2021 Kayo T4 - Review

[Rooster]

2.2K Mile update in the last post #9


I recently purchased a 2021 Kayo T4. Overall, I am very happy with the bike so far. I am approaching 500 miles and I have taken it on the freeway, city streets, and some trails. I have owned and rode a few Japanese dual sport bikes, 2014 Suzuki DRZ-400s, 2016 Honda CRF-250L, and the 2019 Suzuki DR200s. This Kayo kicks their ass offroad, but the road handing is not as good as those bikes. That actually makes sense because the T4 is basically Kayo's dirt bike with just a lighting package added. This fits the bill for what I have been wanting for a long time, a light dirt bike that has been made street legal. Opposed to what a lot of other dual sport bikes are which are street bikes that can go in the dirt. Not putting any of the above bikes down. I have had a lot of fun on them all, and they all have their strengths. They are all heavy though, and in my opinion with exception of the DRZ, inadequate in the clearance and suspension aspects. The Japanese dual sport bikes are made with the road use designed into the bike. This is not the case with the Kayo T4.

Why Kayo? I did not set out to buy a Kayo bike. I was actually looking for another Suzuki DR200s for my girlfriend to ride trails with me. Covid-19 has put a huge damper on the Motorcycle market. There were no DR's at all available the last few months when I was looking. I was looking at new but even in the used market, no DR's and really no dual sport bikes at all that were very good, or suitable for her. Then I found out about Kayo, did a little research and found a dealer that had them in stock. I had the choice to wait for god knows how long for a bike, estimates were running into October & November, or to take a chance on a Kayo and just give my 2019 DR200s to my girlfriend. I went for it because I really did not want to miss the entire riding season waiting for a bike that may never show up. I am happy I did it. We are now riding and having a lot of fun and the Kayo T4 seems solid.

The Kayo T4 is light. It has a similar weight to the KTM dual sport bikes around 245 lbs. Of course it's no KTM but doesn't claim to be. The gas tank is plastic which saves a lot of weight, and it holds 2.6 gallons which provides a good range. The suspension is soft but can be hardened a bit with some adjustment screws on the forks and rear shock. It seems adequate for my 150lb frame and I can wheelie, do whoops, and land small jumps with no problems. If you want to do bigger jumps or you are heavy, you may need to re-spring the forks and shock.

The frame is solid. The welds are very good quality and look strong. The link is actually really nice and looks very strong. These things seem to be equal to the Japanese counterparts. I don't think the rims are really intended for high speed highway use. They are DOT certified but they have a rim lock and are not balanced at the factory. This caused a lot of head shake and bounce on the bike when I got it above 40 mph. Once balanced, the issue was greatly improved. I think that also the tires are contributing to the shaking, it does not come with the best quality tires. As it is, I can cruise at 55 mph comfortably after balancing the the tires. It should be improved more after I change out the tires. Disk brakes front and back are nice and smooth and seem to work well.

The engine seems reliable so far. It runs smooth and has a Nibbi racing carb on it. The bikes come greatly under jetted in an attempt to make them all California emissions compliant. Kayo did this so they would not have to worry about making a California specific variant. They just made them all the same instead. Mine was rejetted and it runs great! Way more snappy and quick then the DR200s I have that is re piped and jetted. The stock pipe is actually pretty nice. It does not appear to have any baffles and does not have a spark arrestor. Complete unrestricted flow. You will need to install a spark arrestor. Luckily DRD has a screen insert that fits inside. Once you install that and tune the jets, you will not need to change the pipe. This is a huge cost saver and I think the stock pipe is as good as any aftermarket pipe with respect to air flow. The bike has no oil filter or o rings to change out, just an oil straining screen. You will have to change the oil more often with this bike, but the job is simple and takes only about 10 minutes. I have made a commitment to go "by the book" with all the maintenance on this bike. I believe that it will give the bike the best chance of lasting a long time. The oil is an interesting weight. Kayo insists on Shell oil with a viscosity of 15W40 in the summer and 10W30 in the winter. I went ahead and hunted down the Shell 15W40. They have it at Orielly's Auto Parts, and at some Shell stations. It is not more expensive than the other major brands.

Rumors, and other insights.
Rumor has it that Kayo was started by a Honda Motorcycle engineer. I believe it. I think that Kayo is it's own company. Some have suggested that it is a rebranded bike made by another Mfg. I don't believe that. The bike looks like some other Chinese bikes but there are some huge differences in components and even subtle differences in body style.
The Kayo T4 is said to be a Honda CRF-L clone. I have had that bike and I can tell you that it is completely different. The sitting position on the Kayo is completely different and more aggressive. The suspension is way better on the Kayo for offroad. The clearance and suspension travel is far greater on the T4. For me, it is a much better handling trail bike than the Honda CRF-L series bikes.

In short, I would recommend this bike for a intermediate trail bike. I believe that if you keep up on the maintenance, it will last and be a solid performer. I would not recommend this bike if you mostly ride on the street. This bike is very well suited for short distance street use on the way to the trails, and then for a fun ripping time once you hit the dirt. This bike will never be a Supercross bike, but for a dual sport, I think it will surpass the trail performance of the Honda, and Suzuki's that I have ridden. I had to ride this bike 200 miles on the freeway to get it home from the dealer. That was not fun. However, riding 30 minutes at 60 mph to get the trails is not bad and once you hit the dirt, it is well worth the trip!

I will continue to update this thread as I modify the bike. I have already done a few cosmetic changes and I will include photos when time allows.

[krat]

Better than a DRZ400 you say?

Wait a minute, I have to make popcorn.

[culcune]

Thank you for the in-depth initial review! As far as OEM, it is believed that Kayo and Pitster/GPX have some sort of relationship; perhaps Kayo is the OEM for some of GPX/Pitster lineup? Kayo is gaining in popularity and seem to have the goods to back up their reputation. Apparently, they chose to continue to use the 230cc engine instead of the 249cc engine because the 230 can be modified. The Chinese engine guru on Facebook, Henner, has apparently recommended the Kayo T4 over the Orion RXB with the 249cc engine due to the potential for modding the Kayo. I look forward to your continued reports.

[Rooster]

Originally Posted by krat

Better than a DRZ400 you say?

Wait a minute, I have to make popcorn.

Better for me I say, for a bigger guy maybe not. The DRZ400 is a beast of a bike. It was like I was not even on it's back when I rode it. Indestructible and it will climb and hop over anything. I used to get some pretty big air on that bike too. It handled that fine. I just have a few problems with the DRZ400, 1. it's heavy, 2. it is top heavy, and 3. it is very heavy. It is not practical for me to take it on trails. It is easy to get into trouble and not be able to right the bike in time. That's why I busted my collar bone riding that bike. The DRZ400 makes an outstanding adventure bike. It is heavy and not very agile on small trails though and it's hard to stay on top of if you are not a big guy.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by Rooster

Better for me I say, for a bigger guy maybe not.

I know exactly what you mean in "better for me". Back in my heyday, when I was at the top of my MX game, my Husky was that bike. It was superior to my old Yamaha in every way....but also superior to me on its back. I turned faster lap times on my old Yamaha because it seemed I spent the majority of my time with the Husky slowing down to not miss the berm.

Glad to hear you're happy with the Kayo. Keep us posted on your adventures!

[Rooster]

Update:

I got a chance to take the T4 up on the trails a few times now. It is a really fun bike! You can really feel the light weight once you are throwing it around off road on corners and bumps. I was able to hit some small jumps and some pretty big whoops yesterday. I finally got the suspension dialed in. I am 5'8 and 150 LBS and I put the Forks and rear shock all the way to the hardest setting, and the fork rebound a few clicks on the faster rate to smooth out the hop in the front end.

The suspension handles really well. I possibly could use a little less rebound on the back but otherwise I am impressed. I found the forks to be superior or equal to the other dirt bikes I have ridden. I hopped over all kinds on debris and some big rocks while maintaining positive control. I also had some speed runs through deep sandy gravel. It performed like a champ. I even lost the front wheel at one point in the deep gravel and was able to bring it back up before I went down. This bike performs the best in gravel out of all the other bikes I have ridden (Honda XR300R, Honda CRF250L, Suzuki DR200s, Suzuki DRZ400s). They all had high end dual sport tires, Dunlop and Michelin too so I was shocked. This bike still has the stock tires so I expect even better performance once I change them out.

I was riding a 2019 DR200s that is jetted nicely with DG Performance Pipe, and chunky Michelin AC-10 tires (90% dirt 10% street rated). I did things yesterday on the Kayo that I could have never done on that bike. The front end would have washed out, and I would have went down. The gearing on the T4 is pretty narrow. First gear is very low and second is pretty short in range. This kind of forces you to shift a lot and use the upper gears more then on the other bikes I have ridden. I find myself using 3rd a lot and have even hit 4th sometimes on straight sections.

The power is good on the bike I have, but the carb was rejetted and they don't come stock that way. If it wasn't tuned like it is, I think the power would be inadequate and I think that is what is driving some of the "gutless" comments I have seen. The good news is that the Pipe is good and the airbox is adequate to gain a lot of power by just rejetting the carb. With an aftermarket spark arrestor available as well, it is really cheap to get a huge performance increase with this bike.

Here is a video I found recently that shows the potential of this bike on some jumps. I believe this is a 2019 or 2018 model in the video and probably has been re sprung. However, seeing this make me a little more confident in the strength of the frame and bike. Not sure what he said at the end but he looks stoked!
Edit: I put the post into google translate. It appears the bike was basically stock and the guy was only 5 seconds behind the track record.

[buzz]

no way its better than a DR400, proven bike. Had one it was great

[Rooster]

Yes the DRZ400 is a great bike. I rode one for a few years. It is way too heavy and tall for me and the trails I ride though. Riding a bike that is 2x+ my body weight on technical trails is not that fun for me. I found that out when I went down on the DRZ and busted my collar bone. If I had been on a lighter bike, I would have been able to avoid that crash. Plus, I could barely pick that thing back up when I went down. Even without a broken collar bone.

[Rooster]

Hey everybody and I hope y'all had great riding adventures over the summer. I rode my T-4 hard over the summer and had a blast on it! I did the basic maintenance plus a few extra checks that I didn't do too often on my previous bikes. It has been reliable and really fun to ride on trails over the past 2.2k miles. There are some maintenance things that I have learned about this bike that I want to let you all know if you own one, or want to buy one. First I want to say that it cost me under $3000 and is totally worth it. It is a ton of fun on trails, jumps, whoops, and everything else I have put it through.

I will be updating this post with the maintenance items below:

1. Chain tension - check it every time you ride. It is recommended by the MFG and it can clue you in to major problems before you get on the road. It needs to be between 8 to 10 mm slack with the rear wheel jacked off the ground. If you notice it get looser, inspect your tension roller. It could be chipped or damaged. Also you may need to increase your rear wheel nut torque. Mine was not holding at the Mfg recommended 45 lbs after jumping so I went up to 55 - 58 lbs. That holds it in place on my bike.

2. Chain Tension Roller - This goes along with #1. Inspect and, I recommend, replace your chain tension roller. The stock one is hard plastic and is brittle. Mine broke off on one side and I noticed when I checked the chain tension and it was loose. It was dangerous to ride, especially on the HWY. I found a solid rubber replacement that is a match to the measurements of the OEM part and hardware. It has greatly improved the chain performance and reduced the chain noise. Here is a link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F2G2SYR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

3. Chain - The T4's come with a standard chain, so no O rings or X rings. My chain is in great shape but I stay on top of the maintenance. I clean and re oil it whenever I ride through deep water and mud, or when it gets dry. It still looks new.

3. Oil - Check before every ride with THE CAP NOT SCREWED DOWN. The MFG recommends Shell Oil but my bike did not run well on Rotella oil. When I changed out to JASO certified Maxima 4 stroke Motorcycle oil, I noticed a huge difference in smoothness in shifting and engine performance. I attribute that to the additives that Maxima has in it for wet clutches that Rotella does not have. Also it's about the same price.

4. Tires - Check pressure before riding. I am still on the stock tires and I will have to change them out soon. They have lasted 2.2k miles though and the performance is not all that bad. Offroad handling was surprisingly good. Actually great in sandy deep gravel, good in the dirt and ok in the MUD. The on road handling is adequate but mine vibrated at high speeds when they were new. Now that they have worn down the vibration is gone. I have realized that the tread was uneven around the tire and has now been ground down and evened out. I would keep the pressure up at 20 back, 19 front. These tires need the extra pressure to protect the side walls and rims. I would save the down pressure riding for when you have the Dunlop or Michelin's on there. Also keep your spokes tight so you don't bend your rims.

5. Start it up every weekend, whether you ride or not. It will help maintain the battery and it's good to get the fluids and gasses moving so things don't become stagnant. The manual mentions this in a vague sort of way but it is good practice with this, and really with all bikes in my opinion.

Overall I love the bike! I am learning a lot about working on bikes and I can tell that this bike requires a lot of maintenance, if you want it to keep running nice. It seems to be pretty basic stuff though that doesn't take much time.

I have noticed a few quirks with my bike and it probably is the case with all of them from what I can tell, from reading the forums. The starting procedure is interesting. When you first start it you need full choke and give it just maybe 1/2" throttle. If fires right up every time. However, then you need to immediately push in the choke or it will stall. It settles into a low idle for warm up that is under 1000 RPM. A little too low according to the specs. Once it is warmed up though, it settles into the proper RPM range and runs perfectly. Every start when it's warm is instant and smooth. So I don't mind the quirky start. I care much more about how it performs on the trail.

[Jackstr]

Originally Posted by Rooster

2.2K Mile update in the last post #9


I recently purchased a 2021 Kayo T4. Overall, I am very happy with the bike so far. I am approaching 500 miles and I have taken it on the freeway, city streets, and some trails. I have owned and rode a few Japanese dual sport bikes, 2014 Suzuki DRZ-400s, 2016 Honda CRF-250L, and the 2019 Suzuki DR200s. This Kayo kicks their ass offroad, but the road handing is not as good as those bikes. That actually makes sense because the T4 is basically Kayo's dirt bike with just a lighting package added. This fits the bill for what I have been wanting for a long time, a light dirt bike that has been made street legal. Opposed to what a lot of other dual sport bikes are which are street bikes that can go in the dirt. Not putting any of the above bikes down. I have had a lot of fun on them all, and they all have their strengths. They are all heavy though, and in my opinion with exception of the DRZ, inadequate in the clearance and suspension aspects. The Japanese dual sport bikes are made with the road use designed into the bike. This is not the case with the Kayo T4.

Why Kayo? I did not set out to buy a Kayo bike. I was actually looking for another Suzuki DR200s for my girlfriend to ride trails with me. Covid-19 has put a huge damper on the Motorcycle market. There were no DR's at all available the last few months when I was looking. I was looking at new but even in the used market, no DR's and really no dual sport bikes at all that were very good, or suitable for her. Then I found out about Kayo, did a little research and found a dealer that had them in stock. I had the choice to wait for god knows how long for a bike, estimates were running into October & November, or to take a chance on a Kayo and just give my 2019 DR200s to my girlfriend. I went for it because I really did not want to miss the entire riding season waiting for a bike that may never show up. I am happy I did it. We are now riding and having a lot of fun and the Kayo T4 seems solid.

The Kayo T4 is light. It has a similar weight to the KTM dual sport bikes around 245 lbs. Of course it's no KTM but doesn't claim to be. The gas tank is plastic which saves a lot of weight, and it holds 2.6 gallons which provides a good range. The suspension is soft but can be hardened a bit with some adjustment screws on the forks and rear shock. It seems adequate for my 150lb frame and I can wheelie, do whoops, and land small jumps with no problems. If you want to do bigger jumps or you are heavy, you may need to re-spring the forks and shock.

The frame is solid. The welds are very good quality and look strong. The link is actually really nice and looks very strong. These things seem to be equal to the Japanese counterparts. I don't think the rims are really intended for high speed highway use. They are DOT certified but they have a rim lock and are not balanced at the factory. This caused a lot of head shake and bounce on the bike when I got it above 40 mph. Once balanced, the issue was greatly improved. I think that also the tires are contributing to the shaking, it does not come with the best quality tires. As it is, I can cruise at 55 mph comfortably after balancing the the tires. It should be improved more after I change out the tires. Disk brakes front and back are nice and smooth and seem to work well.

The engine seems reliable so far. It runs smooth and has a Nibbi racing carb on it. The bikes come greatly under jetted in an attempt to make them all California emissions compliant. Kayo did this so they would not have to worry about making a California specific variant. They just made them all the same instead. Mine was rejetted and it runs great! Way more snappy and quick then the DR200s I have that is re piped and jetted. The stock pipe is actually pretty nice. It does not appear to have any baffles and does not have a spark arrestor. Complete unrestricted flow. You will need to install a spark arrestor. Luckily DRD has a screen insert that fits inside. Once you install that and tune the jets, you will not need to change the pipe. This is a huge cost saver and I think the stock pipe is as good as any aftermarket pipe with respect to air flow. The bike has no oil filter or o rings to change out, just an oil straining screen. You will have to change the oil more often with this bike, but the job is simple and takes only about 10 minutes. I have made a commitment to go "by the book" with all the maintenance on this bike. I believe that it will give the bike the best chance of lasting a long time. The oil is an interesting weight. Kayo insists on Shell oil with a viscosity of 15W40 in the summer and 10W30 in the winter. I went ahead and hunted down the Shell 15W40. They have it at Orielly's Auto Parts, and at some Shell stations. It is not more expensive than the other major brands.

Rumors, and other insights.
Rumor has it that Kayo was started by a Honda Motorcycle engineer. I believe it. I think that Kayo is it's own company. Some have suggested that it is a rebranded bike made by another Mfg. I don't believe that. The bike looks like some other Chinese bikes but there are some huge differences in components and even subtle differences in body style.
The Kayo T4 is said to be a Honda CRF-L clone. I have had that bike and I can tell you that it is completely different. The sitting position on the Kayo is completely different and more aggressive. The suspension is way better on the Kayo for offroad. The clearance and suspension travel is far greater on the T4. For me, it is a much better handling trail bike than the Honda CRF-L series bikes.

In short, I would recommend this bike for a intermediate trail bike. I believe that if you keep up on the maintenance, it will last and be a solid performer. I would not recommend this bike if you mostly ride on the street. This bike is very well suited for short distance street use on the way to the trails, and then for a fun ripping time once you hit the dirt. This bike will never be a Supercross bike, but for a dual sport, I think it will surpass the trail performance of the Honda, and Suzuki's that I have ridden. I had to ride this bike 200 miles on the freeway to get it home from the dealer. That was not fun. However, riding 30 minutes at 60 mph to get the trails is not bad and once you hit the dirt, it is well worth the trip!

I will continue to update this thread as I modify the bike. I have already done a few cosmetic changes and I will include photos when time allows.

What jets did you use? I am working on rejetting my T4, and i think that going up to a 130 main is not enough. It backfires less on deceleration, but that is not completely gone yet. It was a stock 120 main. It still bogs out a bit when i snap the throttle. I know this won't completely go away, but i want to really dial in the jetting. I am thinking of going 135 or 140 main, with a 45 pilot (stock was a 40). Did you adjust the needle clip? to what position? I think the needle need to be raised (clip lowered) from the stock setting.
NOTE: i ride between 2k and 4k elevation in the pacific northwest.

[ghostdancing]

what motor is fitted on this bike? in the picture it not looks like the 169FMM, nor the 172FMM (249cc)

[Jackstr]

Originally Posted by ghostdancing

what motor is fitted on this bike? in the picture it not looks like the 169FMM, nor the 172FMM (249cc)

On my KAYO T4 it is an LX166FMM.

[Jackstr]

Here are a few fun videos of the T4 in action (my brother riding in the snow).

[hitechluddite]

Good thread Y'all! lots of good info!

[Marzomarz]

I have a k2 230 and a t-140. Does anyone know what the spoke tension (torque) should be? I don’t see it in the manual