One of my friends has a 98 300 Bayou and he's had a couple of problems with it. After he had it for 2 or 3 months he had to replace the head gasket because it was leaking oil quite badly so he took it to a guy that he knows who works on wheelers every day and had it fixed. Now, almost a year later, the engine is tapping and oil is leaking out of the motor again (I don't know where because I haven't seen it lately). He said it leaks very little though but one day he said he checked the oil while out riding and discovered there wasn't enough in it to read on the dipstick so I think it must be leaking more than he thinks because he said it doesn't smoke, so it can't be burning the oil right? Anyway I was just wondering if any Bayou 300 owners have had this problem and if you could offer him some help. I find it very odd that his machine has had these problems because I've never heard of Kawi owners that have had anything happen to their machines like that.

 

Your's in the first post with such a problem with any model Bayou. Blown head gaskets are almost always the result of an engine being operated in an abnormal manner. Excessive heat and/or rpm has blown many a head gasket. My guess is that the knocking sound is being caused by rod bearings or other internal components that were damaged by the same action that blew the head.

 

I have a bayou 220 and I"m having the same kind of problem with it. the engine is making a loud ticking/ knocking sound and the oil keeps dissapearing out of it. But the four wheeler runs great. One day I checked the oil before I ran it and the oil was full then after I was done riding it all of the oil was gone. I had to fill the entire thing back up. I know that it's not leaking any oil ether because it never has any oil where it's parked over night. Does anyone know what is the matter with it????

 

My Bayou 220 does the same thing, i took it to the dealer to get it looked at when i couldnt figure iut out and he said that he didnt ever hear the noise and there wasnt anything wrong with it, but i dunno what he was on cause when I started it up to put it in the bed of my truck it make the noise and he still insisted he didnt hear it, so i guess i just have to add oil to it and hope nuthin is really wrong

 

In reply to where is the oil going? check your rear end oil if it pours out when you pull the cap off wala its coming from your beval gear case. I have seen this on the bayou line, ually the front boot is torn allowing engine oilto go for the rear end also check your mid bearing on the drive shaft. if it is there is a kawa k tech artical avaliable from your dealer (i am one)So you donot have to buy a complete drive shaft. As for the knocking noise it is most likely the cluch basket normal by my standards. However put a digital multimeter on your battery and check your voltage shut off (12.0 to13.9) then start it up rev it up slowly if it goes to 15 volts or higher volt reg is bad continue in next post

 

If your volt regulator is doing this (A)your battery should be low on acid (B)engine could sound like arod knock or the motor is going to come apart in the mid range at steady rpms.A volt reg can also do this once in awhile causing your dealer not to hear your problem.I have had to hook up a multimeter on a ocassion and ride for serval minutes to see constant voltage spikes in the 15-18 volt range. Amazingly it does not blow thw haead lights,A volt reg has also been known to take out a few CDI boxes hope this helps.