The top speed for a 200cc go-kart depends greatly on driver weight. Another factor is the type of engine used. There are 2-stroke engines and 4-stroke engines. 2-strokes are known for being a lot lighter and more powerful than 4-stroke engines. However, 2-strokes do have a reputation for being more finicky and less reliable as well as less efficient.
A 2-stroke, 200cc go-kart will hit a top speed of around 120 mph. A 4-stroke, 200cc go-kart will reach a top speed of about 60 mph.
Why Are 2-Strokes Faster Than 4 Strokes?
The reason that 2-stroke engines are faster is that for a given engine size 2-stroke engines are much more powerful than 4-stroke engines.
The reason for this is that the explosion in the cylinder is happening twice as fast with a 2-stroke engine as compared to a 4-stroke engine. To simplify things here you can think of a 2-stroke being about twice as powerful as a 4-stroke.
While this is an oversimplification it is a tried and true rule of thumb.
2-Stroke Vs. 4-Stroke
You will rarely see a 200cc 2-stroke engine on a lightweight go-kart and the reason for this has to do with power-to-weight ratios. Simply put the go-kart becomes dangerously fast and the handling goes out the window.
These engines also make way more power than the kart’s tires can handle so you will often sit there simply spinning the tires and burning money. People still do use 2-strokes to power their karts but they are never bigger than 125cc.
On the other 4-stroke engines create a lot less power for the same displacement. This means that 200cc is a very appropriate engine size for karting and is a good place to start. 2-stoke engines are also not used for karting that often. The standard has become 4-stroke engines over the years.