I have been browsing thru this forum looking for information on these two quads. Apparently the XL70 is new enough or sold fairly seldom as I have found little in the way of comments on it. Not a whole lot on the Meercat 50 for that matter.

Has anyone had experience with these two quads that would give me an idea which would be better for our 6 year old grandson? He is quite active, as many little boys are, and I like the idea of the remote kill switch offered with the XL70 but am concerned about the extra power available on it.

Any comments would be appreciated as we will be making a purchase within a couple of months to have this in time for his birthday.

 

Definitely do NOT get the Meerkat. My daughter had one and it is way too small, very narrow and very tippy, way too bouncy because it has no shocks or springs (only solid axles), and you will really have to fuss with the carb to keep it running.

Also, the Meerkat has 4 speeds and is very difficult for a little one to shift, and it WILL go very fast if your child can figure out how to unscrew the throttle limiter.

We never should have bought one, and now we have an '06 Arctic Cat DVX 50 which is a totally different quad. If you want something a little cheaper, go for a Kymco or an Eton Viper.

 

Thanks Check, you are telling me the same thing I heard on a couple of other forums I ask about this on. Think I'll go with a Suzuki or some such.

 

DEFINATELY DO NOT GET THE XL70

 

The data on the Meerkat is slightly inaccurate. These do have a rear mono shock, and you can get wheel spacers for it if it seems "tippy". Also the tranny is not meant to be shifted on the fly. It is meant for the parent to pick the gear at which they would like their child to ride in that will limit how fast they can go. I do agree that they are udersized, plenty of motor but physical size is small. As for the carb, I never had to mess with mine and it always started hot or cold with no issues. My 5 year old son loved it but was starting to outgrow it, so I sold it to purchase something a little bigger. As for the restrictor screw, these are on all youth quads be it Jap or Chinese, but no kid should ever be able to adjust it because they are to be supervised while riding.

 

Unison Desert cat 50 or 90. Just as good as the name brands, even dinli, eton, and Kymco but alot less money. They are Taiwan not Chinese. The 50 and 90 are like the Predators. Same frame, motor and suspension. You cant go wrong with these if you can swing just a little more cash.

The Meerkat is a great little quad but will be too small for a 6yo. If you want something cheap then stay with Redcat, Kazuma, Baja(from Pepboys) or Jetmoto. These have been around a long time and are pretty reliable. Check out Raceway and see if there is something that you might like other than the xl70. I have had at least half the quads that they have so I can give you some personal opinions.

 

The Meerkat does have the one shock at the back, but nothing up front and so it bounces around like crazy. And wheel spacres would help (if you could find ones small enough), but would only widen the bike from 22" to 26", still way too narrow. Also, I found it tippy in all 4 directions - it only weighs 160 lbs and so if you reef on it you can easily flip it over backwards.

Also, the footwells are way too small. (See My Page and profile for a picture of my then 9 year-old on it), and you can shift it all the way up to 4th gear on the fly (pushing the gearshift foot lever down each time), but it is very hard for a little kid to get their foot underneath and provide enough force to lift the lever up with her/his toe.

I also had to take apart and change the carb settings when going from warm to cold seasons, and the battery was junk (had to keep boosting it).

You are much better off with something made from Taiiwan, such as the Kymco-based Arctic Cat DVX50 my daughter now has. It is very sturdy, wide and stable, carries an adult easily (even up a hill), has loads of low-end power, and can be easliy modified to up the top end from its stock 9 mph. just put more aggressive tires on it if you want to trail ride.

 

2manytoys, is the desert cat 90 made in Taiiwan?

 

Yes it is made in Taiwan.