Kawasaki W800

Looking at today’s modern Kawasaki bikes it is hard to believe that something like the W800 came from the same company. The W800 has the classic retro roadster design down to the smallest detail. This has allowed it to enjoy a lot of success in European markets. Currently, the bike is on sale in Malaysia in a special edition black paint scheme. The front gets a round headlamp in a body-colored housing and a chrome ring. The headlight itself is attached to the rest of the bike using black painted metal clamps. There is little to no plastic visible on the bike. The side profile lathers on the retro styling even thicker with the classic shape of the seamless 14-litre fuel tank and its orange stripes and original chrome emblems, lack of body panels on the rear subsection and the classic seat with deep ribbed padding and orange wire piping.

But probably the most attractive element of this bike’s design is the classic air-cooled vertical twin engine that uses a bevel gear driven cam and a black finish. The vintage bike feel extends to its spoked wheels which are 19-inch at the front and 18-inch at the rear and wrapped in 100/90 tyre in the front and 130/80 tyre in the rear. The bike has compact dimensions 2190 mm (L) X 790 mm (W) X 1075 mm (H). The instrumentation is also retro styled twin pod setup with separate speedometer and tachometer along with a small digital display for the odometer reading.

The W800 uses a double cradle high tensile steel frame with 39 mm telescopic forks up front and 5-way adjustable for preload twin shocks in the rear. Its weight of 217 kg inspires a more gentlemanly sort of riding style. This is further aided by the soft and comfortable suspension and the standard upright seating position afforded by the 790 mm seat height and comfortably placed handlebars. The larger front wheel also brings in better stability at speed and while adding to the unhurried handling.

The powertrain in the Kawasaki W800 is an air-cooled 773 cc vertical twin mated to a long ratio 5-speed transmission. Fuel injection is through twin 34 mm throttle bodies with sub-throttles. The engine produces a modest 47 hp at 6500 rpm and 60 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm. The power might not seem to be a lot for an 800 cc engine. But the engine here is tuned with a focus towards seamless torque availability. With max torque available as low as 2500 rpm, the mid-range of the power band is the most enjoyable. Low-end response is smooth yet strong. The power delivery can thus be characterized as linear and unhurried. Just the way it is expected on every good UJM. The engine is also very refined with no vibrations at any speed.

The braking on the Kawasaki W800 is relegated to a 300 mm disc up front with twin-piston calliper and a 160 mm drum brake on the rear. These provide enough stopping power without cluttering up the design of the bike too much.

The Kawasaki W800’s retro styling and drivetrain harken back to a simpler time. Driving one today translates that age-old experience almost perfectly. It is not meant for dragging your knees on corners but going for long relaxed drives and looking good while doing it.