The hot word in youth quads this year is "four-stroke" (or is that two words?). Kawasaki, fresh off the end of its alliance with Suzuki, has developed a pair of youth thumpers in the race to get 'em while they're little. Although we have been supplied with only sketchy details on the KFX450, we do know the KFX90 and KFX50 are the first models to sport Kawi's new signature styling. Polaris has also gone all four-stroke on its youth models with a new Outlaw 90, mini-ute Sportsman 90 and Predator 50. The company may have had some of the old two-strokes clogging up the factory, however, as a two-stroke version of the 50 and 90 sport models are still available, but only in pink.
Suzuki released a new 90, the QuadSport Z90. With an auto transmission and floorboards, it's more kid-friendly than the previous QuadSport 80.
Can-Am eliminated its two-stroke 90, as did Arctic Cat with its two-stroke 50.
But it's not as though two-stroke smoke-spewers are dead, is it? Cobra continues to develop its truly race-ready two-stroke youth machines with a reconfigured engine on its top-of-the-line ECX70. The ECX50 also gets an update with a new auto clutch in its single-speed transmission.
Can-Am
DS 50
Retail price: $1799
Engine
Type: Single-cylinder two-stroke
Displacement: 49cc
Bore x stroke: 40x39.2mm
Cooling: Air-cooled
Carburetion: Mikuni VM 16mm
Lubrication: NA
Starting: Electric with auxiliary kickstarter
Drivetrain
Drive system: 2x4
Transmission: Automatic CVT
Front-wheel-drive: NA
Rear-wheel-drive: Chain
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Single A-arm, independent/1.4 in.
Rear: Shock/2.0 in.
Tires
Front: 20x7-8
Rear: 19x8-8
Brakes
Front: Dual drums
Rear: Drum
Parking: Yes
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 38.0 in.
Claimed dry weight: 228 lb
Ground clearance: 7.0 in.
Length/width/height: 58.0/34.0/35.5 in.
Seat height: 26.0 in.
Fuel capacity: 1.6 gal.
Load capacity
Front/rear rack capacity: NA
Hitch tongue/Towing capacity: NA
Electrical
Taillight: NA
Headlight: NA
DC outlet: NA
Alternator: NA
Instrumentation
Fuel gauge: NA
Speedometer: NA
Odometer: NA
Hourmeter: NA
Tripmeter: NA
High-beam indicator: NA
Neutral/reverse light: NA
High-temperature light: NA
Color: Red
Suzuki
QuadSport Z50
Retail price: $1899
Engine
Type: Single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement: 49cc
Bore x stroke: 36x48.6mm
Cooling: Air-cooled
Carburetion: Mikuni VM 13mm
Lubrication: Wet sump
Starting: Electric with auxiliary recoil
Drivetrain
Drive system: 2x4
Transmission: Automatic CVT
Front-wheel-drive: NA
Rear-wheel-drive: Chain
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Single A-arm/2.0 in.
Rear: Swingarm/2.0 in.
Tires
Front: 16x8-7
Rear: 16x8-7
Brakes
Front: Mechanical drum
Rear: Mechanical drum
Parking: Yes
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 32.7 in.
Claimed dry weight: 165 lb
Ground clearance: 4.7 in.
Length/width/height: 50.0/30.3/30.1 in.
Seat height: 21.1 in.
Fuel capacity: 0.7 gal.
Load capacity
Front/rear rack capacity: NA
Hitch tongue/Towing capacity: NA
Electrical
Taillight: NA
Headlight: NA
DC outlet: NA
Alternator: NA
Instrumentation
Fuel gauge: NA
Speedometer: NA
Odometer: NA
Hourmeter: NA
Tripmeter: NA
High-beam indicator: NA
Neutral/reverse light: NA
High-temperature light: NA
Colors: White, yellow
Side-By-Side
The utility vehicle segment is following the utility ATV crowd in finally realizing that not all of these machines are bought as a tool...some folks actually like their sit-up-and-drive machines! Polaris and Yamaha have acknowledged that fact with several fun limited-edition versions of their Predator and Rhino. Both now come in versions decked out for hunting as well as dressed up for sport, with lower-profile tires and custom paint touches. Other full-featured options packages come with winches or other custom cosmetic touches.
And Arctic Cat has made a stripped-down version of its popular Prowler XT, known simply as the Prowler, in order to get the scarce machine into more AC customers' garages.