Whyte’s new full-power Kado eMTB’s stats and specs are setting it up to be a top performer, but as the direct replacement for the revered E-160, it has a lot to live up to.
Closely following the E-160’s formula, the fresh Kado has a 160mm-travel fork and 150mm of Horst-link rear suspension.
It runs dual 29in wheels, but a 27.5in rear wheel can be fitted thanks to the Shape.It flip chip in the shock yoke.
Like the Whyte E-160, this adjusts its geometry between high and low settings.
Bosch’s Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor is fitted, along with either a 600Wh or 800Wh internal battery. Either capacity of battery can be fitted to the Kado, without modifications.
The RSX, RS and S range’s frames are made from full carbon, a carbon and alloy mix (front and rear triangles) and full alloy respectively.
And, of course, the Kado follows Whyte’s long-standing mantra of trying to lower the bike’
Along with spec choices, this helps dictate the new model’s price, which spans from £4,499 / €4,999 for the Kado S up to £7,499 / €8,499 for the Kado RSX.
Toppling one of the best
Being an encore to one of the highest-rated electric mountain bikes I’ve ever tested – the previous-generation E-160 RSX – the Kado’s got a tough job.
At the top of my list of must-haves was more space for a water bottle within the front triangle – it could only fit Fidlock’s 450ml bottle – on the size large.
Next up was a steeper seat tube angle. The E-160’s figure is a slack (by today’s standards) 75.3 degrees.
Then there was a need for better chain-slap protection to keep things quiet – the E-160 was very noisy at full chat when heading downhill.
Of course, the usual ‘bigger, better, more’ maxim applies beyond these must-have demands, such as battery capacity, motor performance and an increasingly affordable price, among others.
But it also did an enormous number of things really well.
The newest model, if it's to be better than the E-160, cannot roll back any of that impressive performance.
The old bike's descending prowess was basically second to none thanks to the low-slung mass.
Its geometry was balanced and your body’s weight evenly distributed, which meant you didn’t have to work hard to ride it.
Equally, its hefty 26.32kg headline weight – which needs to be quite a bit lighter on the new bike – was covered up by its low centre of gravity and geometry. That impressive, stable feel still needs to be present.
Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder; Whyte’s had a reputation for prioritising function over form. This was certainly true for the E-160, but there’s no reason why function and beauty can’t co-exist.
Does the new Kado manage to do any, some or all of those things? Let’s find out.
It’s a looker
Aesthetics first – the Kado is a good-looking bike, taking design cues – such as slender, straight tubes – from its lighter-weight sibling, the ELyte.
These cleaner, neater lines are arguably an improvement over the E-160’s top-tube hump, giving the Kado a load of visual clout.
While the down tube has to be chunky to house an 800Wh battery, it’s far from monstrous, and the sleek carbon weld-free tube joins (on the RSX and RS models) help to keep bulbousness in check.
In my opinion, the Kado’s visuals are a massive tick in the box, especially compared to the E-160.
So far, so good, then!
Geometry battles
Firstly, the Kado’s sizing is a giant leap forwards for Whyte. That's not because the figures are re-writing the rulebook, but simply because the brand has added another size for its newest model.
Again, it’s not re-inventing the wheel, but including a size-small – with a 435mm reach – is a big positive compared to the E-160’s medium (455mm reach) starting point.
Another point goes to the Kado.
I’m not quite done with geometry yet.
Both bikes have Whyte’s Shape.It link, which adjusts their geometry.
On the E-160, it swaps the head angle between 64.2 and 64.8 degrees, and the bottom-bracket height by 8mm (336mm low, 344mm high).
The level of adjustment on the Kado is the same – 0.6 degrees of head angle and 8mm of bottom-bracket change – but the head angle is steeper at 64.4 degrees in the low setting, and the bottom bracket sits slightly lower at 342mm (size large, high position).
These two small changes potentially even each other out. Lower but steeper should arguably feel very similar to higher and slacker.
So, while it’s not a resounding win in favour of the Kado, it’s not exactly an own goal either.
My suspicion is the Kado will feel excellent on the trails.
Multiple frame materials and an awesome lifetime warranty
The top-spec RSX model’s frame is constructed from carbon fibre from head tube to rear axle, giving it smooth, weld-free lines.
A carbon fibre front end and an alloy rear feature on the mid-range RS, helping balance cost and weight.
The most affordable S bike's frame is made exclusively from aluminium tubes, offering the most cost-friendly option.
Having three frame-material options is an improvement on the alloy-only E-160 and potentially shaves a chunk of weight off its headline figure.
To make cable routing easier, the carbon fibre Kados have tube-in-tube routing for the brake, gear and dropper cables. This high-quality touch will make a mechanic’s life easier, something the E-160 didn’t offer.
Supporting the rider, all Kado bikes have a lifetime warranty on both the frame and pivot bearings.
That means the Kado is a potential life-long partner.
Other details include a generous helping of finned chain-slap protection, hopefully hushing noisy descents. The underside of the down tube and motor, like the E-160 of old, is heavily armoured to protect the bike from the worst the trail can throw at it.
Keeping the centre of gravity low
Like the E-160 that preceded it, the Kado’s battery and motor placement has been optimised to lower its centre of gravity.
Using its own in-house test rig – which gives Whyte the opportunity to see how much of an effect moving battery and motor placement around has on the centre of gravity – the team has tuned it to be as low as possible.
Over the E-160 – which had excellent handling in part thanks to the low COG – the Kado’s has been lowered by a further 12.54mm towards the floor.
Clocking the motor (turning it from parallel with the floor to having its nose up) and sticking the battery beneath it, which overlaps the two components instead of stacking them on top of one another, is the key factor in lowering the Whyte’s mass.
Again, this puts the Kado a good few points ahead of the E-160.
Battery and motor upgrade
Bosch’s latest Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor is fitted to the Kado, whereas the E-160 had the Gen 4.
While torque and power figures aren’t up on the newest motor, it’s much quieter on the downhills thanks to a decoupling between the chainring and motor’s output.
Rattly descents are no more.
This latest motor is powered by either a 600Wh or 800Wh battery, both being compatible with the Kado without upgrades.
The full E-160 range (S to RSX) is fitted with Bosch’s 750Wh unit, but both the newer 800Wh and 600Wh batteries are lighter than the 750Wh they replace.
The interchangeability gives riders the ability to balance weight and range for their own needs. Lighter riders will probably want a 600Wh battery, while heavier ones will benefit from the 800Wh.
Thanks to this design, the battery is also removable via the bottom of the down tube. Usually, the motor 'blocks in' the battery within the down tube, but its clocked position means it can be removed.
On- and off-bike charging, therefore, are available. So are easy mid-ride battery changes, if you run out of juice and have a replacement.
I’d say this adds up to two more ticks in favour of the Kado.
Specs and pricing
Sharing the three-model range with the E-160, that uses Whyte’s brand-wide S, RS and RSX terminology, the Kado’s specs are thoughtful and functional, focusing on performance rather than being illustrious, fancy or showy.
These include parts from RockShox, SRAM, Fox, Magura, Shimano, Whyte’s own parts and tough Maxxis tyres, with each model appearing to be ready to rip straight out of the box.
Prices start at £4,499 / €4,999 for the Kado S with a 600Wh battery (€5,699 for the same bike with an 800Wh battery), rise to £5,999 / €7,299 for the Kado RS and top out at £7,499 / €8,499 for the Kado RSX.
A resounding success?
On paper, the Kado looks like an exceptional performer at what is quite a modest price tag for a top-flight eMTB.
The proof is always in the pudding, however, and I'm especially excited to swing a leg over one in the future to find out for certain if it's the E-160-beater it should be.
