Kayo Dirt Bike: Review and Guide

If you spend most of your time at the track or in the woods riding, you’ve probably never heard of a Kayo dirt bike. However, if you’ve spent some time searching for dirt bikes on the internet, you may have come across Kayo dirt bikes before — they seem to show up well in search results, despite not being too popular in the US in real riding situations (tracks and woods).

In this post, I’m going to review the company behind a Kayo dirt bike, the different Kayo motorcycles offered, and I’ll provide a Kayo dirt bike review.

Who makes Kayo dirt bikes?

From the highest level, a company called Kayo Moto and/or Kayo Global is behind the Kayo dirt bikes. Below that, there are companies in other regions, such as Kayo USA, Kayo Russia, Kayo Italy, and Kayo Chile. In this post, we’re mainly going to focus on Kayo USA, which is also sometimes known as Ride Kayo, while briefly touching on Kayo Moto/Global.

Kayo Moto / Kayo Global

Kayo Global was founded in China in 2002 by Mr. Jigang Dai after he spent ten years working at Honda. When Kayo Global was started, its focus was on manufacturing pit bikes and exporting them to European markets. Kayo felt that there was a hole in the dirt bike market for high-quality motorcycles that were also affordable.

We’ll touch on the affordability a bit later in our review. It’s also interesting that Kayo felt there was a gap in the market, given there are many other Chinese dirt bikes available at an “affordable” price, such as another Chinese brand we covered: Xpro.

They also focus on what they call a “small to medium displacement range.” This means the Kayo dirt bikes are typically smaller, think 60cc to 140cc. However, there is a Kayo 250 dirt bike and a Kayo 230 dirt bike — it’s just not the company’s focus.

According to the Kayo Global website, they’re one of the leading off-road motorcycle companies in China, having produced over 170,000 pit bikes, dirt bikes, and ATVs in 2021 alone and having been appointed as the national brand for pit bike racing. It even has a national off-road race team, called Team Kayo.

While it seems Kayo dirt bikes are doing quite well in China, the US is a bit of a different story.

Kayo USA

The US operations of Kayo as a business are relatively small and are based in Carrollton, TX, and Fontana, CA. However, according to its dealer map, they have hundreds of dealers across the United States selling a Kayo dirt bike or Kayo ATV.

Where are Kayo dirt bikes made?

Kayo dirt bikes are made in China, then exported to other regions it operates in, such as Europe, the United States, Russia, and Chile.

Kayo Dirt Bike Models

The models offered in China and the United States are slightly different, so in this article, we’re going to focus on the Kayo dirt bikes and Kayo motorcycles that are available here in the United States, such as the Kayo 250 dirt bike, Kayo 230 dirt bike, Kayo 125 dirt bike, Kayo 60 dirt bike, and more.

Please keep in mind that just because we are covering each model of Kayo dirt bike, that does not mean we recommend them. We’re simply giving you the complete guide to Kayo dirt bikes. You can read the full Kayo dirt bike review towards the end of the article.

Kayo 250 Dirt Bike

Despite being focused on smaller displacement bikes, they have more than one Kayo 250 dirt bike. In fact, they have four different models: K4 250, K6-R 250, K6EFI 250, and KT 250 2-Stroke.

Kayo K4 250

The K4 250 is considered by Kayo as a mid-level dirt bike. It has a 250cc air-cooled 4-stroke engine with a 5-speed transmission and electric start. The front and rear tires are similar in size to that of other popular 250 models, 80/100-21 and 110/90-19.

It holds 1.77 gallons of fuel, weighs 231lbs, has a seat height of 36.5 inches, a wheelbase of 56.5 inches, and ground clearance of 13 inches.

This bike is likely more tailored for the woods (or street) than a motocross track as it comes with a headlight and tail light directly from Kayo.

Kayo does say one of its focuses with its bikes is to be affordable, and we’d say this fits that description. Not including destination or dealer fees, the MSRP for the K4 250 is only $3,799.

Kayo K6-R 250

The K6-R 250 has a 250cc water-cooled 4-stroke engine with a 6-speed transmission and electric start (and a kick starter). The front tire is similar in size to a normal 250 at 80/100-21, but this rear tire is a bit smaller at 110/90-18. This may be an indication that this bike is expected to be ridden in the woods, as many woods racers prefer the 18-inch rear wheel over the 19-inch rear wheel. It does come with a reputable brand of tires, which is Kenda.

It holds 2 gallons of fuel, weighs 244.8lbs, has a seat height of 37.5 inches, a wheelbase of 58.5 inches, and ground clearance of 13.8 inches.

The front suspension is FastAce inverted forks and the rear shock is a FastAce single shock.

And, this is the only Kayo 250 dirt bike that does not come stock with a kickstand.

Not including destination or dealer fees, the MSRP for the K6-R 250 is only $4,999.

Kayo K6EFI 250

The K6EFI 250 is an interesting blend of the last two Kayo dirt bikes we discussed. Like the K4 250, the K6EFI 250 comes with a headlight and tail light, and like the K6-R 250, it comes with an 18-inch rear wheel and Fast Ace forks and rear shock. It also has a 6-speed transmission and is water-cooled, like the K6-R 250.

One of the biggest differences with this Kayo dirt bike is that it is EFI, whereas the other two previously are not.

This bike holds 1.9 gallons of fuel, weighs 252lbs, has a seat height of 37.5 inches, a wheelbase of 58.5 inches, and ground clearance of 13.8 inches.

Not including destination or dealer fees, the MSRP for the K6EFI 250 is the same as the K6-R 250 — only $4,999.

Kayo KT 250 2-Stroke

As you can likely guess, simply from the model name of this Kayo dirt bike, the biggest difference here is that it’s a 2-stroke engine instead of a 4-stroke engine like the three previous Kayo dirt bikes we looked at.

Other than that, this bike is basically the same as the K6EFI 250. Same suspension, dimensions, seat height, wheelbase, fuel capacity, wheel sizes, frame, and more. The KT250 is 10lbs lighter and does have 0.2 inches less ground clearance. Otherwise, very similar bikes with different engines.

Despite the similarities, this is the most expensive Kayo 250 dirt bike at an MSRP of $5,299.

You’ll learn more about our opinion on buying a Kayo dirt bike towards the end of this article, but here’s a sneak peak: if you’re interested in this Kayo KT 250 2-stroke, we highly recommend you consider a Japanese bike that is similar, such as a YZ250 or a YZ125.

Kayo 230 Dirt Bike — K2 230

This bike is the only Kayo 230 dirt bike remaining in the fleet. The Kayo lineup once included two additional models of Kayo 230 dirt bike: T2 230 and the T4 230. The lone survivor is the Kayo K2 230.

Kayo considers this to be an entry-level dirt bike. In an attempt to keep the cost of this Kayo dirt bike down, non-name-brand suspension was used (meaning this bike does not come with Fast Ace forks and rear shock like some of the Kayo 250 dirt bikes).

It has a 223cc air-cooled 4-stroke engine with a 5-speed transmission and electric start. Like many of the other Kayo 250 dirt bikes, it comes with a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel.

It holds 1.77 gallons of fuel, weighs 231lbs, has a seat height of 34.5 inches, a wheelbase of 52.75 inches, and ground clearance of 12.5 inches.

Kayo definitely kept this bike affordable, with the MSRP only being $2,399.

Kayo 125 Dirt Bike

Currently, there are two Kayo 125cc dirt bike models: TD 125 and TT125.

Kayo TD 125

This Kayo dirt bike is the more entry-level version of the Kayo 125cc dirt bike models. It is comparable to popular 110cc pit bikes, such as KLX110, CRF 110, and TTR110, as it has a 12-inch rear wheel and a 14-inch front wheel.

It does come stock with inverted forks (although non-name-brand), disk brakes, and electric start. It has a 120cc air-cooled engine with a 4-speed semi-automatic transmission. It has a seat height of 29.5 inches, a wheelbase of 44.2 inches, and ground clearance of 10.4 inches.

Many pit bikes, especially Chinese pit bikes, have issues with getting the carburetor to run properly. You can learn to diagnose a lean bog vs rich bog issue here.

It holds just under a gallon of fuel (0.92 gallons) and weighs 143lbs. This model Kayo 125cc dirt bike has an MSPR of $1,549.

Kayo TT125

This Kayo 125cc dirt bike is a bit of a step up from the previous model we looked at. The wheels are a bit bigger and the frame is beefier. This Kayo 125cc dirt bike comes with a 14-inch rear wheel and 17-inch front wheel, versus 12-inch and 14-inch, respectively, for the other Kayo 125 dirt bike.

Similar to the other Kayo 125 dirt bike, this one does come stock with inverted forks (although non-name-brand), disk brakes, and electric start. It also has a 120cc air-cooled engine, but it has a 4-speed manual transmission instead of semi-automatic. This Kayo 125cc dirt bike also sits a bit higher and is a bit longer than the other one with a seat height of 33.6 inches and a wheelbase of 48 inches.

It holds 1.45 gallons of fuel and weighs 161lbs. This model Kayo 125 dirt bike has an MSPR of $1,799.

Kayo 60 Dirt Bike

This is the final Kayo dirt bike we will cover in this article before getting to our Kayo dirt bike review — the Kayo 60 dirt bike. The Kayo KMB 60 is the smallest Kayo dirt bike offered.

It comes with a 56.8cc 4-stroke, air-cooled engine and fully automatic, chain-driven transmission. Surprisingly, it has disc brakes and electric start stock from Kayo.

It has 10-inch wheels front and rear, a 22-inch seat height, a 34.4-inch wheelbase, and 6.7 inches of ground clearance. It holds just over a half-gallon of fuel (0.66 gallons) and weighs just under a hundred pounds (92.5lbs).

The MSRP on this Kayo 60 dirt bike is just $999. Of course, not including destination and dealer setup fees.

Kayo Dirt Bike Review

This might just be the part you’ve been waiting for the most in this article. The Kayo dirt bike review.

Are Kayo dirt bikes any good?

Is Kayo a good dirt bike brand?

Let’s dive into those questions, and more.

If you want the TLDR version (too long didn’t read), the short answer to both those questions is no.

There are many other brands of dirt bikes that come from China that just do not have the quality that is necessary for dirt bikes, just like a Kayo dirt bike. There is a reason that Japanese and Austrian-made dirt bikes rule the United States (and European) dirt bike markets. They are just made better.

To put it simply, this is a great example of you get what you pay for.

The Japanese and Austrian bikes (Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, GasGas) do cost a bit more, but again, you get what you pay for in terms of quality, and performance.

It’s not the features of the Kayo dirt bikes. In fact, simply looking at what comes stock on the Kayo motorcycles, they often have “more features” or components straight from the factory.

For example, on the Kayo 125cc dirt bike, it comes with disc brakes and inverted forks, plus a few other minor things, at a cheaper price than you can get a Japanese 110cc pit bike for without those things. And, the Kayo dirt bike doesn’t look half bad. Visually, it’s actually pretty appealing. When you combine the price with the parts it appears to come with stock and its appearance, the Kayo dirt bikes seem like a good option.

In reality, that is not the case. You’ll ride it for a bit and break the forks or triple tree in half (trust me, it’s happened to me), or get stranded in the woods. It looks good and comes stock with more appealing parts than some other bikes, but the quality of those parts is much lower.

Then, when something breaks, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to get parts or help on these bikes. With a Japenese or Austrian bike, parts are readily available and your local bike shop can likely help you out. With a Kayo dirt bike, you’re on your own, and likely out of luck.

Don’t just take our word for it, on Kayo’s own Facebook page, they have a 2.8 star rating out of 5 stars, and some pretty nasty language from its customers. (Likely customers who fell in the trap of the Kayo dirt bike appearance, price, and stock parts mentioned before). Check it out below.

Just two weeks prior to when this article is being written, a nearly brand-new bike bought from a customer won’t run. The bike has been brought to the shop three times and she is very, very disappointed.

A few other customers had things to say as well…

While the majority of the comments and reviews are negative, there are a few positive ones as well.

In our opinion, if you race motocross competitively, there is absolutely no way you can consider a Kayo dirt bike. Even if you ride motocross just for fun or spend time in the woods on the weekends with your friends, Kayo dirt bikes are not recommended (check out a Yamaha TTR 230 instead of the 230 Kayo dirt bike, as an example).

If you are simply looking for a bike to ride around leisurely in your backyard, or you’re looking to get your child their first dirt bike and you’re not sure if they’ll stick with it, you may be able to get by with a Kayo dirt bike. Even then, you’re likely better off buying something a bit more reputable and high-quality, but in those situations, you might be able to get by with a Kayo motorcycle.

If you are looking for a bike for a child between 3 years old and 12 years old, another great option is a STACYC bike.