I had the same problem with my sons Redcat 50... Three intake manifolds later and I have taken a hacksaw to the frame where the carb is constantly hitting and cut it out of there. Had to dis-assemble it to get to the carb since I am not double jointed. Have not had a problem since!

Gary

 

Let me add a suggestion to stay away from any "Meercat" atv listed as fully automatic. The automatic transmission on the unit I bought my son, stamped "BMX" on the left side case, is geared too high in the low range. The small engine doesn't have enough torque to do more than start off on level ground. Top speed, however, is very, very fast. For mostly level terrain this would be a fine machine, however it isn't suited to any trail riding. Service tech at Raceway ( not where I purchased ) recommended that I find a semi-auto engine / bottom end, and that's what I intend to do. As far as the intake manifold, I used shim stock to slightly raise the side of the engine closest to the upper frame tupe, and the carb cap is no longer hitting. Seems like I remember reading a post by John that they are having some stronger intakes made; only concern is that the intake is a cheaper "fuse" than breaking the engine casting. I would say that a lot of the satisfaction with the machine is determined by customer service, and John and the guys at Raceway seem to have it mastered.

 

Why dont you just sell the one you have and buy the good semi auto meerkat from John. You would just be waisting money to find a motor to fit. you have the cost of the atv and then the cost of the motor on top. Raceway is just over $500 for the whole thing.

 

2manytoys, you do have a point about the price difference; I hadn't considered that option, but if their price is that low, it might be the fastest solution to the problem. By the tone of your post, I hope I haven't offended you by offering my opinion on this topic; I certainly don't mean that the Kazuma / Redcat is a bad product. In fact I find it to be a good value for the money, with the exception of my mistakenly buying the full auto tranny. The problem with this type of communication is you can't judge the inflection of the writer, so I apologize if I appeared too negative in my comments. My intention was only to point out that, as confirmed by a tech at Raceway, the full auto atv is over geared. Since it is my son's first atv, he doesn't realize there is a problem and is thrilled with his new ATV; however he will eventually get tired of needing to be pushed over small obstacles. As for a motor to fit, I will try to work that out with my dealer when they return after the holiday. If that doesn't work out, then a $20.00 rear sprocket to change the gear ratio is my next option. I wish that I had originally purchased from Raceway, however I can't afford to lay out $500.00 for another atv while trying to sell the one that I have. As with your other replies to my previous posts, I appreciate your advice and input, particularly since I am new to this brand of ATV.

 

Hi Guys,
I found raceway and the meercat 50 by accident. i want to buy it for my 5 year old son. my wife will not let me.Does anyone have an idea for me to convince her? i have checked it out all over and it has decent reviews. she fells my son is too young. i feel he needs to grow a little.

 

I bought one for my daughters 5th birthday. She had never been on one and I was excited that she was interested. After getting the Kazuma, putting it together, and putting it through it's paces it was ready for her. I geared her up and after about only 30 minutes of instruction and tethered training she was on her way. Of course the governor is great for beginners and the single foot brake was easy for her to get used to. I am a super proud dad to see her out there tearing it up and lovin it. Some helpful hints for convincing mom would be the safety features such as the speed governor and teathered kill switch which will allow you to walk behind and kill the atv at any time. The ATV is very stable and solid and I haven't seen any concern for roll over on semi flat lands. the price is right and the smiles are priceless. Good luck with mom...

 

Hey helives,

Bought one for my son when he had just turned 5 and his cousin got one at the same time, he had just turned 4. Also, have a friend who bought one for their daughter for her 5'th birthday. They've all had them for over a year now. I think the biggest factor is where they will be riding at. Are there roads close by? or is this in an open area that's secluded? You have to be more concerned about where they will go when turned loose rather than getting hurt from the bike. I feel that with these quads throttled down, they are no more dangerous than a battery powered PowerWheels. They are very stable. We ride on some trails around our farm and these quads do well, even across rocks in a creek bed and on inclines. These things don't have much low end torque. They slowly build up speed. Gunning it full throttle from a dead stop, doesn't do much.. it just starts of really slow. If you don't have many hills and are mainly "yard" riding, then you could really turn down the throttle. If you have some hills, then they need enough throttle to get up the hills, but that gives them more throttle to come down them as well, which is where they will pick up speed. Make sense.
FWIW, I feel safe enough to allow my 6 year old to give my 3 year old rides around the yard/field and I will probably be having the 3 year old driving it by himself by the end of the summer when he turns 4.

I can send you some pics, if you like.

Jon

 

I bought a Meercat 50 back in May 2005 and did indeed break 3 intake manifolds before discovering riding with the tires flat, and keeping adults off the thing, did the trick. We're replacing the brake shoes for the very first time tonight. For the price I'm happy with this little machine as I am with the 2 Kazuma 110s my other two sons have (the 50 is now a hand-me-down).
Dwayne

 

bumped and moved