Words by : Stefan van der Riet and René Swart Pics: Motomedia Publishing
Quad newbies.
Bikes are fun, whether they have two wheels or four. With us being 2 wheel fanatics with very limited (ok – NO) quad bike experience, the DT team thought we’d be the perfect test pilots to ride and review the freshly imported entry level Kayo 180’s
At first we thought – 180cc…. really??
Hang on a minute, we ride big motorcycles, these things are gonna be slow and boring! Well a bit slow maybe, but definitely not boring! And for someone like René, who has never been on a quad before, and has an innate fear of falling over and likes to ride at her most leisurely pace, the 180’s were perfect.
So after we were introduced to the Kayo A180 and AU180, we decided to strap a picnic blanket and basket to the more utilitarian AU and head out to one of our favourite spots in the farm lands. We swapped back and forth for the first couple K’s while we got the feel of the quads and quickly realised which we preferred.
René opted for the more plush and easy going utility AU180, while I couldn’t stay away from the peppy A180 that feels a lot more sporty.
As we rode along the countryside, it was apparent that there was a lot of rain the previous night, and about 60% of the trail we rode was covered in mud and water puddles. Of course we tried to stay clean, we still had a picnic to get to, but at some point the quads told us to bugger off with our gingerly pace and just have fun! So we did, and we got absolutely covered in mud.
With a top speed of only around 57 km/h, it’s easy to ride wide open all the time without the imminent threat of wrapping yourself around a tree, or involuntary ejection looming over your head, yet there was still plenty of power to shoot through any mud bog that we came across without getting stuck. There were some steep rocky climbs to get up and over road crossings as well, and with some tips from Sean and his certified quad instructor expertise we made mince meat of any obstacle or terrain.
The sportier A180, is quite a nimble and nippy machine. The gearing is great for a racey feeling and the handlebar input is very direct and sharp with a great turning radius. It was geared just right to be able to pop the front wheels up on a solid surface, with some persuasion, and to break traction on the rear for slides and donuts. It brings out the hooligan in you for sure, which is why I preferred it to the AU.
My only problem with it was the lack of mud protection, I was absolutely covered in farmland while René remained mostly clean thanks to the comprehensive fenders on the AU.
René had a much different preference:
“As a first-time quad rider the steering was a bit challenging at first on the muddy farm roads with all the ruts but I very quickly got the hang of it and had lots of fun on the AU180.”
The Kayo is not too big but has enough power to go up short steep hills and thick mud without getting stuck, and even if you happen to get stuck or need to turn around the reverse gear is fantastic and easily accessible and smooth to use, I enjoyed playing with the gears. The AU180 being more of a utility quad has plenty of tiedown space in the front and back for you to pack a cooler with snacks for a day of adventuring. The quad is also very stable and I feel the suspension absorbs the uneven terrain well. I had lots of fun riding and would definitely say this type of quad is ideal for someone starting out just wanting to have some weekend fun.
Between the two quads we were out on the AU180 is definitely my favourite, compared to the sporty A180, the AU180 is more comfortable and forgiving to ride and more rugged whereas the sporty quad reacts instantly and feels much faster than it actually is, and if you want to play around more with tricks and spins as Stefan did then you’ll enjoy the A180.”
You don’t need big power to have fun, we grinned ear to ear all day.We rode these two hard and they held their own with everything we tried.
Aside from a couple of rattles here and there, the build quality seems quite solid. The only thing that ground us to a halt was a lack of sufficient fuel leaving one of the quads stranded in a mud pool…
But that boils down to user error.
We wouldn’t mind having a couple quads like these in our garage to play with in the rainy seasons, and the looks aren’t bad either.
Clean design with some bright LED headlights, they look the part of modern machines.
And there you have it folks, affordable, reliable fun or work – TAP OR CLICK HERE to go to Kayo SA’s website to find out more to find your nearest stockist
AU180 Details.
A180 Details.
