[KPR]

I saw one w175 in person at a showroom that is 300+ km away from home. The bike is good and feels quite nice to hold. I wanted to buy one and sell off my TB500. But the issues of no service center near by home and higher pricing made me think before buying one. So I chose another option. I had retained TB500 and brought home a new CT125X. This Boxer costs half of W175. I wish Bajaj brings 150cc in this Boxer series to India as well.

Features that are worth in CT125x:
1. Both side solid metal foot rests.
2. Extra long seat with slightly hard cushioning.
3. SnS suspension in rear patented by Bajaj. Makes the bike feel planted and solid. Also gaiters are provided for front suspension.
5. Protective rain/dust covers for front disc brake and CBS modules.
5. Front engine guard plates.
6. Rear parcel tray
7. USB charger
8. Chain cover

[silver-stand]

Today, I took a test ride at Kawasaki Hyderabad in Banjara Hills.


I needed to fill out a couple of forms for the test ride, including emergency contact details — which didn’t surprise me given the kind of sporty bikes they offer.


The sales guy was enthusiastic and let me ride the bike as long as I wanted. But I drove 5-6 KM.


Here are my findings:


* First of all, the comparisons with CT100 are unfair. It does feel like a proper retro bike, and despite its weight, it doesn’t feel so light — it feels slightly heavy but not as heavy and easy to handle
* It feels good for laidback or calm riding. I didn’t like pushing hard as I didn’t feel good with the kind of grunt it gives when pushed hard.
* The gearing is awesome. The engine and gearbox combo are good. Throughout the test ride, I hadn’t remembered which gear I was in. I felt the bike and the engine and shifted up/down. If you downshift properly, there aren’t shocks from engine braking.
* The rare brake is unsuitable for hard braking/stopping; it’s ideal for gradually slowing. The front disc brake felt good enough. And using both brakes offered confidence in stopping the bike.
* No vibrations at all, though the top speed I have reached might be around 70 kmph.
* The engine grunt felt more toward a long-stroke engine but didn’t feel exactly like a long-stroke engine.
* While taking U-turns, I didn’t feel confident enough to bend the bike slightly — maybe with more riding, I might feel confident and comfortable.
* The seating position felt natural and comfortable for the short ride. But I am not sure how it feels in the long runs.
* The bike is easier to handle in city traffic.
* The side mirrors didn’t feel natural. During my test ride, I felt more comfortable slightly turning my head rather than looking in the mirrors.
* Finally, the build quality felt sturdy and well done. In person, the bike looks much more wholesome than in pictures. By the way, I liked the all-black paint scheme more than the red one.


Here is some info from the sales guy:


* They’re selling around 6-7 units a month.
* The break-in period seems to be for 1000 km, but the sales guy wasn’t 100% sure what a break-in or run-in period is. After I explained it, he understood what I meant.
* After that, servicing is required for every 6,000 km, and the service cost would be around ₹2,000/- (Not sure If I remember that correctly)
* He quoted an on-road price of 1,90,000/- after knowing I already had a car registered in my name. I guess Telangana charges additional tax if a person tries to own more than one vehicle. He said they have a 10,000/- offer till the end of April. So the price could come to ~1,80,000/-
* The booking amount is 10,000/-. The delivery timeline is around one month. Booking cancellation would be 2,000/- o 3,000/-, though the sales guy didn’t give an exact number.


Finally, I think it’s one lovely nice retro bike. I would probably buy it in the next 3-6 months period.


For those who think CT100 is better than this bike, I don’t want to change your mind 🙂 W175 is for different folks. Peace..!

[KPR]

Had there been a Kawasaki showroom in my town I would've bought this bike. Perfect for my needs. The only thing that makes me re think buying is that it has a FI, tuned for BS6 and what to do if I get some tantrums in the form of check engine light? No support for next 200 km minimum! I feel bad that a nice W175 will die even before it starts living. I get to see many 20 year old Calibers doing yeoman duties. If Kawasaki has plans to expand to Tier 2 towns and advertise W175, then we can see W175s on road. Hey Mojo! there's a friend coming to live with you!

[silver-stand]

A couple of days after my test ride, I booked on 10th April and planned to take delivery in July.

I booked early because the executive said I would get a 10,000 discount if I made a booking in April, even though I take delivery in July.

NOTE: The 10,000 discount is called the Good Times discount, and it has been extended to May as well.

You can read my test ride review here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5526240 (Kawasaki W175 coming to India. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 1.47 lakh)

This is what I discussed while booking:

1. Remove RSA
2. Remove the Handling Fee. If not possible, adjust it.
3. Add/fit Engine guard and rear wheel mud-guard (Included)
4. Include free accessories - Jacket and Gloves
5. Free first service

For 2, the executive said they would look into it while paying in full. For 4, he said they could give a Jacket.

In the mid of May, I got a call from Kawasaki, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, asking when I would take delivery. I told them it would be July.

Then I was told I would only get a Good Times discount only if I paid in full by the end of May.

It confused me as their executive earlier said otherwise.

So, I visited them as I was okay with taking delivery early to grab the discount.

Surprisingly, the executive I talked with while booking has left the dealership.

And I got conflicting info:

1. No free first service. Servicing cost from the first service will cost 2,500/-. This irked me as the price was slowly climbing up.
2. Handling fee must be paid in full, which was 1,999/-
3. Engine guard and rear wheel guard aren’t available yet. And I didn’t ask if they would give them for free when available.

This has baffled me. And I told them this experience didn’t inspire confidence.

Then their manager told me that executives may come and go, but we stay here. And that he will share his number in case of any issues to be resolved.

I really liked the bike and its build quality. But the less-than-ideal experience from Kawasaki Hyderabad left me doubtful.

What if I face people-changing-words when the bike gets into a serious issue or for warranty claiming? They’re the only dealership serving Telangana and Andhra Pradesh!

I have decided to back out and canceled the booking. The cancellation charges are 2,000/-.

[Senotrius]

Correct decision. Like the fiasco( talked about in tbhp) at ducati dealerships, unless you have the right contacts to arm twist or the executives are professionals with good after sales rep, avoid these luxury traps.

[bf1983]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

Correct decision. Like the fiasco( talked about in tbhp) at ducati dealerships, unless you have the right contacts to arm twist or the executives are professionals with good after sales rep, avoid these luxury traps.

In the case of big bikes you don't have much option if you want a high performance machine. In this case however there are plenty of good bikes available with many more dealers so if the dealer isn't inspiring confidence then it's a good decision to back out.

Whats worse is that they actually took 2k cut for booking the bike so the dealer benefitted either way.

[Senotrius]

Years ago i had my handling fees reversed while taking delivery of my duke 390.Bought the bike one year after launch. I shot a mail to ktm india then and they instructed the dealer to not take 'handling ' fees before delivery. Don't know if the same has been legalised now like destination fees in the Usa for vehicles.

[KPR]

Still I don't find a proper YouTube user video of this Indian W175. There are plenty available from Asia pacific.

[Senotrius]

1. There's nothing extraordinary to review about I believe.
2. Indians being Indians, we will always look at the value proposition. The market is flooded with options for comparison at either the price range or capacity or power. This was a product dead on arrival.

[shady]

Spotted a W175 few weeks ago. It can easily be mistaken for another commuter bike. I noticed it's a Kawasaki only because of the bag he had and then the branding on the seat

I tailed the bike for a few kilometers. The engine note seems smooth and could hardly see any vibes on the mirror.

[raja_ys]

Originally Posted by silver-stand

A couple of days after my test ride, I booked on 10th April and planned to take delivery in July.

I booked early because the executive said I would get a 10,000 discount if I made a booking in April, even though I take delivery in July.

NOTE: The 10,000 discount is called the Good Times discount, and it has been extended to May as well.

You can read my test ride review here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5526240 (Kawasaki W175 coming to India. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 1.47 lakh)

This is what I discussed while booking:

1. Remove RSA
2. Remove the Handling Fee. If not possible, adjust it.
3. Add/fit Engine guard and rear wheel mud-guard (Included)
4. Include free accessories - Jacket and Gloves
5. Free first service

For 2, the executive said they would look into it while paying in full. For 4, he said they could give a Jacket.

In the mid of May, I got a call from Kawasaki, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, asking when I would take delivery. I told them it would be July.

Then I was told I would only get a Good Times discount only if I paid in full by the end of May.

It confused me as their executive earlier said otherwise.

So, I visited them as I was okay with taking delivery early to grab the discount.

Surprisingly, the executive I talked with while booking has left the dealership.

And I got conflicting info:

1. No free first service. Servicing cost from the first service will cost 2,500/-. This irked me as the price was slowly climbing up.
2. Handling fee must be paid in full, which was 1,999/-
3. Engine guard and rear wheel guard aren’t available yet. And I didn’t ask if they would give them for free when available.

This has baffled me. And I told them this experience didn’t inspire confidence.

Then their manager told me that executives may come and go, but we stay here. And that he will share his number in case of any issues to be resolved.

I really liked the bike and its build quality. But the less-than-ideal experience from Kawasaki Hyderabad left me doubtful.

What if I face people-changing-words when the bike gets into a serious issue or for warranty claiming? They’re the only dealership serving Telangana and Andhra Pradesh!

I have decided to back out and canceled the booking. The cancellation charges are 2,000/-.

Wise decision to cancel, this is dud from Kawasaki trying to cash on the brand image and the heritage of the W series though lacking the looks (subjective). On first looks it may kick in an emotion for its retro looks but once you start observing it for a longer time you will start to notice that its nothing but a stale design. Its your luck to get out with a small hit and in fact its the dealer's loss for your bike cancellation and a greater loss to Kawasaki to lose a potential customer who would have upgraded later to some Ninja's or Z's overtime while looking upon these bikes at the time of service.

Funny that the dealer is trying to charge illegal handling charges on this dud motorcycle whose sales are dwindling. He should have actually welcomed you with a garland and treated you to a Biryani from nearby Hyderabad House and offered a free RSA and a couple of free services.

Service costs wont be pocket friendly from Kawasaki. For this segment best to stick to local brands in the 150-300Cc segment as spares and service costs will be much lower and there's nothing great in this W175 (its a simple Jane at a high cost).

It has no oomph factor and for this budget you can consider the Pulsars 200/250 which have better performance figures and equipment. (Double HP and Torque, Dual ABS and Rear Disc Brake etc) Or alternatively the Ronin though TVS customer care is very disappointing.

[Balaji31582]

The 2024 prices seem to be increased with colours changed. Atleast an option of Dual channel ABS could be given with the street model (the one with alloys).