Kymco is one of the biggest and best of the Taiwanese-based ATV
manufacturers. Their quad product line consists of everything from
their Mongoose 50 up to their biggest model, the MXU 500. Since Kymco
is the largest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan, their mini quads also
benefit from their expertise at building reliable engines for those
vehicles.
The Mongoose 50 4T is their youth mini quad aimed at the six-years-old
and up crowd. It features a rugged 49cc, single overhead cam (SOHC) fan
cooled, four-stroke engine, with a CVT style fully automatic
transmission, a wide 35-inch width, stock floorboards, and drum brakes
up front with a disc brake located on the back end. Best of all, the
Kymco Mongoose 50 sells for a reasonable $1699.
HOW IT COMPARES TO THE COMPETITION
In the battle of the pocketbooks, the Kymco 50 4T has the advantage
over its more familiar Japanese and Polaris rivals. At $1699, it is
lower priced than the ’07 Yamaha Raptor 50 at $2199, the Polaris
Predator 50 at $1999, the ’07 Suzuki QuadSport Z50 at $1899, and the
’07 Kawasaki KFX50 at $1749.
Price without reliability is no bargain, but the Kymco factory feels
that their product is on par with the competition and, in their view,
maybe even superior. They back up their claims with a 12-month limited
warranty on their product, while their aforementioned competitors only
offer a six-month warranty for their machines. Lower price and longer warranty? This bears checking into.
SAFETY FIRST
Kymco has addressed the need for safety on a beginner quad with a stock
engine cut-off lanyard which a parent can use while their child learns
the ropes of off-road riding. The Kymco 50 also comes with the standard
throttle and speed limiter that let the parent decide when junior is
ready for more speed. Once your child has mastered the basics, it is relatively easy to get
the Kymco 50 running at a clip that won’t bore your young charger into
tears.
You can, occasionally, judge a book by it cover. The Kymco 50 quad runs strong and during our long test sessions was very durable and rugged. We ran it wide open from the time we got it, and have not had so much as a hiccup out of it yet.
START AND GO
To get the motor fired up, the Kymco 50 comes with an electric starter
and a backup kickstart. The electric starter worked fine but the kick
starter might be a bit much for a smaller six-year-old to operate. With
the ease-of-use CVT transmission, there is no shifting, so your child
will only need to concentrate on riding.
Full floorboards offer up a wide area to stand on, and the Kymcos are
wide, with lots of gripping teeth, to keep a youngsters feet on them
where they belong. The relationship of the seat, handlebars, and
floorboards is well thought out.
It uses a chain-driven rear end to get power to the ground and comes
with a set of Maxxis AT 16x8-7 tires with steel rims. The brakes are
operated by a pair of handlebar levers with no foot brake pedal. Dry
weight is 221 pounds, which is well above the Suzuki Z-50 at 167 pounds
but under the Raptor 50’s hefty 237 pounds.
In the suspension department, the Kymco 50 has a single A-arm front end
with dual, independent front shocks with 2.5 inches of travel. On the
back end, a single shock swingarm suspension is standard equipment. It
also offers up 2.5 inches of travel. Unlike its Japanese counterparts,
though, the Kymco 50 does have adjustable preload settings for both the
front and back end.
(Left) While there is not a lot of travel available with the single A-arm front suspension (2.5 inches), it does have adjustible pre-load. (Right) A single shock swingarm rear suspension on the Kymco 50 has adjustible preload and 2.5 inches of travel.
RIDE REVIEW
Our youngest charges liked the simple durability and ease-of-use that
the Kymco 50 4T delivered. It was very easy to get on and get up to
speed in no time at all. The fully automatic CVT tranny took some
throttle and rpm to get moving, but once it kicked in, the machine
moved right along.
It was not zippy or snappy power, more mellow and high revving, until
it hit the throttle limiter. The machine’s handling was very
predictable and smooth. No sudden jarring, or veering off course. Point
it straight ahead and gas it. The wide chassis helped contribute to
this feeling of predictability in the steering. It went where you
pointed it.
The suspension, while not exactly long travel, held up well and kept
the machine on a straight course. The overall ride was fairly
comfortable, especially for a machine this size. Braking was judged
very good, and the rear disc was especially noteworthy. It had good
feel and much better stopping power than a comparable drum-braked
machine.
We had our testers put in a lot of full throttle time aboard the Kymco
50. We were looking to see if we would need to avail ourselves of their
longer term warranty. Zip. Nada. It didn’t so much as hiccup during the
course of our lengthy motos. Even with our most hardened thumb throttle
jockeys aboard, the Kymco 50 came out smelling like a rose. That,
combined with its attractive price point, makes it a good buy in our
book.
2007 KYMCO MONGOOSE 50
Engine type: Single Overhead Cam, fan cooled, 4-stroke Displacement: 49cc Carburetion: N/A Transmission: CVT automatic Final drive: Chain Fuel capacity: 1.4 gal. Wheelbase: 35.4" Length/width/height: 54"/35"/36" Ground clearance: 5.7" Claimed dry weight: 221 lb. Colors: Red, yellow, blue, white
Suspension/wheel travel
Front: Single A-arm, w/2.5" travel
Rear: Swingarm w/2.5" travel Brakes
Front: Dual drum
Rear: Single disc Tires
Front: Maxxis AT 16x8-7
Rear: Maxxis AT 16x8-7 Retail price: $1699 Mfr./Distr: Kymco USA: (919) 656-6315 or www.kymcousa.com
WARNING: Much of the action depicted in this magazine is potentially dangerous. Virtually all of the riders seen in our photos are experienced experts or professionals. Do not attempt to duplicate any stunts that are beyond your own capabilities. Always wear the appropriate safety gear. Copyright 2008 Hi-Torque Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Console Login
