2016 Kymco MXU270,450i and 700i

[domesticated]

So we bought three Kymco quads spring of 2017 and put them through the test all summer in north central WA mountains.  My boys MXU 270 surprised the hell out me several times when I thought for sure id have to pull it through some muddy spots but he cruised on though like it was 4 wheel drive(which it isn't).  Really a well built great beginner quad even for younger riders as it comes with the restrictor rings that only allow for about 25mph till they are ready for higher speeds which this tops out at about 45mph which is plenty for mountain trails.  

The wife's MXU450i is about the smoothest running, and shifting quad I have ever been on.   Has great pep for a 450 and with on the fly 4x4 she has gotten up every where I've gone(despite my best efforts).  She is only 5' tall and really likes the narrower seat on the 450, something to keep in mind if your considering a 500 as that will put you on the wider body which may not be as comfortable a ride for some.

I really have only have one complaint about my 700i and that it isn't a 1000 .  Super comfortable to ride and plenty of power.  Rode these all season with no issues what so ever.  To be honest the quality of these machines is definitely comparable to Yamaha, Suzuki, or Arcticat.  The main reason I bought these was the price.  I was able to score all three for about $14,500 after tax as the dealer had been sitting on them for about a year since no one around here wanted to take a chance on an unknown brand which worked out very well for me.  The mxu270 came with decent undercarriage guards and plates but the skid plates on the 450 and 700 are plastic so defiantly replace if your riding in rocky areas.  I made mine out of 3/16'' aluminum using the plastic plates that came on them as a template.  Only took about $100 and a weekend but you can also buy these if your not a cheap as I am.

[davefrombc]

My friend has  a  Kymco  700 and  loves it..  Yes Kymco  quality is right up there  with   the  Japanese   makes.  In fact  , if you dug  into  it , you'd  find  Kymco  does a lot of  manufacturing  for   other  makes ,  both in   parts and assemblies.   Some  junk  does  come out  of  China  and  other  Asian  countries, but  also  despite what  American  industry tries to tell  everyone ,  some  very  high quality products do  also. Kymco   is a  Taiwanese  company ,  and their  products  take  no  quality  back seat  to  anyone.

Now ,  I can think  of some  American  companies that  can't  make  that  claim  about their  products,f  one  in the  quad  manufacturing  industry . . LOL.  I don't  know  how  common it is   on  newer  ones,  but  up  here  among  people  I  know , older  Polarises  have  the  nickname  " Pull  Hairis"  for all the  problems  they have  had .

 

[Ajmboy]

Thanks for posting this @domesticated, I really had no idea about the quality of Kymco or if it was comparable to some of the main stream manufacturers on the market. Great pics, they look like fun and well designed ATVs.

* Topic moved to Kymco ATV forum.

[mikeexplorer]

Kymco makes some of the smaller engines for Arctic Cat. I have a 2010 366 Arctic Cat with 9500 miles on it and it has been a good machine. The chassis is basically the same as a MXU 375.

 

Mike

 

[johniii]

Sounds like you got a good deal and everybody's happy!!

[Matthew Whynot]

Hi I have a 2014 kymco 700i mxu. It only has 1600 km on it and the speedometer and odo stopped working. It just stays at 0kmh and odo does not go up. I’m wondering if it was the speed sensor would the check engine light come on?  I have take. It out and cleaned it but still does not work. A dealer told me the light should come on if there was a problem with the sensor so he thinks it would be the screen. Everything else works on the screen including riding hours, gear position, fuel gauge,clock. Can someone help please before I buy parts for nothing. Thanks

[mikeexplorer]

I do not know if this information will be accurate for you but last year I had a problem with my Arctic Cat 366 which is basically a Kymco MXU 375. There is a speed sensor that sends pulses to the POD to measure speed. (Picture 1) I had the same problem, reading zero. First picture is what the speed sensor looks like ON MY QUAD. It MAY be the same on yours?

First thing to do is unplug it, clean it with electroclean (you can find it at any auto parts store) then measure with the ignition on to verify it has power to the sensor.  (picture 3)

I have a meter that can measure Hz and I was able to verify the speed sensor was bad with it quickly. There is another way. Look at Picture 2. With the ignition on take a thin pair of needle nose pliers or use a piece of small gauge wire and go from the +12V lead to the center lead and "tap" it several times. This will simulate the pulses sent by the sensor. If you POD shows a speed reading, the sensor is bad. If it does not. You may have a broken wire or a bad connection to the POD, or a bad POD.

(My meter showed me with the quad running at idle, I had pulses coming from the sensor, but the voltage output was too low for the pod to read)

Mike

 

[Matthew Whynot]

So if I tap the leads with pliers do I tap both at the same time or leave on one lead and you said if the speed goes off of zero that means the sensor is bad ?  And if it doesn’t move off of zero it could be the screen?  And yes the sensors look identical. Thanks for the reply

[mikeexplorer]

Either way, since I had thin pliers, i tapped both at the same time. (make sure your going from the 12 volt wire to center wire.

If it doesn't do anything, I would suspect the wire first. This quad did have a wire harness problem in the front side. It was intermittently blowing the ignition fuse and I found a rubbed through wire in the front frame. If you have a schematic, you can disconnect the pod and verify continuity between the speed sensor plug and the pod.

Its possible the connector to the pod is dirty and not making a good connection. I would suspect a pod problem last.

Mike