An owner review of the Kawasaki W800 and a ride along in the North Carolina countryside 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - Meguro and W history 05:02 - Walk around 06:50 - Getting gas and downtown
Good ride on a great bike. I own a 2003 W650, it's done 33,000 miles still looks like new and has been trouble free. They are very enjoyable bikes to ride. Best wishes from England.
The W800 is an excellent motorcycle. I live in New England and ride it all year long. Starts when it's cold, hot, wet, fog, whatever. It's "Wicked Awesome."
I do know about this bike but have to admit it’s completely overlooked or forgotten about when it comes to modern classics like the RE650, new BSA or V7. However what a charming and beautiful bike it is. Bit of a gem.
I own a 2015 W800. Without a doubt, it's the most "fun" bike that I've ever ridden. Not only that, in the "real world", it's also one of the best bikes that I've ever ridden. Yes, I've ridden faster bikes, bikes that are more comfortable, bikes with better suspension and better brakes. But I'm yet to ride a bike that is a better package for what I'd call "everyday riding". 47 horsepower mightn't look like a lot on a spec sheet, but these things give you a lot of access to that power right down in the rev range and make this bike a quicker bike than it has any right to be. And they're not light, either. But the weight is carried low, which means that they're easy to push around the garage and to get off the side stand. The weight also doesn't hurt with ride quality either. Kawasaki have also done an absolutely brilliant job balancing low speed cornering with high speed stability, despite the fairly long wheel base and 19' front tyre. Around town, these things just fall into turns effortlessly, yet they're so stable and planted at highway speeds. It just doesn't make sense. They shouldn't be this good! And the brake feel is fantastic, too. And the front brake works in such harmony with the front suspension. The whole bike is such a good package. By the way. I only purchased mine as a bit of a stop gap. The mileage, condition and price were too good to ignore. I am most certainly not looking for another bike, now. This is my dream bike. I just never knew it. In my opinion, it's one of the best kept secrets in motorcycles.
Your last comment about this being almost a secret is really true. Kawasaki does nothing to promote it here in the US. And when we were shopping for my wife's first 'big bike', even our dealer didn't suggest it. I literally found it walking around all the bikes and looking for something to step up from the Meteor 350 she was riding
@@BikerBitez-nq1tm I'm in Australia. They did nothing to promote them here, either. Even our local Kawasaki dealership looked at me with a vacant look their eye when I went to order parts for it. I don't think that they even knew that the W800 existed. I would love to know Kawasaki's logic.
@@AndyPat239 My mate who rides a Moto Guzzi test road my bike before I did. I asked him about the vibrations and he said, "What vibrations?" Between about 3000 and 5000 you know that the engine is running. I'd call it characterful, rather than vibey. It's nowhere near as bad as an old British or American twin. It's not uncomfortable, either. Your hands and feet don't go to sleep or feel fatigued when you get off after an hour or so. I've ridden fours that have unbearable resonances at certain speeds and loads. These aren't anything like that.
If you can afford it buy one while you still can. They don't come up on the used market very often. People who buy them keep them forever untill they're dead or stop riding. The gear drive makes them last forever. My gear drive Sportster has outlasted all of my Honda's put together. You won't be disappointed.
Very enjoyable vid and well made for saying you only have a couple of other vids on your channel. I've always thought the W800 as a lovely little retro but probably a bit small for my 6ft 4 frame. You sound British and very clear to listen to.
As I was watching I thought how similar the country roads of England are to the U.S. and even the convenience store looks straight out of my small town. Then, you rode on the right side of the road…and then you unraveled the mystery by stating you’re in Mooresville, NC. Haha. I’m on the opposite side of Charlotte from you in Fort Mill, SC. Nice review.
I can see your confusion. In some ways there are some similarities to England, but in NC we don't have the hedgerows and stone walls. But the rolling countryside and winding roads of the Piedmont are not dissimilar to southern England where I grew up.
I really love this bike; it’s the quintessential retro bike with all the modern conveniences. Should I sell my GS? Or better, have the Kawa as a second bike….thank you for this wonderful presentation of a very special bike. I’m in love❤
the W800 is my wife's. I think its a great machine for an afternoon on the backroads. But I would need more space and power to tour. I have no experience of a GS. I think it comes down to how and where someone chooses to ride.
Why? Do you live in Arizona, Utah, Nevada or New Mexico? I hope that your radiator doesn't corrode or the water pump doesn't harden or the thermostat doesn't lock shut or the temperature sensor doesn't go bad during storage. @@krollpeter
@@kennethm.pricejr.8921 Singapore My previous R1200GS was constantly at near the redline. When waiting somewhere I could watch how the temp went up, bar by bar. First and last air-cooled machine for me.
I live in Florida and my Sportster never gets above 215* even in the summer ⛱️🌞 . Don't miss out on a great bike . Plus you can always go back to carbs to cool it even more as well as you can put a kicker on it too. I also have my Triumph TR-6 with a iron barrel no heating issues at all. Get one you won't be disappointed! @@krollpeter
Im looking to get one of these. Its one of the very few that dont look like crap, are mechanically simple and affordable. And i dont need 200 horsepower.
Great review I've currently got a BSA GoldStar which i love but if i was to change it this is the one I'd go for. Its authenticity and its build quality is just what i like and certainly it tops the Bonnerville in my opinion.
I agree on the sentiment. BSA not establishing themselves over this side of the pond (yet). Next time I am in UK or India, I definitely hope to see one and maybe even ride.
@@BikerBitez-nq1tmBritish name on a Indian POS with a POS Chinese made engine, copy of a Rotax, not up to Japanese quality in all aspects. BSA badges just a sales gimmick. Don't be fooled.
My local dealer had a new 2023 for only $7,000. Almost bought it but ended with a new 2022 RE Interceptor 650. I’m 75 and the small profile was my focus. Been riding a BMW 1200GS and Husqvarna 701 which I still have.
i am 6ft2, wife is 5ft10. For me, its a little small for longer ride. But my wife thinks the fit is perfect. I have sat on the Interceptor and the Triumph 900 Street Twin - they feel very similar. The GS and Husky are nice choices to compliment the retro you have now
Stirling review!. All around. Country roads in western Penn. and your area, may be enough for relocation with one of these bikes.! Here in San Francisco Bay Area, traffic is less than idyllic. Hectic being the operative adjective. The 2000 W650, while carburetor'ed, & drum rear, offers the balanced asset of a kick starter, .. = added versatility/functionality. Now, if they had only left in the points and magneto. ...... 😜
Hoping to pick one up this year. Looking to get a bimble bike as high reving inline 4 doesn't suit my riding style anymore. Only issue is not a lot come up for sale in UK and definitely not close to me ( plenty of street and cafe models but not interested in them). Luckily not in any rush so i guess ill just have to wait until the right bike for me pop up 🤞
well, are you not crazy to try a W800 so early in youtube! it doesn't get attention it is worth. but most don't understand small displacement bikes here in the US. would love to meet up on a weekend pending where you live in NC. i own if you see from my channel, a 2020 cafe and love it! i also own a Concours if you are by the hills. i am shore bound of Norfolk, VA. this bike is amazing and has every thing you would want for around town and a few highways. glad to have you in my subscriptions as a new channel.
The W800 is a secret and Kawasaki haven’t tapped into the US customers. I’m outside Charlotte, NC. Planning to highlight the local riding and towns on my channel too
I have one as my 'second bike' (also own a customised YamTR1 1982 ) mine is the W650 -03 model . It is totally-reliable just jump-on and go looks even-more retro/classic than the W800 I think . It started straining @ 120kph recently , new-plugs and she's racing-again . It's a very-tractable machine for such a small motor and sounds-great when you push it through the twisties . I use a medium-priced semi-synthetic-oil and change it every 1500k's, filter every 3000 . Oil is cheap-insurance if you change it more , heat in M/C engines is more-severe than cars and if you change it immediately after a ride (scalding! ) you will flush-out all the clutch-fibres that cause bike-filters to ' Bypass' ...and your oil looks clean between-changes (use it for your lawn-mower oil-change ! ) This will probably end up being my 'Old-Man-Bike' (69 now ) as my XV feels heavier every-year , although I am currently being tempted by a tidy old Ducati 900 Monster Dave nz
For anyone not really familiar, the W650 and the current W800 are going to seem almost indistinguishable. Basic maintenance is super easy as you say. Investing in quality oil, original filters and regular changes is an inexpensive investment.
Dave, you still here? Didn't you mention a few carburetor alterations for improved performance in another video? .. Something about changing jet size, and backing out the carb screws (to 3?) Need to remember which video that was.
I've got 17k kms on my 2020. Its a perfect B road bike and I like it a lot. Not really suited for freeways or 2up. 60-80 kmh tight country roads or in town.
I love your reveiw, ive always wanted one ot these bikes and i bougt a used 2020 this week with only 650 miles on it. I changed the oil and filter, fuel, 9:29 I love the bike, Is it normal for the engines on these bikes to have a slight ticking noise on the right side while idling, ive listened to several on You tube and they seem to sound the same as mine, yours did not sound to tick?
Thanks for video. How did you rate the w800 for the taller rider? I am 6 foot 2. I did a test ride but experienced the handle bar as somewhat narrow and the shape of the seat does not allow you to move to the back. Having owned the W650 with a smooth flat seat and wider handle bar, I clearly noticed the difference
I’m also 6ft2, and full disclosure, my wife rides this one. I would like more room for extended rides. And while the seat looks flat there is an annoying step change right under where my tail bone is for the best sitting position. Fun for a 1-2h blast but I think the size would be a compromise for taller riders on longer trips.
With the bevl drive you never have to worry about cam chain breaking and destroying the engine. It is the best feature of the bike. Expensive to make which is why all the manufacturers use chain drive. Moto Guzzi has a gear drive after market to replace the chain . It should come stock. The bike should have a kick starter like the W-650 had. I suppose you could do one but l don't know how much it would cost to get it. The only new Japanese motorcycle l would buy today. I hate EFI that adds $1,500 over the price. I like carbs. Just had the carburetor on my Sportster cleaned for the first time in 25 years.
360degree crank. just like the original BSA's and Triumph's. There is a balance shaft but the vibrations aren't totally eliminated. I put Grip Puppies on the handlebars and the result is both characterful and manageable. And yes the cam shaft is bevel drive with the external shaft on the right side of the engine.
I have had 360 cranks in several machines. They vibrate bad even with balance shafts some still present. Without the handlebars feel like they are going in circles like a paint mixer shaker. One thing inherient to the design, torque. It should pull really good. The AMA flat track racers used the design to fig off the cushions in the curves and also on hill climbs. Hang on
i think the brakes are really good. Stops on a dime, adjustable levers and ABS. The earlier models had drum brakes on the rear and that might be the compromise. Its not a machine for racing for sure. overtaking takes some, but not too much, planning.
@@BikerBitez-nq1tm Mine was brand new and the brakes were less than confidence inspiring. Needs 2 discs up front. Rear brake isn't used much for stopping quickly anyway as the weight comes off the rear tyre - it's the front one that matters.
I have never done an overtake with my W800 that made me feel I needed more power. If overtaking required more power then I would not be overtaking. I don't feel the need to always be the first in line on the public roads and generally only overtake overly slow or annoyingly erratic drivers that make me feel unsafe following them. Bob
The main problem is it's price, the 650 Interceptor does all the W800 does for less money, second problem is the looks, it’s a copy of it’s own older self which was a copy of a British bike of the 50/60’s. The engine looks good from the left but weird from the right, the seat looks good but the tank looks like they couldn’t be bothered. Credit for the all air cooled engine and the good 5 speed box (quite why good gearboxes are hard to make after 100 years is a mystery).
I am 6ft2, and for us longer legs and taller riders, there are more comfortable choices. But for a retro, I think that puts you in T120 and Scrambler 1200 territory. Or something like the now discontinued Honda CB1100
I seriously considered buying a W650 back in 2002, but Kawasaki seriously overpriced it. I bought a Vulcan 750 instead. Twice the bike for less money. And I have put over 80,000 miles on it since. Now that I have more money, I'd like to buy the W800, but because of all the computerized garbage, like EFI and ABS, and an LED headlight, I flat out refuse to buy it. I want a REAL motorcycle. Not a computer on wheels. Back in 2013 I bought a new Royal Enfield B5 Bullet 500. It came with EFI and a cat con exhaust that was three feet long and weighted 30+ pounds. I quickly replaced the EFI with an Amal Concentric MK1 carburetor, and installed a smaller, lighter, and much better sounding exhaust on it. It runs great, sounds great, feels great, but does not make enough power for highway use. And because of it's tube type tires (which both the W650 and W800 have as well, even in 2024) I have to stay close to home on it, because a flat tire with tube type tires means a tow truck. I have put just over 20,000 miles on the Royal Enfield, and it has come home on a tow truck 4 times due to flat tires. Good thing I wasn't far from home.
Unfortunately, being shim under bucket, my own bike's cams have to come out when shims are needed. I have a Suzuki SV1000. At 31.000 miles, none have been required, thus far.@@BikerBitez-nq1tm
My mechanic has serviced one of these for years and owns a W650 himself. He claims that while you certainly have to check them, they don't often need replacement. And by the way, the 800 that he looks after has 100,000 miles on it and runs like a Swiss watch. They are a very under stressed engine.
You are right! I had forgotten about the KZ750, which followed on from the W3, which is the direct descendent of the Meguro I flashed up in the video. Sharing the styling of the bigger 4 cylinder Z900 but the simplicity of the air cooled parallel twin.
I just wish these retro parallel twin machines weren't so damn heavy. Enfields, Triumphs, and this Kawasaki are all 75-100lb heavier than the bikes they are emulating. A 1970's Triumph Bonneville weighed in at a shade less than 400lb. This Kawasaki is pushing 490lb.
Hold a electric starter in one hand and a large battery in the other one and you will see why they are heavier than a kick start only Triumph 650. That's the weight difference.
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 Don't forget the added weight of the fuel injection system, the ABS system and the catalytic converter exhaust system. My W800 is 95 pounds heavier than my 1969 Norton Commando. Bob
@@Bob-xc2us Let's not forget about the electric starter and a battery to power all the electronics on new bikes. Everyone thinks that all the traction control and ABS is going to save them when they do something stupid. People don't develop the skills to be a good and safe rider.
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 Agreed. I forgot that my 1968 Norton has a small battery and no electric starter. Non ABS brakes stop shorter than ABS brakes on dry good road surfaces but ABS can prevent unfortunate accidents in wet or otherwise slippery conditions. Specially for inexperienced riders. Bob
@@Bob-xc2us That's just it. You learn how to ride by making mistakes and learning from them. My Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto is super light. Not intimidating for new riders. When you fall down and go boom you learn not to do what you did that made you fall. Why l love crash bars on my street bikes. I came across a railroad crossing that was really banked. It shot me up in the air about 20 ft. This girl looked up at me as l looked down on her. I landed and kept going. I learned not to do that again. Hot sugar sand on a S curve and rolled my Triumph Tr-6. Handle bars were bent so I just yanked them straight. Loaded up the saddle bags and went on my way. This is how you learn what to do and what not to do. People always say vintage motorcycles make you pay more attention to your surroundings because you have no rider aids to bail you out. No ABS or TC. It's a good way to sharpen your motorcycle skills. Sometimes the lesson is painful and sometimes not.lts a roll of the 🎲.
i had a 2020 w800 nice bike but it under power its has like 50 hp its can be very dangerous when you want overtake or acceleret very quikly tgis days car are faster then the 1970.you better buy triumph bonneville as its has more horse power and more safer for today road.
I've decided to trailer my W800 from central fla to Brevard NC the last week of July and plan to ride the Smokies, Blue ridge park way , this will be like riding a combination of the English country side and our new England states, I've completed the Smokies, Blue ridge, and sky line drive several times in a vehicle ' I was going to take my Dr 650 ,
What the heck is going on at 0:27? Did you get Princess Kate to edit you pretending to be riding on a road? 😂😂 in fact did you do the whole video on a green screen simulation....
Since the W800 has been discontinued the bikes are being discounted so go and snag a good deal. Head and shoulders above the RE 650. RE 650 nowhere near Japanese quality w/o a doubt!
The W800 is not discontinued. What market do you live in? There may be some Countries that Kawasaki is not selling them in. They are very popular in the Japanese market. They even sell a W400 in Japan and they also sell a 250cc single look alike in Japan.
Not actually a review, as you said little about the details of it's character. Frankly just an old bloke repeating "it's got disc brakes front and rear" - YAWN !
@@BikerBitez-nq1tmchecked out the street vertion it has lots of plastic even headlight and mudguards are plastic ..not sure what’s happened guess its little cost cutting
In the US, we have one version W800 ABS. I checked out a Kawasaki Thailand site and the Street is a subtly different version. the handlebars are different and the mudguards don't look metallic. We used to have the Café version in the US only, and since 2021 model year, only the W800 ABS model is offered.
