By: Corry Weller

Kazuma / Redcat SFX-110 ATV Product Review
With so many off-brand mini ATV companies sprouting up everywhere within the past year or two, it’s been hard to ignore the less expensive brands of ATV’s that are becoming more readily available for our younger, entry level riders. There are so many different brands that sometimes it gets hard to keep track of them all when researching the different machines available. After doing quite a bit of looking and reading, both online and in magazine reviews, we finally made the decision to purchase two Kazuma/Redcat 110cc four-stroke quads for our 8 year old son and 10 year old daughter. Because our kids are at the age where they are too big for the 50cc mini quads, and not quite big enough for the larger quads, such as the Yamaha Blaster or the Honda 250EX, we realized that the Kazuma/Redcat 110 fits both our needs and those of our young riders.

4-Bolt Pattern	3-Bolt Pattern

The Kazuma is also sold under the name “Redcat”, the quads are almost exactly the same and come with the exact same engine. The only difference we have found between the two brands is that the Redcat comes with a 4 –bolt hub pattern for the rear wheels, as compared to the Kazuma’s 3-bolt hub pattern.

During our search for this entry level quad that was fun and definitely affordable, we were lucky enough to find a local dealer with both a Kazuma 100-SX and Redcat SFX-100 and after bringing them home and taking a good look at them, we were pleasantly surprised at the initial quality we saw in these little 4-stroke machines. While our expectations had been low because of the price, we were soon finding ourselves quite pleased with our purchase!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Redcat SFX-110

The very first thing we took note of was the quality of the plastics - they are thicker and nicer than we had expected them to be and they add much to the looks of these little quads. We think the esthetics of the 110’s can’t be beat – they have aggressive styling and look very similar to the popular Yamaha Raptor designs. We noted the plastics were secured well with no flopping or noise present, and were very shiny with unique slits molded into the rear fenders. Adding to the looks of the SX is a good looking, functional black bumper that is well proportioned to the rest of the quad.

Upon further inspection, we found the Kazuma seats to be quite comfortable with a nice gripper feel to them, and with a seat height of 26.3”, our test riders wouldn’t feel too tall or too short while sitting on their quads.

The footpegs on the Kazuma’s are wide and very big compared to other mini quad pegs, and we were happy to see that small nerf bars come standard on all Kazuma 110-SX’s. These nerfbars, in combination with the full plastic heelguards that attach to the footpegs, offer a great deal of protection for a young rider’s feet - there is no way a small foot can slip off the peg and under a tire with these items in place.

The Kazuma controls and handlebars are a good size for young rider’s hands, and while the handbrake seemed stiff and hard to pull for the front brakes, the rear wheel foot brake seemed very easy to use and is positioned well.

Some other items we noticed on the Kazuma that not all mini quads have are a surprisingly loud horn, as well as headlights that actually work. The button for the horn is mounted on the handlebar controls near the headlight/start switch and can be easily accessed while riding without having to look for it. The headlights, which are mounted up under the front plastics are easily removable and have hi/low beam capabilities.

Light and Horn controls are only a thumbs reach away and very accessible		LED gauge mounted on the handlebars illuminates the current gear selected

The feature we had looked for and appreciated the most on a mini quad was the clutchless heel- to- toe shifter that comes standard on all 110-SX’s. We like the fact that a young rider could learn how and when to shift with a transmission like this, without having to worry about the complications of a clutch. The transition from this type of shifting to a fully manual quad should be much easier for a young rider to master. Additionally, there is a handy LED gauge mounted just above the gas cap that indicates what gear the quad is in. The face of the gauge is just a thin, clear plastic, but it does the job.

The tires that come with the Kazumas are more square shaped than most mini quad tires; less balloonlike and more similar to the shape of an MX tire. The tread is an interesting design and looked like it would do well in all types of terrain.

Kazuma / Redcat have square shaped, MX style, rear tires instead of the typical ballon tires found of many other mini's		Nerf bars, wide foot pegs, and foot/mud guards are standard equipment along with a heel-to-toe shifter

The 108cc, air-cooled 4-stroke engine and chassis looked typical for a youth quad, with a beefy looking chain driving the rear wheels. With a top speed claimed at 35-40 mph, this 7hp engine should offer plenty of fun for newer riders as well as for more experienced ones. The engine cover has a nice fit and finish to it and has a small window that allows you to see the oil color and level without having to check the dipstick – we felt that this was a handy feature.

The suspension on the Kazuma 110’s is fairly standard with a single a-arm design up front and a capable looking swingarm at the rear. The Kazuma measures 31.3” wide, which is not very wide if you are looking for a race quad, but is quite sufficient for the type of riding our test riders were going to do. The stock shocks that come with the SX are single rate, simple shocks without much travel. This is the only thing that we weren’t terribly impressed with, but after seeing many other smaller, off-brand quads and their suspension, this seems to be pretty standard. The stock suspension is definitely not race suspension, but is fine for casual trail, track or dune riding.

THE TEST RIDES
Peewee track

Marlee & Matthew Adcock were ATVriders.com Test Riders

The first place we took our new Kazumas was Speedworld MX Park, in Surprise, AZ – the same location that hosts Round 1 of the WORCS series and will also be hosting two rounds of the 2006 ITP Quadcross series. Speedworld has a fun Peewee track that allows quads, and this is where we headed to give our Kazumas their first test run.

Our test riders, Marlee and Matthew Adcock, accurately represent the demographic that the Kazuma’s seem to target – they are entry level, young riders who just like to ride their quads and have a good time in many riding different environments.

Once our riders were geared up with the proper safety equipment, they headed out onto the track for some fun!

The 110-SX’s had no problems negotiating the table tops, turns, and single jumps that make up the pewee track. It didn’t take long for each rider to learn when to shift to get the best response from their machine.

While the heel-to-toe shifters can be somewhat noisy and require a firm shifting action, they are easily learned and work well. This type of transmission allows the rider more control over their speed and power when going up and down hills than an automatic transmission does. The 110’s low end torque was admirable in the lower gears going up the steeper hills. The 19x10x8 rear tires hooked up well on the hard packed track surface, but still allowed for some sliding action, much to our test riders delight. However, when the track became muddy after being watered, the stock tires had a harder time gaining traction.

As suspected upon our first inspection, the front drum brakes on the SX 110 were found to be lacking sufficient stopping power on their own by our test riders, and the hand lever was hard to pull. However, the rear foot operated drum brake had plenty of stopping power and was very easy to use.

Kazuma / Redcat ATVs are great trail machines, but the suspension will quickly reach its limits on an MX track

When asked what he liked the best about the SX so far, our youngest test rider, Matthew said “The horn! It’s so loud!” When asked the same question, Marlee stated she liked how the quads looked the most, but the horn was cool, too. “It makes Matthew get out of my way!” she exclaimed. “He’s too slow sometimes!”

Dunes

The stock ties are very vertisle for many different terrians, but aftermarket tires may be a better choice duning

We wanted the opportunity to test our new Kazumas in several different riding environments, so we loaded up the quads and the kids and headed to the ISDRA for a little playtime in the sand. Our expectations weren’t too high due to the fact we hadn’t had any time to find out if anyone makes a paddle tire that will bolt up to a 110-SX, but we figured we’d see how they did with their stock tires in the smaller dunes near our camp.

Our test riders were new to the sand but quickly learned where and when to stop in the dunes so they wouldn’t get stuck, and how to keep up their momentum in the softer sand. Our riders started out on the sandy trails around camp and quickly progressed into the smaller dunes with more challenging terrain. The Kazumas handled the smaller uphills and downhills with ease, even with their stock tires, and our riders had fun making new tracks in the fresh sand. While testing the traction limits of the stock SX’s, we led our riders into slightly larger, softer dunes, and there we found that if the hill was too long or too steep, the stock tires would simply lose traction part way up the hill and the rider would have to turn around. This is also an area where our riders were very happy to have a reverse gear, as there were several places they got stuck, but when put into reverse, the quad was easily backed out.

Because the 4-stroke engines don’t use much gas, our riders were able to spend hours blazing their own trails through the small dunes and sand washes surrounding our camp. All too soon, we had to pack up and head home.

FINAL THOUGHTS
To be honest, at first we really didn’t expect much from a quad that cost under $1k, was hard to spell and was sold under more than one name. However, after watching our new test riders have fun on their Kazuma’s in several different riding environments, and having zero mechanical or electrical issues to deal with or ruin the fun factor, we have a new respect for this inexpensive, fun, entry level machine. We also couldn’t resist throwing a leg over these quads and giving them our own test ride in the pits at Glen Helen during our last ITP race. It was here we found yet another use for the 110-SX - they make a terrific pit quad! They are quiet and allow one to sneak off at all hours of the night to use the facilities, TP someone’s trailer or just check out the scenery. They also get you to the registration table a whole lot quicker!

In summary, we feel that we made the best choice possible while looking to find a quad that was inexpensive and easy to maintain. The Kazuma 110-SX has the safety features that are important to us, it is fun and easy to ride, and most of all, the kids can have fun riding this quad no matter where we take them.

AVAILABILITY
ATVriders.com Site Sponsor, KidATVs,carries a full line of Kazuma / Redcat mini ATVs, and they are offer discounts to ATVriders.com members. Also, KidATVs offers FREE Shipping & No Sales Tax. Currently the Kazuma 110-SX is available for only $949.00

Kid ATVs, LLC
10950 Paris Ave South,
Hastings, MN 55033
651-497-5146

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