I have a Triumph Thruxton 865 2006 and a customized BMW R100/7 rough scrambler and a Kawasaki Blue silver 650 1999. And dear Triumph fans - The Triumph is nothing beside of driving the Kawasaki W 650. The W650 is one of the best motorcycles i ever had and have. I LOVE THE MASCHINE!! Great to drive on tour - in the city - short trips on sunny afternoons - Why did Triumph not make their Bonneville better back in the 70 ties!! But Kawasaki did that. Buy a Kawasaki w650 or the new 800 and you will love to drive a bike again. Dont buy all theese overweightet Harleys or Hondas or Indians or BMWs - BUT GO BACK TO THE FINE IDEA OF DRIVING MOTORCYCLE!!
@@bobwheeler8517 Bob you are right about the BSA copy But that was the W1 from 66. This W650 and W800 are Triumph Bonnevllle of the sixties and Ducati mixted. But great fine demonstration you make of the W800
Yeah, that positive neutral is one of those little things that I forget to mention, but I really love it! Great point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and thanks for watching!
I bought one to get back into riding after a 30 odd year break. It is very much as you describe it - a new manufactured old bike. Excellent build quality and things are made of metal, not plastic. Fun, but not scary fast to ride. Other than being a bit on the heavy side it probably could be OK as a beginner bike, though it is one you could keep well after you stopped being a beginner. Highly recommend!
@SomeBody-pb7ht I did not have any overheating issues this summer, but I live in a fairly mild climate where it is seldom over 80f. Stop and go in Arizona in July would probably be a problem for the W; Id go with a liquid cooled bike in that sort of climate.
I bought a 2022 W800 and riding it is a great experience. There are only two things I don’t like, one is the position of the riders foot peg, which are exactly were you place your legs when you stop on a red light and second the fuel injection doesn’t do a good job when you start the bike because it accelerates too much and is not until you run a little bit that revs come down. The rest is just wonderful.
You got to warm it up for a few minutes during breaking in period and the idle speed comes down. Warm up so oil circulates. My complaint though is the kickstand. Takes some getting used to, to locate without looking down.
I have a 2012 in green, I love it, but...I ad another think that I don t like....to put it into the center stand...cause is too low is very dificult to use...
Absolutely impressed with the high quality of manufacturing and the attention to detail by Kawasaki's engineers on my 2015 W800 Black Edition. Everytime I take it out it attracts attention as people appreciate the beauty of this classic motorcycle and then try to figure out the brand! And the ride and handling and that great low down torque just makes this W800 such a great bike to ride.
The original W series were 650cc, my wife's brother owned one of those, and he bought a Z1 as soon as it hit the showroom floor. I'm a big Kawasaki fan and always will be, I put 21,000 miles in during the 1st year owning my 1973 H1D 500cc Triple.
Best looking Brit Bike ever! I wanted to love this bike and actually went to my local dealer a couple years back to take one home. Bad news; it was sitting next to a Bonneville 1200 T120. While not quite at pretty as the W800, the Bonnie had a slightly lower price and curb weight, gobs more power and torque and a sixth gear. All with the same superb permium finish. I opted for function over form. Darn. I really wanted the Kawasaki😡. Kawasaki could easily have gone with a six speed and added 15-20 HP. Could also have priced it more aggressively. Darn. Darn. Darn. Still, it's a beauty; light years ahead of the Enfield. This bikes worth having just to look at and listenn to; nothing beats the sound of a 360 degree parallel twin.😎
Hi, I went into the bike shop intending to purchase a Triumph Bonneville...and instead acquired a W800 !! 😂🤣 The W800 was 2nd hand ( 1,700km on it), and about $8,000 Aussie dollars cheaper than the new Triumph. Agree about the gears..an extra 6th would be beneficial. Have always been torn between the Triumph, and W800., but I have found that the Kawasaki meets my needs, has enough power for a relatively sane person...and is a work of art. Thanks for your views. Appreciated. Steve ( Australia)
For what it's worth, a 50+ year rider here (70 y.o.), currently riding a VStar 950 - a bike you sit IN, not on. Having just test ridden a W800 I'm on the hunt for one. The brakes are better than what some reviewers have stated. Acceleration is on par with my '71 CB750, and it's much easier to start. I would add handlebar risers just to sit up a bit straighter.
My life on 2-wheels started in 1969 with a 1967 Honda Super Hawk 305. I was 16 and rode it to the ground. At 70, I feel like 17 when I'm riding my 2018 W800 Classic. A genuine time machine.
Picked up a 2023 W800 last June. It's a great run about bike and for me I'll use it mostly in town. I've got a 1976 Kawasaki KZ750B vertical twin. They make a nice pair in my garage. Last summer I purchased a 2022 Triumph T120 Bonneville. Its six speed transmission is a perfect match for the engine. I wonder if the W800 might benefit from a 6 speed rather than its 5 speed but either way I'm glad to have this little beauty in my collection.
Is it not surprising that Kawasaki builds this retro bike - they deserve some praise for this. The W800 is preserving a glimpse of the 60:s and 70:s biking. It lets us remember all the good things from that area: sensible biking without lethal amounds of power, alround capabilities and a sense of beauty in the bike and the way it wants to be driven. Yes - the kickstarter is missing. But who really wants to use it, it would mostly be some kind of show off. What Kawasaki really did produce is a robust bike beyond modern user conception. The engine will last, no matter what. It is a huge difference compared to the originals, if I recall this correctly. Great bike.
Remember the original Z1 903cc was the fastest bike around after it's debut in 1972, and 1974 the H2 750cc triple 2-stroke came out and quickly earned the nickname "The Widow Maker". In 1969 the H1 500cc 2 stroke triple came out & immediately earned the title of the fastest motorcycle in the world in the quarter mile. It was a great time to be a motorcycle enthusiast & I graduated High School that year.
I think the kick starter is missing because it's fuel injected now. It requires the electronic fuel pump to work, to start. But yeah, I think it's great that this bike exists!
@@eddiebrr3 Beautifully said Edward. You & I were of the same graduating year. I had many early 70's Japanese bikes in which one of them was a 1976 GT750cc, triple 2-stoke. I'd give anything to go back to those day's before thing's went nut's sometime in the 90's. Oh-well "it is what it is". Glad i'm going out & not coming in!! Have a beautiful day my friend!! Illinois, USA
Great video ! I have not ridden a bike since the very early 70s and have been wanting to get back into it. This bike would be just about perfect for me.
I went to a BMW dealer and they had a brand new W800 on the floor for $6,600! I’m 74, been riding all my life currently on a BMW 1200GS and Husqvarna 701 but back surgery has made it difficult getting on the big bikes. Was looking at the W800 a few months ago when they were selling for 10K.
I had a 92 Yamaha TDM 850. It was the most advanced twin I had ever ridden. It had an Achilles Heel: the carburetors. The motorcycle always ran rich. It eventually got so bad it would foul the spark plugs. I rebuilt the carbs and it helped for a while. If that motorcycle had fuel injection, I would probably still own it. I have been riding motorcycles since 1971. The biggest advances have been pointless ignitions, fuel injection, stainless steel exhaust systems and disk brakes. I would not want a motorcycle with points ignition, carburetors or drum brakes. They had serious short comings. The only things I would still want would be gas tanks made of material that does not rust, stainless steel or aluminum, and rubber parts made of silicone that does not harden and crack. The shaft cam drive is appealing. It should be absolutely reliable and durable. Something none of the other retro bikes have. This motorcycle has some very practical advantages over the competition. I would not buy a motorcycle without a centre stand. I also like the sound of 360 degree twins. Other twins do not sound right to me.
Two less than ideal specs of this bike are the standard, scary/wiggly bias ply tires, and the five speed transmission, which can make freeway riding very buzzy at higher speeds. These are two "retro" specs that Kawasaki should have fixed by now.
I love the shaft drive cam and I don't mind EFI as long as it's NOT throttle by wire. I would like it more if it had a shaft drive and a thermostatically controlled oil cooler. I LOVE that it has a simple traditional dash with no screens, no modes, no menus. I would rather not have the ABS and slipper clutch but I could ignore them if they introduce ZERO additional maintenance or expense.
Remembering my first Kawasaki, it was a 1973 H1D 500cc triple. An awesome 70 BHP bike with chrome Denco expansion chambers! It would blow away 750 Honda in quarter mile or top end, a steering dampener tamed the notorious head shake on the The Green Streak.
As I near my seventh decade, I feel that I will be downsizing. Not only the amount of bikes that I own but, also, in the size of the actual motorcycles. My Road King and my Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 are beginning to be a little heavy for my aging and damaged body. This particular bike has intrigued me for a long time. Right now, I'm contemplating choosing between one of these, a Triumph T100, A Guzzi V7, and a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. Thoughts?
Wish they kept the retro kick starter too. My first new bike was a 1974 KZ400 and I remember those twins back then were sure buzzy in the seat on the highway (by unrefined, I'm sure it must be that way too.) Plus didn't steer as quickly with the bigger front wheel either. Think one will get the similar sensations as we did back in the 70's with this bike. (Actually bikes like these made me appreciate motorcycles more, since the later bikes almost made you too over confident since they were so perfect and could do everything effortlessly.)
I think you summed it up perfectly... there is something about the "imperfections" in a bike like this that really give it a character that you just can't buy today. For me, I bought the Z900RS because I liked the classic look, but I wanted a fully modern sport bike. A bike like this isn't fully modern, and that's done on purpose to give a feeling that so many of us used to know when huge segments of the population fell in love with motorcycles. I have to admit though, the upgrade to modern brakes is something that nobody can argue with!! My first motorcycle had drum brakes front and rear and terrible suspension!
@@pcthayer Here's an original ad for my first bike. I couldn't afford a brand new bike when I was 16. www.chrisharrison.net/CM250/honda822cm250cust.jpg
@@PeterLoweOne Actually pretty cool for a 16 year old. (In the 1960's when I got my license at 16, my Dad tried to talk me into a new Honda S90 motorcycle rather than a car...needless to say I said "nope" and didn't start riding until in my 20's when I could afford both.)
Peer review by some old guy who rode 60's and 70's bikes (like me) may have helped. 19" front wheel were "standard" up until Honda brought us the VF750F in '83. The bevel valve drive was less efficient than chain drive but more reliable for high performance bikes (Ducati) than period chain reliability. Once chain reliability became reliable, complicated bevel drives were obsolete. Kawi went for this treatment as a throwback "performance" item as a styling/engineering exercise. I've owned many bikes and I've found my W800 the best in terms of riding position and performance. Not too fast, not too slow but just right.
One zonk for me, just one: Kawasaki could work something so this bike has a gear selector indicator. I'm pretty sure they could make it fit in the little screen on the left gauge. That'd be easy and it would add just a little suçon of modernity we're now used to.
I have a few thoughts on this bike. A few things I think would improve it, but my ideas, like yours would take it away from what the target audience of this bike seems to want... Which is a new bike that is as close to an old bike as it can be (minus the unsafe brakes)
Very Good. i owned a 650 W series when i was 17, now I'm 66. The good days i had on that girl. Obviously i need to do a test ride on this little gem. thankyou for your review, good work.
That brings up memories of Christmas 1976 when my brother and I got our first motorcycle... a Kawasaki HK-100. Yep, it was Let the good times roll right up until I wrapped the thing around a British Army's Land Rover in the summer of 1977 while residing in Belize.
Love my 2021 W800. Only thing I wish they would add is a 6th gear. Would help with interstate travel at higher speed. Other then that I'm happy with it.
I don't expect them to. This used to be a 650 and they brought out a bigger engine for this 800. The purpose of this bike isn't really the power though, so I don't think they'll change it anytime soon.
If they wanted more power they could go with higher compression pistons and going to DOHC for some decent power gains. I don’t see them ever going bigger on an 360 crank due to the vibrations, which is why triumph does 270 degrees now.
@@bigred8438 yeah. I hear you. This bike is just a throwback bike that isn't meant to appeal to everyone. I don't see them making many changes moving forward.
I've owned one for 8 years. Great bike. Not for the motorway (freeway). It will do 100mph but it wont let you forget it. This engine is happiest riding around town or on country lanes at 2000 to 3000 rpm. Fuel use is 70mpg uk, about 25k/L or 4L/100k. Bags of fun and character. Easy to ride. If you want fast, smooth and GP handling, this aint the bike for you. 😊
Just an amber reserve light and quite a small tank so it makes you watch your tripometer (as Cyril said below) just long press the trip when you fill up and that will keep you happy for 150 to 170 miles I think a fuel gauge would "clutter" the clocks too much, for this style less is more!
At this point, Jim Gilbert's Wheels and Deals, and Jim Gilbert's PowerSports have been generous enough to let me film any of their vehicles, anytime I want. Their willingness to let me have the flexibility to show their inventory and say anything that I want about the vehicles means that I'll likely be staying with Kawasaki vehicles for now. Perhaps if they take a trade on some other make, I can compare that, but it'll be Kawasakis on this channel for the foreseeable future. I do appreciate you watching. Thank you!
It's a beautiful bike. On the outside. Unfortunately it's not what it appears to be. It's a beautifully styled (except for the flat black one) computer on wheels. I'll be keeping my '66 Triumph Bonneville and '07 Royal Enfield Bullet.
Nah, this isn't a computer on wheels. The other retro bikes are much more advanced. This one is still true to its roots other than the mandatory fuel injection to meet modern emission standards, and ABS brakes for the same reason, meeting modern regulations.
That's a fair scientific answer, but my Z900RS is extremely stable, I would argue that it's probably more stable in every condition than the W800. The centre of gravity of this bike isn't as low as a modern bike, so to say it's more stable would probably be a little misleading when in fact a modern bike may have a shorter wheelbase, but is likely more stable in every condition.
My W800 is a 2011 model with 8K miles on the odometer. Fantasil build quality, the motor is still silky smooth with a little vibration just enough to remind the rider that this is a classic machine. Good video. I hope the bike continues to be made. This new machine does not appear in UK showrooms.
Thanks for watching. I agree with you. If this particular style doesn't immediately jump out at you, it becomes one of those bikes that is easy to dismiss. Once I saw this bike and began to really dig into it, I became a big fan of it. At the end of the day, variety is a great thing for us, the customers! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Srs. lectores del vídeo del Sr. D. Peter Lowe , he de decirles que ya tengo resuelto el único problema que le he encontrado a mi Kawasaki W 800 modelo 2023 azul. He encontrado unas piezas que valen 12 euros cada una para poner como suplemento en las bases de los espejos retrovisores. Se llaman, Vparts con referencia 1084207001 TM 33 1 pieza Extensión retrovisor M10/125 DCHA. Son muy fáciles de colocar y lo que hacen es subir los espejos y a la vez desplazarlos hacia el exterior de la moto, de tal forma que una vez puestos se ve correctamente y con mucho ángulo todo lo que hay detrás de la motocicleta a derecha y a izquierda. Las piezas parecen de fábrica, son pequeñas y muy bien diseñadas por lo que se integran perfectamente en la motocicleta. Saludos a todos los propietarios y amantes de la Kawasaki W 800 construida íntegramente en Japón. Cada día me tiene más enamorado. Saludos desde Hispania.
Buenos días Srs. : Por fín tengo mi Kawasaki W 800 modelo 2023, idéntica a la que enseña en el vídeo el Sr. D. Peter Lowe. Después de leer 500 comentarios y ver 12 vídeos de motos clásicas-retros me decidí por ésta verdadera máquina,la cual me tiene enamorado. Y tengo 66 años.!!!!! La compré en un concesionario de Kawasaki Madrid, a 300 kms. de mi casa. Fue a finales de Febrero del 2024, empecé a rodar con ella hacia el 15 de Marzo. La conducción con ella es perfecta. El motor tira con fuerza como un tractor, retiene mucho al aflojar el puño del gas y recupera muy bien al dar gas al puño. El cambio de marchas es superior sin ningún sonido y engranando las marchas perfectamente. El sonido es brutal con esos tubos de escape de fábrica. Los frenos son suficientes y realmente efectivos, la palanca del freno trasero está muy lograda. El foco delantero es soberbio con sus celdas y su gran luminosidad. Los mandos de los puños y las palancas de embrague y freno son austeros y eficientes, no hace falta más. Los relojes son muy elegantes. El depósito de la gasolina es muy bonito con es color azulado que cambia de tono según le da la luz y su tapón de llenado está muy bien al ser fijo y con bisagra. la pata central y la pata de cabra se ponen fácilmente una vez le coges la acción. El asiento es cómodo para no bajar de ella en cientos de kms. Resumiendo, me encanta la motocicleta, tiene una silueta perfecta y junto con sus cromados no deja indiferente a nadie. Por eso la elegí de entre cuatro motocicletas. Para mí no vibra ni retiembla, ni a bajas ni a medias ni a altas revoluciones, es algo que se siente y se vive en éste tipo de motos y que para mí es agradable. Me gustaría que llevase marcador de velocidad engranada y marcador de gasolina. Aunque se puede vivir sin ello. Por último les contaré las motos que tengo : Bultaco Alpina 250 2T. Año 1977 / Montesa Cota 247 2T. Ulf Karlson Año 1973 / Ossa 250 Mick Andrews Año 1972 / Honda Dominator 650 Año 2000 Con el traductor ha sido un placer leerles a todos Vds. Un saludo para todos desde Hispania.
Thanks for this interesting review. I own a 2018 model W800, which has differences to the current model. I agree with your views on this review. Only 2 things I would say...Firstly I think an extra 6th gear for when cruising at about 100km/hr and above, would be good. Also the chrome on the bike rusts easily, and needs to be kept dry as much as possible. A great bike to ride and just the right engine to suit. Thanks for your review. Steve, Australia.
Thanks for watching sharing your experiences! It's great to hear from people who live with these bikes. It's interesting to hear your critiques. I hear all the time that my Z900RS SE needs to be "more like the original" and then you're saying the 5 speed transmission needs an extra gear (so less like the original) and the fenders, although they look like the original bikes, they also suffer from the same issues as those original bikes. I think your comment helps put into words why I like my bike so much. The old bikes were cool, but the new bikes do offer improvements. So having a bike like mine that has a look that reminds people of the old, but a feel and experience that's fully modern, really is perfect for me. I really appreciate your feedback to the video. It gets me thinking! Thanks again!
Ive been shopping motorcycles for a year, EVERY jot and tittle, I've poured over 1000s of motorcycles one my journey of saving. This IS the motorcycle that I want!
I started riding a street bike in 1976. My first bike was a Honda CB750. I can honestly tell you that unless I was following some old wore out engine that was burning oil, we never had a problem with anybody choking us with the fumes. As a matter of fact we had very few problems, as in almost zero problems, with our carburetors and that includes inline four cylinders. So unless you were going from sea level to the top of the Rocky mountains there really wasn't any adjusting to be done. With all that belly Aiken said, You did a good job reviewing the bike.
Srs. Me olvidé de comentar lo peor de la motocicleta Kawasaki W 800 !!!!!! Lo peor son los espejos retrovisores, lo siento pero no se ve nada por detrás. Tendré que intentar posicionarlos o igual me obliga cambiarlos por otros que vea bien las partes traseras a derechas y a izquierdas. Y eso que solo mido 1,70 metros.!!!!!!!!
Wanted to add a comment on the statement that the engine can't rev real high because of the bevel drive cam....which is incorrect and has nothing to do with it as the drive is plenty suitable for high rpm usage. The motor won't rev because it's a small bore/long stroke design and piston speeds are what limit the redline...along with 2 valve per cylinder which makes good torque but unable to rev real high.
it has but that is also a part of it being a classic, and it is easy to live with, not terribly excessive - mirror vibes over 50mph blurrs rear vision thats a pain sometimes
No and No, there is a rimtape and tube in each wheel - The 360 crank has inherent vibes, and to be very honest it is the reason I have one, the vibes and the sound, unmistakable and classic - even Triumph are no 360 anymore
You nailed it bud!!!,when you forget what it's like to have fun just being out on two wheels, this bike brings that back and makes me want one!! Great review!
For safety it would be a plus f the front turn signals came on as driving lights with the headlight especially since there is no fairing to increase visibility to oncoming motorists.
I would ride it anywhere. Stuck in traffic with an air cooled machine is something that you need to be aware of, but air cooled machines have operated in extreme conditions all over the world for decades.
Will it travel freeway speeds 10-12 hours a day for days? All this "blind ...it's not fast" palaver yet no one says squat about it as a touring platform. A Silhouette windshield and a Corbin seat - and do 500 mile days is what I look for. Are tires tubeless? Maintenance intervals? fuel capacity? Expected mpg? It has a drive shaft - wonderful. Self-cancelling turn signals? Get off the spiel about how it looks.
Why would anyone pay 12,000 Euro for an underpowered old look alike bike??? You could have most Second/Used barely broke in Bikes on the Market for even the price of a Used Kawasaki W800??? Crazy!! They Style weren't even too good back in the Seventies or Eighties. They will never catch on, far way too expensive !
A beautiful vintage motorbike except for one thing! no kickstarter, early models had one, but in their infinity wisdom , they decided to deny the customer the chance of kick starting the bike! bad mistake! A pity really that modern day " motorcycle designers are so bereft of motorcycle history and what makes a bike tick! Obviously you dont need a kick starter, but to deny the owner of it, is unforgivable!
I don't think they're trying to deny that to customers. In order for these bikes to still exist, their emissions have to meet modern standards. So this bike is now fuel injected. No kickstart for that reason. So it's not that Kawasaki is denying you a kickstarter, it's that Kawasaki is still doing everything they can to still provide these unique retro bikes.
Underpowered isn't the right word for this. Everything from the look to the power delivery is retro. It isn't for everyone, and may not be for you, but the geometry, weight distribution, tire size and style, are all retro. You wouldn't want to overpower this chassis.
The bike is very nice. However, the seat height is 31 inches... this makes the bike not a bike I'll buy, the seat height needs lowered atleast 5 inches..... Kawaski should have known this prior to building the bike not to have a 31 inch seat height
There's not a bike in the Kawasaki lineup with a seat height that's got a 5 inch lower seat height. While I agree this seat may be tall for some people, it's trying to match a certain look, and I think they did a good job of that. Unfortunately Kawasaki doesn't make bikes to fit every single rider out there. I agree this is a pretty great bike. I hope you find something that you're happy with!
@Peter Lowe One your missing the point, I didn't say kawaski had bikes qirh a 5 inch lower seat height...I said, this bikes sits to high..the bike needs lowered, u sat on this model at the local Kawaski dealer in my area... 31' inch seat height is why I would not purchase this bike, it's a very good bike, however. Not comfortable for me at 32' seat height..
@@bradleyhutchison9756 I didn't miss the point. You'd like it to be lower for you, and that's entirely reasonable. When you mentioned that it needs to be lowered "at least 5 inches" that's just not something that Kawasaki would consider with their bikes. So I hear you, but 5 inches would be outside the norm.
This W800 has a lower seat than the twenty or so bikes I've owned. If you are below average height you'd need to be looking at cruisers for lower seat height. You can get an accessory seat that is an inch or so lower.
