[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by Nimz

.. had this bike been available three months back when I started looking to restart my biking journey this would have been in my shortlist.
I I had booked the FZX and cancelled so I guess I would have definitely considered this bike and taken a TD.

You cancelled FZX, so finally, with which bike you went?

[AnAntinspired]

Wow. So much ire about a motorcycle no one commenting has even seen in person yet...and some good defences as well. So much for team spirit în Team-bhp.

My few bits, I'm not going to write this off till I sample it in person because this can easily be the right motorcycle for one set of my purposes -
1. I always keep one bike to ride just solo, so that's straight away better power-to-weight ratio than anyone who buys a motorcycle to ride two up.
2. I explore solo, so any reasons the bike falls or fails, it's liftable and pushable at that weight.
3. I go on bird-watching rides, an entire day at just enough speed to keep one eye on tree tops and fields for birds, yes the winged kind. This combined with over enthusiast speed governance means this 13 bhp has all the performance I need for this purpose.
4. Its possibly going to be both eco-friendly în fuel consumption and ego-friendly thanks to public consumption. That Kawasaki badge should take care of that with the signal neighbours.
5. That metal build means more magnetic luggage, especially a tank bank to carry my camera for the aforementioned purposes. And the twin rear shocks will allow a saddle bag to be swung over without needing saddle stays that would have added more weight.
6. Halogen headlights to me are always a step up to LEDs în this segment atleast.
7. It looks properly retro and true to its lineage. There aren't any 100 to 150 cc bikes that are still selling with a round headlight, a clean unfussy metal build under an ultra-reliable brand name, are they?
8. My other motorcycle has always been a long distance tourer and over 25bhp...but iv always enjoyed riding my slow beater motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow.
9. Its a Kawasaki and should that Japanese marquee entice you, do know that they have only ONE model currently with a ground clearance practical for India. The 8 lakh plus Versys 650. Until now, cos this w175 is the only other Kawasaki available with a clearance over 150mm.
10. A bit of trivia about the other W în India, the W800, is that it also hardly sold, being an 'ordinary' old style, air-cooled ride with more blue blood claim than blue tooth! However globally this motorcycle is called the last of the true-blue retro rides and comes în for exemplary praise...therefore, this only indicates how off the majority of the Indian pulse is, which has branded Impulse, Inazuma etc. etc. as failures.

If I were to get this, it would be in the same parking slot and the same purposes that I've previously had Yezdi 175cc, Hero Puch, Kawasaki Eliminator, Honda Twister, Hero Impulse, Hero Splendor Classic Pro (yes that single-seater devil) and, currently, Intruder, în that order. If you notice this list, the highest cc I've felt the need to go to was 175cc. Fun fact - almost each of these beater bikes iv owned started off their life by being derided, but the last laugh in almost all cases was, that not only did heads turn and much conversation was had over them with many a stranger, but every single one of them was sold for more money than I bought it for!!! (Though I think that may not happen with the intruder)

Yes, things can go south when this W175 shows up in person. The pics aren't flattering, so my visual support of it is only based on some Indonesian mods out there. Then the gearing could be wrong, the throttle jerky, the suspension unsuitable. The deal breaker for me would be if this forum isn't an accurate indicator of public sentiment and this becomes a popular buy. There's no greater ignonimy for an i-give-a-damn motorcycling maverick than to suddenly be standing amidst a herd at a signal, is there! Ha ha ha

I can understand the bitterness against it if circumstances allowed only one motorcycle and given all the options are mass market common rides, there was a lot of hope on Kawasaki to give away its premium identity for either much cheaper or to one that won't get so easily overtaken.

In short, I think this will work only for those buying for their own needs and not their office/friend/community opinions. Though from owning that hero classic pro single seater I can tell you this much since this motorcycle seems to be getting almost as dissed as that 100cc interceptor copy. The very few buying it will be a real head turner at headlights, and being a Kawasaki, never mind the sparse service, I doubt it will be an engineering lemon!

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

You cancelled FZX, so finally, with which bike you went?

I upped my budget and went in for a Honda CB350. No real retro / neo retro options that I liked around the 2 lakh price point.

Nimz

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by Nimz

I upped my budget and went in for a Honda CB350. No real retro / neo retro options that I liked around the 2 lakh price point.

Good decision. Great choice. Congratulations! You are going to enjoy thousands of miles with this quality Honda machine .

[nitro.1000bhp]

This might appeal to the youth or beginners or even some folks who want an everyday beater bike and some exclusivity and not want to be seen on a bread and butter commuter. Its light weight and the extra ccs maybe a boon for trundling around traffic in a higher gear than a 100 or 125 which will need constant shifting.

I dont understand where the hoards of naysayers come from and fill up the first few pages during every single new vehicle launch. Don't simply bash something by reading the numbers on paper. You don't ride a bike on paper! Real world riding is vastly different and only after experiencing we'd know how a bike actually feels. And those predicting sales numbers or say its "DOA", why do you care how much sales a manufacturer does? its their problem. Kawasaki heavy industries is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate that makes everything from earth movers to ships! If they make a loss they'll write it off and just move on to something else.

[dj_666]

Visited their nearby outlet.

Though there isn't a display bike, they are taking bookings against a deposit of ₹10k.

Was told to expect deliveries by end of December @ Roughly 1.80L on-road Blr.

Test rides seem unlikely even then

[Samarth 619]

I've read a lot of comments, some kind on Kawasaki, most a bit rough.
But not one is considering long term over short term.

Can't we see for what this bike actually is? Its the freedom of Kawasaki from Bajaj. Its something Kawasaki is doing on their own.
Its a big thing guys, for the future.

I still thank Kawasaki for bringing ZX10R in the least price possible & best quality, even though I won't ever afford it (without ancestral help which I won't ask for). I'm a small city college professor by the way.
I thank them for bringing ZX 6R even though keyboard warriors who were missing it, didn't flock to showrooms to buy it, in front of ZX10R costing just 1 Lakh more (but hey, didn't you always know this would happen?)


Maybe years later we could have higher cc machines made in India itself, much like KTM.
But its possible only if dealers get enough high volume machines like 150cc or so, otherwise you can't sustain a 800cc+ range here with dealers in every city.
Ask Harley, Ask Ducati, Ask Aprilia pointing at their "150cc" scooter.

And this bike is a good start, even though it might get a discount few months down the line...
Think Long term guys, please.

[davelok]

Originally Posted by v12

While I wont doubt the capability and reliability of this bike - this is a clear case of wrong timing. This would have been a hit if Kawasaki had launched this 2 decades ago. But in 2020, I doubt there is a market for <200cc street bikes. Also, I believe this will be priced at a premium compared to other similar capacity motorcycles.

If they were to launch that sweet W 250 (in white) here, I'd pay them so fast they wouldn't know they got the money.

[KPR]

Among Hunter, Ronin and W175, I will keep W175 as 1st choice. But waiting for TD of this to see if riding position is good. Looks like a no nonsense buy.

[AnAntinspired]

Got my hands and feet wrapped around a Bangalore showroom parked W175 last week. The pics posture and expression demonstrates my quizzical thoughts on the fit of the bike-
Is the front wheel appearing extra skinny thanks to a larger appearing rear wheel and spindly forks?
Is the seat height and shape making it a bit too commuter-ish?
Will the helmets of a front and back pillion clash often, given both would be seated at the same height?

A test ride, currently not available, would answer that. What did get answered is the concern on this appearing a cheap Kawasaki. The fit and finish, the substantial size of the tank, the all-metal solid perception exuded by the well finished body and the premium feeling touches such as the matt textured fuel lid, the well sized and fitted front fender, all add to a definite, Kawasaki being superior to competition feel.

When I revved the engine, I definitely felt more of a rush than from on the artificially bassy exhaust of the competing Ronin or the clattery Hunter.
The only reason I walked away without making a booking is due to not living anywhere close to Kawasaki service and also the routes from my farm to city life involving enough 'no-roads' situations to worry about tubed tyres.

I would still say, if someone wants a retro styled, unique motorcycle to fit into an all urban city ride lifestyle, there are literally no choices as distinct as this one. A ride review out there would answer these questions...
My money has shifted its investment, but will be with eyes on this thread, awaiting a thorough review someday soon.

Good luck Kawasaki W175!

[KPR]

What happened with the release? No YT reviews. No deliveries?

[TusharK]

Kawasaki W175 deliveries begin in India

Deliveries of the Kawasaki W175 have commenced in India. The bike was launched in September 2022 with prices starting at Rs 1.47 lakh (ex-showroom).



The W175 is a retro-styled bike that comes with a round headlamp and an analogue instrument cluster. The bike has a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a single-piece flat seat, a peashooter exhaust and comes with wire spoke wheels.

The Kawasaki W175 is powered by a 177cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that produces 12.9 BHP @ 7,500 rpm and 13.2 Nm @ 6,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The bike features conventional telescopic fork suspension at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. Braking is handled by a combination of a 270 mm disc at the front and a drum brake at the rear, supported by single-channel ABS.

Source: Bikewale

[MotoDrive]

Come on Kawasaki this bike deserves a chrome exhaust, speedo meter console, handlebar, indicators, rear pillion grab bar and few more bits here and there at this price, and of course a bit more power would have been great! I'll buy it when you add some more chrome parts! It would have easily attracted huge RX100 lovers!

[KPR]

This bike is a surprise given in 2022 where youtubers just flock to get a TD or ride review. No official TD available in showrooms. No dates of delivery. I'm waiting to see more YT reviews. Those very few available are speaking great things about this bike. I'm just eager to TD one and pick ASAP.

[amvj]

W175 Overdrive review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zlLVK-3LkQ