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xtolekbananx
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:40pm
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I'm looking to buy brand new ATV, I do have an old Bayou 300 4x4 and was looking to get Kawasaki brute force 300, don't need more power since it is going to be used only to get around. I found out that Kawasaki brute force 300 has a KYMCO engine which is 271cc, than I looked at KYMCO ATV and for a few hundred bucks more I could get KYMCO MXU 450. Does anybody have any experience with KYMCO? They now use their engines in kawasaki, arctic cat and polaris at least the smaller models. They are made in Taiwan. Worth it or stick with something else?
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:31pm - Edited by: SCSJeff
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I don't own one personally, but I know a couple of people who have their sport quads. They are happy with them. Online reviews seem favorable also.
Edit: Our local Honda\Yamaha dealer also carries Kymco (for a long time now). I don't think they'd still be selling them if they were coming back with a lot of problems...
Also, I see you have 4x4 in your Bayou. I don't think the Brute 300 (or the Kymco 300) can be had with 4x4...
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:50pm
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Keep what you have.
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lburners
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:08pm
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I would take a look at resale value. You might pay for less up front but when it comes time to sell it are you going to be able to ask 3-4k still?
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xtolekbananx
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:28pm
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I'm keeping the Bayou 4x4. It's a 1991 and it's a tank. Just need another one since my wife is riding with me a lot. And since they use Kymco engines in kawasaki, cat and polaris, I could just get a Kymco 450 4x4 for a little more, I cant really find people complaining online about them, that's why I'm asking here, I'm always wary about thing made in Taiwan, but looks like they make most stuff there now and china.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:47pm
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I had a Bayou 250 2x4. It was also a tank. But, it also rode like a tank. Great for working. But, I wouldn't touch it for trail riding anymore. Any of the newer quads will ride like a cadillac compared to the Bayou...
My $.02... I wouldn't hesitate with the Kymco
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:46pm
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We had a Polaris dealer here in Anchorage that started selling Kymco but they went out of business. I wouldn't buy one because we don't have a dealer but I couldn't say anything about their reliability.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:50pm
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I'm not sure what your price point is but if you bought a honda 300 4x4 back in 1991 it would be worth about the same money as you paid for it.
I bought a honda new in 1998, 300 4x4. I paid about $3800 and see them for 3500 when ever I find them. Yes I kick my self for selling it a few years later for alot less than they go for now.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2020 08:01am
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If you like your current Bayou, why not try to find another exact one. That way, if one breaks down you can pull parts from the other. Or if you have something that regularly has issues you can get a couple spares to keep on hand for both of them.
If you were remote or someplace where it's hard to get parts, even more reason to get a duplicate of the same wheeler.
I have a '95 Polaris Magnum I use for ice fishing, and now around my new land. Plan to get a duplicate for the wife/son when they come up.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2020 08:06am
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I had a Suzuki Eiger 400 4X4, rock solid quad, simple systems, Suzuki parts are reasonable and available everywhere. I sold it for $2600, they made them for many years, maybe look for one of those. Mine was a 2002, bought it new, sold it after I got the side by side. Used it for the property only at the end, harder to carry tools for fence repair, post hole digger etc, otherwise, I would still have it. Do a quick search on craigslist or ebay.
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2020 10:15am
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I know very little about Kymco so I can't speak to their reliability, my concern is also do they have parts readily available and will they in 15 years?
I recommend sticking to the companies that have been around forever. Yamaha/honda/suzuki/kawasaki/polaris.....
I have a yamaha kodiak 450, bought it with 800 miles for 2800$ and now I have 5.5k miles on it. I bet I could still sell it for 2500$....
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2020 11:33am
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I have the highest confidence in Suzuki. I have a king quad with over 8000 hard wet muddy trails n mountains. Mostly because they made a good machine n stuck with it. So parts from machines 20 years apart can be used. And their tougher. I have a couple polaris. Lots more maintenance but nice to not have to shift. But that means a belt. If you have to cross water, even puddles. And the o ring gasket leaks, belt gets wet. You’re done till you dry it out. I prefer a transmission.
I hear the new power steering is nice. I learned to ride with one arm to reduce stress.
Parts availability is the key. I have never had trouble finding Suzuki parts. I use the net. There are atv forum’s for every brand. Maybe Go check them out n see what they say.
Best of luck. And get on out n ride.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2020 11:42am
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It is true that with today's internet you can prob find parts for almost anything. In 20yrs how ever who knows. Either way the machines that any manufacturer sold 20yrs ago are far more simple and robust than they sell today.
O own mostly honda equipment but also own a polaris rzr 800. I haven't been to a dealer in many years.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2020 03:20pm
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An old review...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCAAoDwE2E
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snobdds
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2020 05:31pm
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I am in the process of upgrading all my small engines on ATV, Chainsaws, and generators to EFI. The weak spot in all small engines is the carb with todays fuels.
My new ranger and ATV and generator is EFI. When the stihl 500i becomes more available, that will replace a few old chainsaws.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2020 09:40pm
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I've yet to have any problems with EFI either (knock on wood). But, I was glad to be able to work on an ATV with a carb on the trail when needed...
One time was dirt in the fuel. But, most of the time, it's from getting too deep in a mud puddle or a river crossing. Very easy to drain out the water on a carb. Wouldn't even know how to do that on EFI. But, I guess that's why I've avoided deep water with my machines since getting EFI 
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 16 Oct 2020 06:15am
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I have a EFI polaris 800 RZR. It runs worse than the rest of my carb fuel equipment. It uses resistance through an unsealed rotory switch on the trans to tell it what gear it's in, this telling it how much fuel/rpm it can have. It's a very bad design and if it wasn't up at my property I would be trying to figure out a way to make it think it's always in high gear, max fuel/rpm.
Most of this bigger equipment has carb ports so large there not very affected by older fuel. However I am very careful with my 2 stroke equipment on useing fresh E0 fuel. For quads not so much.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 16 Oct 2020 01:54pm
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Good Point Brett,
I don't know how I forgot this... But, I just put a programmer in my Yamaha Wolverine SxS to richen up the fuel mixture. It comes so lean from the factory that people were seeing their exhaust glowing red when idling. It runs much better now. Of course that programmer cost $$$, where a richer jet in a carb cost a few dollars and and an hour of time (depending on how hard to get the carb out)
I've also not had any problems with any of my small engines with stale fuel or ethanol. But, I always keep the fuel tank filled to the brim (reduce moisture) with Startron and I DO NOT drain all the fuel out of my carbs (keeps the seals from drying up and cracking)
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2020 03:34pm
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OK, snooping aroudn Suzuki website, see the Eiger is gone, all King Quads, but the King Quad 400 is the exact engine the Eiger had, ie 376CC air cooled, looks like you can get it in EFI and carb??? Not sure I was reading it right. Looks like its only about $2000 more than what I paid for the Eiger new in 2002, ie $4995.
I got the "shifter" version, not the auto with the large drive belt.
Rig was rock solid till the day I sold it. No real issues at all.
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