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The
KYMCO UXV500 LE's 498.5CC non-EFI motor
cranks out 36 horsepower & features
water cooling, electric start and dual
overhead cams |
Borrowed from the lighter MXU 500 4x4 utility
quad, the UXV’s 489.5cc single-cylinder
four-stroke engine is fed by a 38mm CVK carburetor
and supplies a claimed 36 horsepower. The California
Air Resources Board (CARB;
www.arb.ca.gov)
figures show the UXV 500 LE measured around 33
hp (24.3kw converted) at the crank in October
of 2009. We’ve pushed the UXV to the rev
limit both during this test and other rides. It
sputters once we hit 45 mph on the speedo, just
as KYMCO said it would. Still, 45 mph is a fairly
decent number, especially for a machine designed
for work first and recreation second. Even without
electronic fuel injection — a highly desirable
feature — the UXV started without incident
at the N.C. test facility.
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We
pushed the UXV500 LE to the limit on our
tests and noticed it had great midrange
power despite it being under-powered compared
to other UTVs on the market |
The engine is average on the bottom end, though
in low range it has enough oomph to tackle chores
and keep everyone except a racer happy. The midrange
is the machine's strongest spot, but even then
it’s not as impressive as some UTVs we’ve
piloted. The Land Rover test course wasn’t
loaded with challenging hill climbs, steep slopes
or slow-speed rock sections to truly test the
machine’s power output, but one particular
climb and the gradual road climbs gave us enough
of an impression. Steeper grades create a serious
dip in power, but that doesn’t mean the
KYMCO can’t tackle a slope. On the park’s
tallest obstacle, we just kept it pinned and the
machine did the rest. Clearly, in four-wheel drive
and low range, the UXV was more impressive on
the same climb. We noticed the most significant
dip in power on hill climbs.
Conversely, going down the park’s steepest
grade wasn’t enough of a test to truly
test the UXV 500’s engine braking. However,
earlier tests have shown it’s better to
switch to low range and alternate between coasting
and braking to best control hill descents. At
this location, that wasn’t possible. Even
so, you must remember the KYMCO has a full hydraulic
disc brake system and steel braided brake lines
for proven stopping power.
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KYMCO
supplies the production UXV500 with Maxxis
25-inch tires but our test UTV came with
the Kenda version as seen above |
Our test unit was outfitted with 25-inch Kenda
tires. However, KYMCO said the production UXV
LE wears 25-inch Maxxis bias-ply tires. Those
are the same tires we tested on the stock UXV.
The Maxxis rubbers offered a good mix of sliding
(depending on the trail conditions) and straight-ahead
traction. However, when we pushed the UTV in the
corners, there was a noticeable amount of body
roll, which could be attributed to both the tire’s
softer sidewall and the front shocks. On the other
hand, the tires pulled the heavy machine through
the site’s mud holes rather easily.
