MXU 400 Review
The MXU 400 continues to impress all those that cross its path. A ride impression on the MXU 400 by Greg Ghiggioli.
I recently had the opportunity to use a Kymco quad bike, the MXU 400 in an on farm situation and get a first hand impression of it.
Well, I was very impressed. I picked the bike up expecting a Chinese compromise to the Japanese and American machines on the market today. The Kymco is not a compromise. This machine is a well thought out, comfortable and very capable in real Australian conditions.
A walk around the bike reveals great standard features such as wide mudguards, sump and oil cooler guards, steel racks front and rear, big flat floorboards and a very heavy duty tow bar integrated into the independent rear suspension. All driveshafts have enclosed uni joints and the differentials are safely vented to keep grime and water out of those essential underbody parts
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A big plus is the fitting of Kenda 4ply tyres as standard; most quads have 2ply and are quite prone to punctures.
The bike is easy to operate. Start up, push the gear lever to H or R and accelerate- this machine feels lively light and stable. Steering geometry has been carefully set to give the rider a sense of stability over rough ground without being heavy to turn at low speeds. Over the last few years I have operated several Polaris’s with a rigid type rear axle suspension; this keeps the bike flat in tight turns. The Kymco fully independent rear end allows the bike to body roll more when you work cattle and are pushing a bit harder in corners than normal riding, no problem when you get used to it!
A ride along the Talbragar River to shift steers found me up and down banks, through mud and loose cow poo. To my relief the mudguards work well with the top of the bike and me staying clean and dry. This quad climbs well with the 4wd option very easy to engage. Surprisingly, this automatic bike has excellent engine braking, even down steep banks. Brakes are outstanding.
An odd combination of park brake levers means that the left brake lever is a one hand on and off operation while the right is a comparatively fiddly two-handed affair. The master cylinders are well made and seem robust.
This motor gives the impression of being well built and easy to maintain, an external oil filter, big airbox and good size oil cooler with a thermo fan should help with longevity.
To summarise, the quad is a surprise, it works much better than I anticipated and gives no impression of being a “cheapie”. Time will tell if the engineering will stand up to the rigours of farm life, I believe it will.
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