- Motor
- Bosch Performance CX gen5
- Battery
- 600 or 800 Wh plus 250 Wh extender
- Fork Travel
- 160 mm
- Rear Travel
- 155 mm
- Weight
- Starting at a claimed 24.2 kg
- Price
- £4.499-7.499
Don’t get me wrong, the Kado isn’t an old bike. It’s a brand-new model from Whyte, and it comes with the latest Bosch CX motor and batteries of either 600 or 800 Wh. This is a detachable battery, which seems to be less common these days. And you can of course add the 250 Wh range extender too.
And the same can be said about frame geometry. The 64.5-65* adjustable head angle is just a few tenths steeper than the E-160. The Kado reach is 3-5 mm shorter and chainstays 4 mm longer for sizes M and L. This means there is a slight difference between the bikes, the Kado seems to be a less aggressive bike that is more stable on the climbs for instance.
Whyte Kado is available with both alloy and carbon frames. Bike weight seems average at a claimed 24.2 kg for the lightest carbon version plus 600 Wh battery. The entry Kado S with the smaller 600 Wh battery has a starting price of £4.499 (€4.999). It’s not extremely cheap, but £1k less than the Whyte E-160 S is significant.
The Kado S is specced for proper trail riding too. Although I haven’t ridden the new Rockshox Psylo Gold fork yet, I assume it will be comparable to a Rockshox Yari. The 11-speed Cues drivetrain is fine, it has a wider and presumably more durable chain than the 12-speed systems. I wish manufacturers would stop using the Shimano M4x brakes with the long lever. But the stopping power is okay.
The more expensive Kado RSX is £7.499 (€8.499). This is of course a well specced bike with Sram Transmission electronic shifting and Fox Performance Elite suspension. Not a cheap bike, but modest for a top-of-the-line model.
All photos by Rupert Fowler
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Familiar recipe
The new Kado is in many ways similar to the Whyte E-160. They’ve both got 29er wheels, the Bosch CX motor and a 160 mm travel fork. Rear suspension on the Kado is 5 mm shorter at 150 mm.And the same can be said about frame geometry. The 64.5-65* adjustable head angle is just a few tenths steeper than the E-160. The Kado reach is 3-5 mm shorter and chainstays 4 mm longer for sizes M and L. This means there is a slight difference between the bikes, the Kado seems to be a less aggressive bike that is more stable on the climbs for instance.
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New price
I think it’s a good idea to create bikes such as the Kado. It takes less R&D as it seems based on a proven design. This allows Whyte to create a cheaper, yet competitive bike. I believe we will se more bikes like this in the future. It’s time the bike brands start focusing more on cheaper yet well performing emtbs.Whyte Kado is available with both alloy and carbon frames. Bike weight seems average at a claimed 24.2 kg for the lightest carbon version plus 600 Wh battery. The entry Kado S with the smaller 600 Wh battery has a starting price of £4.499 (€4.999). It’s not extremely cheap, but £1k less than the Whyte E-160 S is significant.
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The Kado S is specced for proper trail riding too. Although I haven’t ridden the new Rockshox Psylo Gold fork yet, I assume it will be comparable to a Rockshox Yari. The 11-speed Cues drivetrain is fine, it has a wider and presumably more durable chain than the 12-speed systems. I wish manufacturers would stop using the Shimano M4x brakes with the long lever. But the stopping power is okay.
The more expensive Kado RSX is £7.499 (€8.499). This is of course a well specced bike with Sram Transmission electronic shifting and Fox Performance Elite suspension. Not a cheap bike, but modest for a top-of-the-line model.
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