Quad bikes

Sally Druy takes a look at three ATVs that claim to combine both sports and utility features

TESTED THIS WEEK

Honda Rincon AT 2/4WD

Kymco MXU 150RL

Kymco MXU 300RL

THE REVIEW PANEL

Nigel MacPherson engineering lecturer, Sparsholt College, Winchester

Until recently there was a distinct boundary between quad bikes for racing to incidents - grass fires, acts of vandalism, lost children or accidents - and quad bikes to help deliver sacks of seed and fertiliser, tow a trailer with tools or even assist with mowing.

Sports quads would get you to where you needed to be fast. Utility quads were the choice if the work involved heavy loads and you didn't need to break any land speed records. But things are changing. Increasingly we are seeing new models come to market that offer the best of both worlds.

In this test we look at the Honda Rincon AT 2/4WD, a machine that combines sports and utility features. Introduced last year, it is the first Honda quad to boast electronic fuel injection. But what will our tester make of the handling and suspension settings?

Kymco is another manufacturer offering machines with two capabilities within a single body. We test two machines from the MXU range - said to offer customers something different by combining the key features and benefits of both types of off-road machines, plus they are road legal.

The test took place on the purposebuilt ATV training track at Sparsholt College, near Winchester. Conditions on the day were dry and sunny with a gentle breeze, though rain the previous day had left parts of the track a little "greasy".

Honda Rincon AT 2/4WD

With 675cc of single cylinder four-stroke punch, this is the largest ATV produced by Honda. And it's definitely not a toy. It's both sporty - a thrilling ride with terrific torque and acceleration - and a tough workhorse. This is a quad bike for all conditions. A real multi-tasker, the Rincon should appeal to estates, country parks and local authorities.

Replacing the previous 649cc model, the engine on the new Rincon has been boosted to 675cc through an increase in bore size of 2mm. Combined with a fuel-injection system, plus washable air filter and redesigned exhaust, the Rincon has...