For the third time in the past three months, I’ve been in the situation of helping a new karter out in the pits with their newly-purchased used kart after they come in brakeless. It is of course more hazardous to have the newest drivers suffer this sort of problem than an experienced driver who can sense that they’re fading away or instinctively loop the kart to stop it when they go completely.
If you sell a kart, sell it with working brakes It’ll take you five minutes to check whether the kart you’re selling has brakes that work. Put it up on a stand or even a railroad tie, start the engine, rev it up, do a few lockups, check the travel, check for leaks. If you raced or practiced with a kart regularly you know where to get brake parts for it. If it’s beyond economical repair, break it up for scrap. It’s not doing anybody any good and it’s a good way to cost someone their enthusiasm for the sport when they should be at their most excited.