exploded/assembly pics of this bad boy up on my profile. I have a bunch of other tech manuals in pdf form for buggys/scooters in general if anyone wants 'em or if there's a way to post 'em on the site lemme know. Basic buggy 101 type of stuff. BuggyMaster if you come across any problems with this one, hit me up! I got a solid two years of research and hands on mechanics on this particular unit!:biggthumpup:

[BuggyMaster]

Jake you can attach things like PDF files in any post and that is great information to have for the tech section. When you do a new post, look for the manage attachments button to upload.

[SLESTAK75]

I think that mine is a cheap knockoff of this one. The MXR Trailbender 160cc "racing" go kart. They said it only had the 58.5 head but I think it has head and bore. I agree that it has no climbing power. Mine has 16/32 sprockets. It goes near 40mph flat out until you hit a hill then all the speed fade quickly. I already went with 1500rpm contra and lighter rollers. Haven't tested on the road yet but on stands both pullies had full range of motion so seems like ill still have top speed, just hope this gives me better pull. I'll get the uni filter, orange cdi and coil, a12 cam, port and polish, iridium plug...I think I'll be real happy with it then. It came with some really crappy welds. The throttle connector broke on the first ride, its been rigged ever since. The front fenders didn't last too long. The round pipe they were made of was pinched flat where they connected to the body and that didn't hold up well at all. I plan to add some metal to some of the crucial welds so I don't have wheels flying off in the middle of a ride. All in all I like it. I will post some pics soon, as the one I put up was generic from killermotorsports where I bought it. That's all I've got to say about that.

[greenmachine03]

Underpowered for a teenage or adult person. Perfect buggy for the family with younger buggy-drivers. PERFECT candidate for a swap. I really want to swap in a 350+ size engine on the back and splice the harness so that I can hook up the 150cc for the kids and the bigger one for myself. Four bolts and the right harness connections. I'm going to look into fabbing that up. But until then... CDI, intake, exhaust, speedometer to make it street worthy to get it to my 5 acre offroading space.

Mine is blue. My 9 year old brother and 7 year old sister can handle it at full throttle. Although I managed to get sideways and made it lift onto 3 wheels. It will not really do donuts or climb or drift around or anything...YET.

Perfect buggy for the grand total of $800 with all the paper work, title, and in like new condition (model year 2010).

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w447/greenmachine03/photo-22.jpg

[zman007007]

welcome greenmachine to our world

[greenmachine03]

welcome greenmachine to our world

Thanks for the welcome. I took it out again today and it did better then I thought. I hit 25-30mph on a straight flat street. I just need it to do 40-45mph to be street worthy. I gotta check into what it takes to make it street worthy in OH. I bet there is a FAQ or sticky on that.

[donfordguy]

Underpowered for a teenage or adult person. Perfect buggy for the family with younger buggy-drivers. PERFECT candidate for a swap. I really want to swap in a 350+ size engine on the back and splice the harness so that I can hook up the 150cc for the kids and the bigger one for myself. Four bolts and the right harness connections. I'm going to look into fabbing that up. But until then... CDI, intake, exhaust, speedometer to make it street worthy to get it to my 5 acre offroading space.

Mine is blue. My 9 year old brother and 7 year old sister can handle it at full throttle. Although I managed to get sideways and made it lift onto 3 wheels. It will not really do donuts or climb or drift around or anything...YET.

Perfect buggy for the grand total of $800 with all the paper work, title, and in like new condition (model year 2010).

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w447/greenmachine03/photo-22.jpg
that's what mine looked like when I got it but the frame was rusted out

[mtbdudex]

That's pretty much my ride right there but SunL branded. I've seen these body types branded Kandi, Roketa, Kinroad, and GIO. Zhejiang Mengdeli Co. in China mass produces these, and the aforementioned compainies slap their logo on 'em. I'm biased because I own one of these, but I'd go 7.5 maybe 8 outta 10! lol

I think that mine is a cheap knockoff of this one. The MXR Trailbender 160cc "racing" go kart. They said it only had the 58.5 head but I think it has head and bore. I agree that it has no climbing power. Mine has 16/32 sprockets. It goes near 40mph flat out until you hit a hill then all the speed fade quickly. I already went with 1500rpm contra and lighter rollers. Haven't tested on the road yet but on stands both pullies had full range of motion so seems like ill still have top speed, just hope this gives me better pull. I'll get the uni filter, orange cdi and coil, a12 cam, port and polish, iridium plug...I think I'll be real happy with it then. It came with some really crappy welds. The throttle connector broke on the first ride, its been rigged ever since. The front fenders didn't last too long. The round pipe they were made of was pinched flat where they connected to the body and that didn't hold up well at all. I plan to add some metal to some of the crucial welds so I don't have wheels flying off in the middle of a ride. All in all I like it. I will post some pics soon, as the one I put up was generic from killermotorsports where I bought it. That's all I've got to say about that.

Is my go kart the same basic model as these?
I made a thread for it here:
my 2015 150cc TAOTAO Targa 150 thread: experiences, etc (http://www.buggymasters.com/forum/showthread.php?p=48542#post48542)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rh7FEPVx3J0/Vlvi9xbbRXI/AAAAAAAAXWY/i7h6_sImQrY/s400-Ic42/2015_11_30_00_47_35.jpg

I bought it from this place in Brighton, Michigan.
They've been there 7 years, nice to view so many models on lot, try them out, etc before buying.
http://www.wmsbrighton.com/category_s/1845.htm (http://www.wmsbrighton.com/category_s/1845.htm)

Here is the distributor website:
http://taotao.us/index.cfm/go-karts/targa150/
Specifications

Targa150
Engine:
Engine Type: 150CC, Air cooled, 4-stroke, 1-cylinder, automatic with reverse
Start Type: Electric start
Transmission: Chain Drive
Max Torque: 9.3N.m/5500r/min
Engine Gear: D-N-R (Fully Automatic with reverse)
Shift Gear: Hand
Wheelbase: 75 Inches (1892mm)
Ignition: CDI
Fuel Capacity: 1.6 Gal (6 L)
Chassis:
Front Foot Brake: Hydraulic Disc
Rear Foot Brake: Hydraulic Disc
Tire Front: 21x7-10
Tire Rear: 22x11-10
Front Suspension: Dua A-arms type
Rear Suspension: Single Arm type
remote control(Yes/No): No
Speed Limiter(Yes/No): Yes
Engine kill switch(Yes/No): Yes
Dimension:
Battery: 12V 9Ah(Included)
G.W.(lbs): 638 LBS (290 Kgs)
N.W.(lbs): 528 LBS (240 Kgs)
Max Loading: <=320 LBS (160 Kgs)
Overall Size: 96 x 59 x 62 Inches (2450x1510x1580 mm)
Carton Size(inch): 91 x 51 x 24 Inches (2300 x 1300 x 600 mm)
Ground Clearance: 5.9 Inches (150 mm)

[BuggyMaster]

Yes pretty much same thing.

[JERSEYDEVIL]

:evil:
just a few observations from having to work on them, i have 3 customers w/ a version of this buggy. i wish they would put the electronics box on the frame so removing the engine would be alot easier w/ the removable swingarm top. the metal fender do bite heads, and are really savage w/ shaved heads when you are trying to maneuver yourself to see a problem back there.
when driving compared to most buggies you do feel the weight, it does not feel as nimble as most of it's competitors. the overall comparison speed wise is it is a slow buggy, w/out a lot of mods, very, very tame.

[mtbdudex]

Thx for feedback...

[BuggyMaster]

:evil:
just a few observations from having to work on them, i have 3 customers w/ a version of this buggy. i wish they would put the electronics box on the frame so removing the engine would be alot easier w/ the removable swingarm top. the metal fender do bite heads, and are really savage w/ shaved heads when you are trying to maneuver yourself to see a problem back there.
when driving compared to most buggies you do feel the weight, it does not feel as nimble as most of it's competitors. the overall comparison speed wise is it is a slow buggy, w/out a lot of mods, very, very tame.

I know you posted this many months ago but I had reply with a little chuckle about the fenders eating skin. I had to come back and re-read one of my reviews because I am thinking about getting another one of these.

[JERSEYDEVIL]

:evil:
now i have a 4th customer in the stable. just rebuilt the motor w/ a hoca 155cc kit /performance head, hoca racing clutch, CDI/coil, uni, 10g rollers and 1.5k spring and one of my exhausts......now it's fun, not a big fan of them but i like this one.
https://www.facebook.com/jerseydevil.minibuggypage/videos/1077288149016993/

[lotpop]

I am looking to buy for Christmas, have a 9 and 14 year old girl and an 18 year old boy that would be playing around in this. Have 2 acres flat grass and about a 1/2 mile gravel road to play on. Which one would be best?
The Kandi Spyder200 looks cheaper but I think I would need to assemble https://www.paylessmotorsports.com/collections/frontpage/products/go-kart-200cc-adult-brand-new?variant=30932576396
and the Trailmaster 150 XRX is assembled by a dealer but more expensive http://www.freedomcyclesinc.com/default.asp?page=xNewInventoryDetail&id=964017&p=1&make=trailmaster&s=Year&d=D&t=new&fr=xNewInventory

[x-bird]

when it comes to the assembly cost, there's only 1 or 2 places/people i'd buy from that i would trust the assembly work. You're better off doing the buildup yourself so that you know everything is correctly done and you also learn the machine for down the road work.

[BuggyMaster]

I second that. Seen many machines poorly assembled by dealerships.

[El Chapo]

Hey guys please join my Facebook group for buggy’s. I need help growing it :)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1394105184078642/?ref=share