Kayo T6 cross-country motorcycle - the choice of those who love open spaces and off-road conditions

Jinyun Kayo Motor Machinery company tries to constantly surprise motorcycle enthusiasts, especially in the last few years, when European and Japanese manufacturers have fallen out of favor. This is not surprising, since the cost of motorcycles belonging to the “enduro” class and produced by famous brands exceeds 10-15 thousand. But lovers of two-wheeled vehicles still find an option that can satisfy the demand for technical characteristics, performance, power and speed. One of the motorcycles that can interest both a professional cross-country racer and an off-road enthusiast is the Kayo T6​, which belongs to the class of off-road motorcycles.

Features of design and appearance

If you read numerous reviews about this model of off-road bike, you can come across two opinions - admiration and contempt. Moreover, owners of expensive off-road motorcycles, the cost of which is several times higher than that of the Kayo T6, do not like this modification. If you look at the information in the 4×4 club magazine, this series of motorcycles has balanced parameters - reliability, power and resistance to difficult operating conditions. Kayo T6 is a versatile motorcycle, used for both enduro riding in the forests and cross-country. At the same time, the safety level of the equipment is high, which is a significant advantage for the rider. Features include a water-cooled engine and high technical specifications that allow the bike to be used in difficult conditions. This model is perfect for those who engage in motocross at an amateur level or want to purchase a bike to gain the appropriate professional skills. Kayo T6 is a budget model, the price of which will pleasantly surprise many, and in combination with its performance characteristics, it will only complement the list of advantages. We also recommend paying attention to the Kayo K1 250 Enduro model.

Kayo K6

2017, 250 cc, 25.8 hp, 115 kg, 249,990 rub.
It is unlikely that a couple of years ago, anyone, even in the most feverish delirium, would have been able to imagine that Asian off-road motorcycles would occupy their own, quite, it must be said, voluminous niche in the Russian cross-country and enduro market.

Photo: Anna Boyko

Seasoned professionals, of whom there have been quite a few divorced in the domestic Internet space in recent years, will chuckle skeptically into their beards pomaded in barbershops and disgustedly brush this article off their iPad screens. And...they will be completely wrong!

Design features

The technical characteristics and appearance of the Kayo T6 model are a bit reminiscent of its predecessor T4. Among the differences relative to Kayo T4 and at the same time the advantages can be identified:

• The wheelbase is extended by 100 mm (its length is 1445 mm);
• The T6's height is 945 mm, which is the height of full-size off-road motorcycles;
• The gas tank has been reduced to 4.5 liters (enough for 100-120 km of driving);
• 4-stroke single-cylinder Zongshen engine with a power of 28 “horses” and a volume of 249 cc. cm.;
• The Kayo T6 weighs 119 kg, so if it gets into a ditch or mud, the rider has to push it out on his own.

The presence of water cooling allows you to use the bike’s engine at high speeds for a fairly long period of time and not be afraid of overheating. In the basic configuration, the bike is equipped with an electric starter and an hour meter, which makes it possible to simplify the process of starting and monitoring the condition of the main components and assemblies as much as possible (the meter can be used to determine the time for maintenance, diagnostics and scheduled replacement of wear parts).

The Kayo T6 electrical system is simple and functional - if necessary, the rider installs a headlight and side lights, turning the bike from an enduro into a cross-country version. The use of a duplex frame made of steel pipes provides the necessary level of rigidity of the motorcycle. In order to provide this model with fast and high-quality braking, it is equipped with disc brakes with one and two-piston calipers. The installed shock absorbers from Fast Ace (Taiwan) allow you not to worry about comfort (as far as possible) while driving on bumpy roads or off-road, with the front fork being adjustable and the rear having a pendulum monoshock absorber.

Kayo T6 off-road motorcycle

Today's difficult financial situation in the country has set priorities in the off-road motorcycle market in its own way.

Rented Japanese and European models, which, it must be said, did not sell very well before, are now not held in high esteem by buyers. And this is not at all surprising, because the cost of a new enduro motorcycle has long exceeded half a million rubles, which are rapidly losing their value. But what to do if the desire to explore the vast Russian expanses on two wheels has not disappeared, despite any financial troubles? There are, in fact, two ways out: choosing a motorcycle on the secondary market or... buying a new Chinese SUV.

Unlike other Asian models, Kayo T6 looks like a full-fledged, adult motorcycle

We have already written about Asian enduros produced under the Kayo brand (see 4x4 Club No. 6'2015). The budget model T4 turned out to be very popular in the market and became quite popular in the segment of inexpensive off-road motorcycles. Today we will get acquainted with the new Kayo T6 model. Despite the external similarity visible to the naked eye, the new product is quite seriously different from the previous generation. Firstly, its wheelbase has grown by almost 100 mm and is now 1445 mm. Secondly, the seat height has reached completely “adult” values ​​and amounted to 945 mm. To reduce the overall weight, Chinese engineers reduced the volume of the gas tank by 5 liters, and now the T6 can only fill about 4.5 liters of gasoline. But the most noticeable change is, of course, the engine. The new motorcycle is equipped with a Zongshen liquid-cooled single-cylinder powerplant with a capacity of 249 cc. cm and power 28 l. With.

The technical characteristics of the T6 allow it to participate in amateur cross-country and enduro competitions

Compared to the T4 engine, the number of Chinese odd-toed ungulates here has increased slightly, and the volume has increased by 16 “cubes”. And although the total weight of the motorcycle has increased by 12 kg, the T6 rides much faster and more interesting than its brother, equipped with a frail “air”. All this technical Chinese splendor is installed in a duplex frame made of steel pipes. The motorcycle features disc brakes and an aluminum rear swingarm with a linkage system for progressive performance.

The damping system uses shock absorbers from the Taiwanese company Fast Ace. Front fork with 43 mm diameter and 245 mm travel. Rear gas-oil monoshock DNM with a remote reservoir and a working stroke of 350 mm.

For the power plant that is installed on the T6, the front brakes have plenty of potential

Kayo boasts a full-fledged aluminum rear swingarm

The stock Kayo T6 is equipped with an electric starter and an hour meter. If desired, you can easily connect an optional headlight and side light. So its transformation from enduro to motocross bike and back takes just a few minutes.

Sea trials have shown that the T6 drives much more cheerfully and interestingly than its predecessor. Of course, the vaunted Fast Ace, as well as on the younger model, work very poorly, but the power plant pleases with its characteristics. The motorcycle accelerates and responds to manipulations with the throttle much faster. Frankly speaking, the old T4 was not suitable for sports use. After all, his element is entertaining, dacha rides and the simplest and most uncomplicated “yard” races. But the new T6 provides its owner with much more opportunities. It allows you to confidently jump small cross-country jumps up to 10 meters, behaves predictably in turns and perfectly overcomes natural enduron obstacles. And if you put a fuel jet several units larger in the carburetor, then the “Chinese” acquires agility that is completely unusual for it.

Water cooling allows you to have absolutely no fear of engine overheating

The presence of a kickstarter is very helpful in case of problems with its electric counterpart

The rear adjustable shock absorber behaves quite acceptable off-road.

Surprisingly, the products of Jinyun Kayo Motor Machinery Co. Ltd. continues to surprise me every time. For 180,000–189,000 rubles. the buyer receives a completely balanced and reliable off-road motorcycle, which has a reliability atypical for “Asians” and has quite decent tactical and technical characteristics. They allow you to use it not only for endur forays into the forest, but also on the cross-country track without much damage to the rider’s health. The water-cooled engine is not afraid of overheating, and Kayo’s inherent durability will make it possible to operate the motorcycle without problems for quite a long time. In general, to summarize, I can say with confidence: if you are not going to engage in full-fledged motocross and do not plan to attend endura competitions like the Red Bull Romaniacs, then the Kayo T6 may be your choice. After all, its shortcomings are offset by undoubted and significant advantages.

By the way, at the time of writing this material, the first Chinese off-road motorcycle equipped with direct fuel injection had already appeared in Russia - Kayo K6! We will talk about it in one of the upcoming issues of the magazine.

The motorcycle was provided for testing by Rolling Moto, www.rollingmoto.ru

Ride quality

Many motorcyclists are no longer interested in technical characteristics, but in how the Kayo T6 behaves on the road or in its absence. According to many motorcyclists who have tested or ridden such a bike, the Fast Ace shock absorbers do not cope properly with the assigned tasks, but there are no complaints about the engine, gearbox and drive system. An important feature of this bike is that it can be used to make jumps of up to ten meters, overcome jumps and standard enduro obstacles. Among the improvements recommended by experienced motorcyclists is the installation of a slightly larger fuel jet in the carburetor, thanks to which the motorcycle becomes faster and more maneuverable.

Price

For most motorists, the issue of price plays an important role in choosing a particular model. Depending on the seller or outlet, the price of Kayo T6 ranges from 2000-3000 USD. when buying a new one and 500-1200 USD when purchasing a bike second hand. A significant advantage of this modification is that spare parts and consumables for it are inexpensive, so in the event of a breakdown you will not have to invest large sums.

Specifications