Cectek Quadrift 500EFI quad bike

Tired of watching scooters whizz by as you sit in jams, but don’t fancy risking two wheels?

The Quadrift quad bike from Cectek could be the answer.

The firm specialises in agricultural all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), but its new 500EFI has been built from the ground up as a road-legal model.

To find out what it’s like, we drove a yellow example every day for a week on our daily commute.

Initially, the engine failed every two miles, due to a bad earth connection.

But once that was fixed, the Cectek left us with a smile whenever we climbed aboard.

It has a 500cc engine, yet as it’s classed as a quadricycle, drivers can ride it without taking their motorbike test.

The unit is mated to a clutchless CVT box, so pulling away is easy.

But grip on the race-like tyres wasn’t great, and with the alloy wheels hiding disc brakes all-round, we skidded if we stopped sharply.

The key to good progress is balance and position.

Sit too far forward and grip is reduced; too far back, and the front lifts with every blip of the accelerator.

The strong pace takes some getting used to, but the 500EFI sells on its thrilling, open-air experience.

The drive to work has never been so much fun!

 * Contact: 01789 490177, www.cectek.co.uk
 

Verdict

 * Problems: Engine gets hot between legs, can’t weave through traffic like a scooter, grip issues.

 * So why buy? Enormous fun, turns heads, can be ridden on a regular driving licence.