Don’t wait till your 40 as the “W” might’ve become extinct by then. I’ve owned all the W series bikes and they have class and character like few motorcycles
What a great ride with very little car traffic! I have a W800 Cafe version and it is awesome, the engine is a jewel making such an enjoyable amount of relaxed grunt. I also am blessed with a R Nine T and yes it has superior hp, brakes and suspension and is also a wonderful machine, however I still love the W800 more and wouldn’t mind picking up a standard model W800!
I love the character of my W800 as well, definitely a low population center in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. "high traffic" times here are "low traffic" times in any metropolitan area.
Accurate, factual and pleasant presentation of my exact feelings of the W800. Worth every penny that it costs more than unnamed other "retro" motorcycles. Keep the good stories coming. Looking forward to videos from the first annual W800 owners get together. Wish I could be there. I am participating in our annual Ride for Dad poker run to raise money for prostate cancer research on June 1st. Last year Mine was the only W800/W650 in about 500 motorcycles. Lots of curious fellow riders. Even a few of the Harley riders were interested in the W800. (there were only about 400 Harleys). Harleys are great motorcycles but who wants to be one of 100s when you can be one and only. I've had my W for almost two years and have to see another one on the road in our area. They are not powerful or sporty enough to draw attention from the masses but they sure are a joy to ride. Keep enjoying your machine. Bob in Ottawa.
I'm super fortunate that I have a friend that has a w650 who lives close by, in fact, that's HOW we became friends, he does own several HDs, but the W is what bonds us. I have two BMWs and the W, but my favorite to ride on the two lane hiways of New England is the W. Thank you for commenting, hope all is well in the Capital City!
@@bigbluemotorbikedog The W does surprisingly well in limited use on the four lane. It doesn't get blown around excessively by transport trucks and it purrs along spinning 4200rpm at 75mph. At the other end of the spectrum it will putt through town at 30mph in fifth gear and still roll on peacefully to 60mph without having to shift. The torque characteristics of the motor are perfect for my style of riding and it is surprisingly spirited from 4000rpm to red line when needed. What's not to love. BJ
I'm super glad you enjoy the videos! Please check out the others on the channel too! If there's something specific you want me to cover, just let me know. Thank you for commenting!
Spot on. I got Z650RS over a year ago. Made 3000 miles on it. And guess what. Trading it in for a new W800. A true retro made in Japan. Not a Thai made z650 made to look retro.
Great video. I've owned a 01 w650 for a few years not outstanding in any area but by far the most enjoyable bike I've ridden in over 40 years of biking.
Excellent video. I have a 2022 & absolutely love it. It's a bit pricey compared to some of the competitors but the quality is absolutely there & to me this is without a doubt the best modern retro on the market. Old saying is You get what you pay for. Cuddos to Kawasaki
Spot on! The W is both Goldilock's porridge, sitting right between a pseudo-retro and and actual 60 year old bike, and a (reliable) time machine to the past. And as you say, you can feel that parallel twin machining away when you are riding - just as God intended us to experience motorcycling!
I enjoy your videos and have a suggestion for getting a lot of views I would really like a W800 valve chech / shim change how to video You strike me as the type that does his own service type stuff There’s only one on RU-vid and it’s in Italian ( I think) Keep doing the W800 videos I enjoy them Thanks for your efforts they are appreciated
Mine is pretty dang new still (arond 3k miles so far) - so not due for a while, but I'll poke around and see if I can find those videos. Once it's time I'm more than happy to get a video done.
Hi, Good vibes from you about what for me is the whole point of motocycling. I own a 2011 W800 and a 2019 SCR 950 Yamaha. I love both machines but the W800 is something very special. Ride safe brother.
It's interesting how different geographic areas had different colors available for the same year, mine is also a 2020! (used google translate) C'est intéressant de voir comment différentes zones géographiques avaient différentes couleurs disponibles pour la même année, la mienne est aussi une 2020 !
I have been undecided between the Kawasaki W800 and the Triumph Boneville T100 and your video scored a few more points for the W800. I would just put the gear indicator and I think it makes sense and wouldn't distort the W800 spirit, to stay on point. By the way, where did you film the video? Pretty cool.
Used are now a bargain in Britian. You can have 21' Street version with 3k miles for just above £5000. Maybe it has something to do with EURO 4 compliance?
Hello, thank you for the informative video. I just acquired a 2000 W650, ... and am also perusing stores/sites for a seat upgrade. Have my eye on the same Omega Racer. (possibly tuck & roll, though the diamond may better serve) Noting your positive experience, .. is it really worthy of the added $400? Suspension improvements & required parts replacements (chain, tires, etc.,, bike has 24,350 mi.) weigh in, concerning available budget priorities. However, I'm likely to follow your lead, as aids to the riding experience remain front burner. Thanks, again for sharing your experiences, and advice. Insights, if any, into suspension upgrades keenly welcome.
I haven't upgraded my suspension yet, I have found that updating the tires to the Michelin Road Classics made a huge improvement to the riding experience, so much so that I forgot that I had planned to update the suspension... if I get there again I will definitely do a video on it. Thank you for commenting and enjoy your W!!!
I am SUPER curious as to why you would want to go from chain to belt! The only thing that I could imagine is lower maintenance than a chain (no lubrication, or adjustments as the chain stretches, for examples). My thought it that you would need to have something fabricated in order to replicate the ratios between the front sprocket and the rear sprocket, would also have to either use a very thin belt, or change the housing in order to accomodate a wider belt than the chain. I haven't seen anything like that available, kinda goes away from honoring the W1 (which had a chain final drive). Let me know your thoughts! Thank you for commenting!
@@RichardsModellingAdventures So true! I find that we have ethanol free fuel available at petrol stations near lakes for watersports, not sure if that's the same in the UK.
I get it that motorcycles are extremely expensive, the workmanship and quality of materials on the W are exceptional, including real metal parts. The really great news is that there does seem to be plenty on the used market that go for a song, and many keep theirs bone stock.
Production costs are much higher in Japan than Thailand or India and using period correct mostly steel construction and chrome plating at the quality level employed by Kawasaki is not cheap. You truly get what you paid for. They are quality bikes that will last a long long time and are as period correct as you can get under todays safety and emissions regulations. The pain of the extra cost will be long gone when you get 100,000 trouble free miles on it.
