Kymco UXV 500i SP - everything is possible to conquer

Engine:

About Kymco

I asked a few friends outside of the motorcycle industry and got mixed answers. One said that these were inexpensive models for children, another that Kymco was part of a Chinese invasion of the local market. None of these guys had any idea what they were talking about. After googling, I found out that Kymco is about 50 years old. It began in 1963 as a licensed manufacturer of Honda mopeds in the local market in Taiwan. In 1992, Kymco separated and began manufacturing under its own brand. The company produced mopeds developed by its own design department. Now they produce 10 models of ATVs, 9 models of all-terrain vehicles, as well as mopeds.

They also build the Brute Force 300, Kawasaki's kids ATVs, and the Kawasaki 300 scooter, which is currently only sold in Europe, as well as all ATVs from 550cc to 700cc for the Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail. And on top of that, Kymco powers the new Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail with 60-horsepower twin-cylinder engines and electronic fuel injection.

How so? Do Honda, Kawasaki and Arctic Cat use Kymco engines? Then the Kymco ATV should be a very reliable machine. I can't wait to ride him on the track.

Wheels and Tires:

Suspension:

Test drive KymcoMXU 500i IRS

Kymco ATVs are still little known in Russia. The situation should be corrected by a utilitarian “quad” with injection called MXU 500i IRS.

The first ATVs under the Taiwanese brand Kymco appeared in Russia about four years ago. These were all-terrain vehicles with a maximum engine capacity of 270 cm3. Nobody took them seriously, and in those days, in general, everyone treated Chinese-Taiwanese technology with undisguised fear, if not contempt.

Kymco is not new to the motorcycle industry. Having started with the production of light motorcycles under license from Honda back in 1965, the company has grown to produce its own bikes, scooters and ATVs. Currently, the company produces about half a million units of two-wheeled and four-wheeled motor vehicles under its own brand. Half of the production is exported.

In Russia, many have heard about Kymco ATVs, but they cannot be called particularly popular. Most likely, the fact is that the production of “quads” (in comparison with more famous companies) at Kymco was established relatively recently. The premiere of the flagship utilitarian model MXU 500 took place in Taiwan only in 2007. The carburetor and continuous rear axle clearly did not contribute to the commercial success of the “five hundred”. On the territory of Russia, certainly, especially with our price of almost 8,000 euros.

“Working on the mistakes” of Taiwanese engineers led to the appearance of an independent IRS rear suspension on the MXU 500 in 2009, and in 2010 the device was equipped with an injection system. Kymco's flagship utility is now called the MXU 500i IRS.

The MXU 500i IRS test took place on a closed test track with a track that was half gravel and half asphalt. These are used for racing supermoto class motorcycles. To test the off-road properties of a utilitarian all-terrain vehicle, such a track is far from the best, but there was no choice. We had to seize the moment when the organizers of the test (Finnish distributors of Kymco equipment in Europe) would look the other way and manage to rush into the nearest forest pampas without any prior notice.

On a bumpy forest path, the MXU 500i IRS suspension immediately announced its low travel with a characteristic knock. Later, I learned from unofficial sources that the suspension travel is 19 cm. For a device with a dry weight of 306 kg, the suspension travel should be clearly greater.

Single-cylinder 4-stroke engine with a volume of 498.5 cm3 - has a power of 34.8 hp. s., and the maximum torque of 39.2 Nm is achieved at 5500 rpm. Not bad performance for its class! And there is no doubt that the traction at low revs is sufficient to overcome our muddy destinations. But there is also a reduction gear and a front differential lock. But the stock Kenda tires with unintelligible lugs will have to be replaced with something more decent. Although, if the future use of the quad involves regular long-distance driving on public roads, then the tires may not need to be changed. The MXU 500i IRS is legal to participate in road traffic. Turn signals, emergency lights, horn, side and brake lights - everything is in place. Plus two parking brakes: a manual one on the steering wheel and a second one through the transmission control selector.

Will the MXU 500i IRS find its buyer in Russia, where heavy-duty ATVs hold the sales lead? Good question! In terms of driving properties, Kymco, of course, is inferior to Japanese and American technology, but in terms of the quality and reliability of its components and assemblies, it is quite consistent with their level. At the same time, the price of the MXU 500i IRS is not much higher than Chinese surrogates from unknown manufacturers. And you certainly shouldn’t be afraid of Kymco devices.

Text: Automobiles Magazine

Specifications:

Kymco UXV 500i SP - everything is possible to conquer

photo Kymco
Kymco is no stranger to the UTV market, the company released its UXV 500 in 2007, its fuel-injected version came out in 2009. The popularity of in-line ATVs forces manufacturers to improve UTVs in every possible way.

Therefore, in the 2013 version, the UXV 500i SP now has a spare wheel, a windshield, a winch and much more that one could only dream of in the first versions.

And after testing the MXU 700i ATV, the question immediately arose - why the new powerful engine was not installed on the side-by-side model.

The test drive, as before, took place on a special track, where all the conditions were created for testing equipment: descents and ascents, springboards, water obstacles and tree debris. And, although American journalists from ATV.com did not expect anything special from the new UXV 500i, the ATV aroused great interest.

The upgraded UXV 500i SP includes a full package of accessories: spare tire rack, ½-piece windshield, covered roof over the seats, 4 headlights, protective net behind the seats - this is what immediately caught my eye. The spare wheel is full size, the same as the 4 working wheels. New tires were installed - 26-inch Kenda Bounty Hunter tires. Kimko engineers felt that such tires held the road better, and they also increased the torque on the main model.

The SP version is probably sportier than the standard trim. In the back of the trunk, instead of a folding side, a cargo net is installed, and a spare wheel on the frame gives the ATV the appearance of a truck. It's worth mentioning the 1400 kg winch and you'll get the full picture of the new UXV 500i SP.

Initially, the UXV 500i is a multi-purpose side-by-side ATV, it is successfully used on farms and is suitable for rides. Therefore, the experts set a goal to test the ATV in difficult conditions. The first and main difference between the carburetor and injection models, which were provided by the dealer for testing, is the power and throttle response of the engine. The carbureted car accelerated sluggishly, but Kimko is saving it for budget buyers. The injection version accelerates much faster, engine power is 499 cc 36 hp, maximum speed is about 90 km/h. This is quite enough to go on the obstacle course.

All-wheel drive is activated by pressing a button to the left of the steering wheel. The differential can be locked, everything is activated using buttons and levers on the front panel. Transmission - variator, 2 gears - forward, reverse, parking. Press the gas pedal and the ATV confidently picks up speed. Brakes: Dual hydraulic brakes up front and a hydraulic shaft brake worked well and allowed for quick deceleration when the brake pedal was pressed.

The suspension is independent, travel 19 cm. At the rear there are double lever shock absorbers and limiters that prevent rollover in corners. But even when turning 180 degrees. The UTV confidently held the road thanks to its dimensions, in particular its width of 1500 mm.

The cabin is typical for the Kymco UXV: seats with seat belts and headrests, digital display, fuel consumption indicator, tachometer. The SP version features two-tone seat paint. As the tall testers noted, the lower part of the headrests was at shoulder height if they leaned back completely.

What everyone immediately noted was the lack of an armrest for the passenger’s left hand. If with his right he can hold onto the handle from above, then with his left he rests against the tidy in case of an emergency. It would be better to provide a handle on the side to provide more safety for the passenger, especially if the ATV is used as a sports bike.

The UXV 500i SP offers plenty of storage space. There is a cargo-protected container under the hood where some dirt gets trapped. There is a trunk under the saddle - it’s definitely dry here in any situation. In terms of space organization, Kimko did not change the design of the ATV.

Judging by the modernization of the UXV, Kymco continues to pursue the path of creating a cost-effective product for a wide range of users. And if the UXV 700i is offered to buyers in 2014, this will be the right step in the development of side-by-side models.

The 2013 Kymco UXV 500 is priced at $7,699 in the US. for the carburetor version and 10,499 for the injection SP model.

Source: Kymco

September 20, 2012 at 04:40

Exterior: