Temecula, CA - Kawasaki entered the
youth ATV market in 2003 when Kawasaki formed an alliance
with Suzuki to share ATV models, which gave birth to
the KFX50 and KFX90. They were virtually identical to
Suzuki’s LT50 and LT80 besides the green fenders,
but as of 2007, Kawasaki and Suzuki decided to discontinue
sharing and rebranding models, which left Kawasaki without
a youth ATV model and little time to develop a brand
new machine, so Kawasaki formed an agreement with Kymco,
and the pair developed the all new four-stroke KFX50
and KFX90, which are loosely based on the Kymco Mongoose.
These entry-level minis are virtually identical units
with the KFX90 and KFX50 sharing the same chassis
along with many other components, but there are some
distinct difference between the siblings. Of course
the bore and stroke are different with the KFX90 having
an 89cc displacement and the KFX50 coming in at smaller
49.5cc. They also are equipped with different automatic
CVT transmissions to accommodate the different age
classes for the two machines. The KFX90 is geared
more aggressively for riders 12 years and older, and
the KFX50 is geared with a maximum speed of 15mph
for riders 6 years and older. Finally, each unit is
equipped with different wheels and tires with the
KFX90 coming with more aggressive, taller and wider,
Maxxis tires with 18x7 in the front and 18x9 in the
rear, which are mounted on 8 inch steel wheels. The
KFX50 has a low profile Maxxis 16x8 tires in the front
and rear and are mounted on 7 inch steel wheels, which
reduces its ride height and center of gravity for
the younger riders.
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| The
front fender styling is very similar to the
their big brother the KFX450 even the headlights
are added, but are fake on the minis because
they aren't allowed by law |
Both
ATVs come with push button electric start on
the handlebars, and they also have a backup
kick starters incase the battery would die during
a ride |
The Kawasaki KFX 50 proved to be a perfect machine
for those riders 6 and up. With its 49cc air-cooled
four stroke motor producing a user-friendly power
that can be easily controlled by young and inexperienced
new riders. It has a screw-type throttle limiter along
with the CVT collar, which both limit the overall
speed of the unit, so parents can limit the maximum
speed while their youngster is still learning the
basics, and once they have mastered the ATV they can
gradually increase the throttle and easily remove
the CVT collar without an extensive mechanical background,
which allows the KFX50 to reach its maximum speed
of 15mph. Another key safety feature equipped on the
KFX50 is its rear grab bar mounted, Ignition-cutoff
tether, which works like a kill switch, and stops
the engine immediately, so parents can walk behind
the machine and pull the tether in the event of dangerous
situation. Finally, the KFX50 is equipped with floor
boards to provide comfort for those long rides and
also helps keep the rider from accidentally running
over their feet.
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| ATV
safety was certainly a top priority for Kawasaki
as the KFX50 & KFX90 have numerous safety
features, and one very important item is the
keyed ignition system, which prevents the ATV
from being operated without a key. Also, the
KFX50 has a rear tether and leash to allow parents
to walk behind the ATV and shut-off the engine
by pulling the tether from the ATV.
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The Kawasaki KFX90 is suitable for those riders who
are age 12 and up. Like its younger sibling it has
the user-friendly power that can be easily managed
by younger riders, and with its larger 89cc motor,
it is a little but more powerful for those riders
who are more experienced. Just like the KFX50, it
has the many of the same safety features including
the throttle limiter, CVT Collar, and large floor
board, but it doesn’t have the grab bar mounted
safety tether, which isn’t a surprise with a
top speed of 25mph.
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| Both
machines are also very easy to maintenance with
the oil dipstick easily accessible from the
side of the engine, and the air filter and battery
are tucked away under the seat for easy accessibility
as well
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To debut their all-new youth ATVs, Kawasaki invited
the media and some youth riders out to sunny California
for a test ride, and to ensure a fun and safe ride,
Kawasaki made sure that every child had the appropriate
gear and had American Safety Institute instructors
on hand to provide ATV safety training before hitting
the trails.
The first quad we took on a test ride was the KFX50.
The experienced test riders had no problem climbing
some of the small hills as the KFX50 may only have
a top speed of 15mph, but it is has plenty of torque,
which was also evident while climbing over some of
the rocks on the ride, and its 5.3 inches of ground
clearance proved to provide ample ground clearance
as our test riders could virtually go wherever they
wanted on the rocky trails around the lake. Once they
had enough trail riding, we headed to the track. On
the track, the test riders found themselves searching
for ways to turn the rolling whoops into small jumps,
which was a perfect test for the suspension. Afterwards,
they all felt the suspension worked great and wasn’t
too harsh are soft, and one rider even asked if I
saw him while he went through the whoops section pinned,
and didn’t have a problem. After a thorough
test session on the KFX50, they were ready to try
out something a little bit more powerful, so the older
kids grabbed the KFX90, and went back to the track.
The KFX90 performed just as well at the KFX50 through
the whoops section, but the riders said that they
noticed the difference in power between the two machines
right away with the KFX90 having a stronger hit and
higher top speed. After most of the kids where done
racing each other we decided to head to the mountain
of rocks, to see if they would be able to make it
through as easily as the KFX50. Not only did they
make it through, but they did it with ease, once they
found a path around all of the huge boulders. The
power difference between the two quads is very noticeable;
however the handling is nearly identical, which isn’t
a surprise with the pair sharing the same chassis.
Also, the test riders were impressed with the brakes
on both machines as they were able to bring the machines
to complete stop in only a few feet at top speed.
One of the test rider summed it up the best “It
was just lots of fun”, which is exactly our
thoughts on the Kawasaki’s new KFX90 and KFX50
mini ATVs.
Both the KFX50 and KFX90 are available in the traditional
Kawasaki lime green as well as white. MSRP for the
KFX 50 is only $1,749 and the KFX 90 MSRP is only
$2,149, which are priced lower than comparable Honda,
Yamaha, and Suzuki models. With the reasonable pricing
on Kawasaki’ mini ATVs, you could add either
model to their Christmas list and still have money
left over to take the kids on a weekend or more ride
with the money saved, and feel confident with your
purchase considering Kawasaki has been producing ATVs
and Dirt bikes for over four decades, and have always
had the slogan “Let the good times roll”.
www.kawasaki.com
