Buggies (a.k.a. Dune Buggies, Sand Buggies)
 

Buggies were first introduced in none other than California, sometime back in the sixties. Until recently, in the UK they were only available in ‘kit form’, which were expensive and required the user to have some serious mechanical know how! Now with the production of buggies in the Far East (mainly Taiwan and China), they are becoming ever more popular across Europe. Probably less so in the UK, because of the wet weather we generally face, however, those of you who have been fortunate enough to sun your buns in Spain recently, will know how popular they have become!

Most of the Buggies that you will see in the resort areas should have gone through stringent testing with the relevant authorities to make them ‘road legal’. These have approval for Road Use (EEC approval). In the UK, you would probably purchase one of these from a reputable importer (e.g. www.europiumworld.com) who would provide you with the correct Certificate from the manufacturer.

 

The Off-Road version would not be supported by EEC approval and can only be used off-road (check out our venue search for a legal off-road buggy venue near you).

As far as engine capacity goes, well they started with the 150cc versions (both on and off-road), which soon became less popular as owners got overtaken by double decker buses, making them laughable rather than cool! However, the 150’s are still great off-road if you are just a beginner and want something to test your driving skills with. Nowadays, engine sizes are getting bigger with the 400-650cc versions getting ever more popular, however, watch out for the 1100cc’s as well! Buggies generally come with either shaft drive or chain drive mechanism so check which would be better suited for you (we will be covering more on this later).

And yes, in case you are wondering, you do need a full driving licence to ride one of these on the road (or a full motorcycle licence if you passed your test before February 2001). And like with any other road vehicle in the UK, you will need Insurance and Road Tax, so unless the importer has already registered the buggy with the DVLA, this is the first thing you will need to do. And although legally you don’t need to wear a helmet, we strongly suggest that you wear one, on or off-road as a minimum!

As buggies become more popular across the UK, it is becoming easier to get tuning kits to ‘turbo charge’ your little monsters. We will be featuring more on this soon, so keep watching!