[nims]

The cafe racer looks really yummy. Any chance of it coming to india

[FourWheelDrift]

@gsferrari and nims : if you feel the urge to petition for this bike, please have a look at the following post on page 1.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post2047619

Cheers,

FourWheelDrift

[FourWheelDrift]

A couple of Aussie road tests, with some great photos, followed by a recent Brit road test.

Source : Review: 2011 Kawasaki*W800 - Pipeburn - Purveyors of Classic Motorcycles, Cafe Racers & Custom motorbikes

Review: 2011 Kawasaki W800

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Stand down and be counted - meet the new W (click for a larger version)

My Dad. Knows absolutely nothing about motorbikes bar their mechanical basics and (in his eyes at least) their inherent danger – that and whatever his still-sharp 60 year-old senses tell him. So picture the vista when I roll up to my parent’s farm for Mother’s Day on a brand new Kawasaki W800. Of course he knows that the last bike I reviewed was Zero’s brave but flawed Zero S, and he briefly casts his eyes over this new one as I rev it up to give him a listen to the engine. There’s a moment of deep contemplation, much like a Kung Fu master might do, then he calmly pronounces, “Another electric bike, is it?” I laugh out loud. An electric bike? “Come on! Just look at the thing,” I blurt, pointing out the two massive pipes hanging off the back. “I know it doesn’t look like an electric bike,” he replies. “But it sure does sound like one…”

Please do meet Kawasaki’s all new W800 – a rethink of the popular W650 and their tilt at the ever-expanding “classic” bike segment. As we all know, the W650 was quite a hit with the custom crowd and has produced many superb DIY rides including a few corkers from local Sydney hipsters Deus Ex Machina. The intro blurb on the company website points out the attention to detail and “authentic quality” gained from using a plethora of metal and chrome on the bike – no doubt in an attempt to lure both older riders with a longing for the good ol’ days and younger riders who are possibly looking to get in on the custom bike craze. Kawasaki are also very quick to mention that the bike’s a homage to their original W1 parallel twin of 1967 – but do note that a homage is all that it is, as the W1 has almost nothing in common with the W650 or W800 excepting the parallel twin engine configuration and a 360˙ firing order.


A tip for budding photographers - when shooting a bike with two stands, ensure they are not both down at the same time

Naturally, the engine’s an air-cooled number with a capacity of 773cc. By Kawasaki’s measure, the power produced is around 52Kw (70 hp), up from 37 Kw (50 hp) of the previous model; torque is spun out of the new block at 60Nm (76 ft. lbs.) as compared to the 41Nm (56 ft. lbs.) of the 676cc W650. All this is happening much lower in the rev range than the old bike, with maximum torque available at 2500 rpm – 2000 rpm lower than the six fiddy. You’ve got a five-speed box to toe through, and a 14 ltr (4 gal) tank to pour the petroleum downwards. The frame is good ol’ tube steel and it all weighs in at 216 kg (476 lbs.), with the seat stopping your bum’s downwards motion at 790mm (31”). The rest is completely as you’d expect with telescopic front forks (no adjustment), twin rear shockers (pre-load adjustment), disc front and drum rear. It’ll cost you 12 thousand biscuits if you pay recommended retail in Oz.



The bike is impressive on first sighting. All that chrome burns shininess into your retinas and you can't help but be impressed. When you have recovered your sight, the finer details also please. There’s nothing that jumped out to my fussy eyes as under-done or budget-looking and the chrome is obviously nice and thick – and at that weight it’d want to be. What about the colours? We do hope sir likes dark green, because that’s the sum total of the choices available, though there’s so little surface area on the bike that isn’t chromed I’m not sure that it’d make a whole lot of difference. You can bet your bottom dollar there will be more colours announced soon, too. Jumping on board confirms that it’s not a featherweight. It’s not Harley heavy either, but just substantial enough for you to think twice when doing your first few U-turns.

Somewhat quizzically, it’s been placed in the “Sports” section of the company’s line-up alongside the likes of the Z1000 naked and 1400GTR Hayabusa buster, but once you sight that heart-shaped tank from the rider’s position you can’t help but think there’s more than a little cruiser in the bike’s genes. Of course the weight only adds to that impression. The retro feel of the bike is handled with grace and thankfully not overdone anywhere. I find that a bike’s dials are a decent gauge (pun fully intended) of excessively retro intentions on many bikes in this class and often end up looking more like a prop from an Austin Powers film than something that you’d be happy to look at on a regular basis. These ones pass the test nicely, with only the slightest hint of old school in the font chosen for the numerals. And yes, the bike does pass the Sunday morning smile-on-first-sighting test. It’s a looker, no doubt about it.


Retro, without being lame-o. Electronic display cycles through odo, trip, and time

One thing that did strike me as odd, though, was the lack of any Kawasaki branding on the bike save for the company moniker on the rear of the nicely padded seat. The tank itself has a simply “W” badge that looks more than a little like the classic Triumph eyebrow. This made me stop and think as to why they would do that; sure they probably want to impress on people the heritage of the brand and all that but I for one couldn’t really think of another example of this kind of badging on a bike. Weird. Picturing myself as an owner, I’d be worried that I would end up being constantly asked, “What kind of bike is a W?” over and over. Say it loud and say it proud, guys. It’s a Kawasaki! There’s nothing to be ashamed of there.


No relation to George, we assume

The engine turns over at the mere whiff of starter (no kick-start option I’m afraid) and settles in a neat and orderly humming belying its modern design, electronic choke and fancy-pants fuel injection. A twist of the throttle or two allows the bevel-drive cam to throw its hand up in the noise classroom and be noticed. Then it strikes me. The metallic whine of bevel gears is all I can hear. Where’s the beautiful retro parallel twin exhaust pop-a-pops in this musical mix? Nowhere – that’s where. I then think that the bike might fiddle with some valves once I get on the road, but alas and alack it never eventuates. Even at highway speeds with a heap of revs showing all I ever hear is the power-station hum of the bevel and an almost indiscernible bass line that just rumbles away in the background without ever developing into something that would rouse the hairs on your neck (or in my case, my back) to any degree. More’s the pity as the pipes are a thing of beauty; all that glorious chrome for such little result. I can only assume that the engineers were paying too much attention to the noisy bike police and not enough to the riders who shell out the dollars on the showroom floor. Of course this was the very conundrum my Dad was commenting on, albeit in his own, “get right to the crux of the matter without really knowing that he’s doing so” kind of way.

Out on the bitumen bits the W starts to reveal it’s true character. The thing is totally buttoned down and as slick as a damn big bucket of freshly polished slick stuff. All very modern, seamless and totally unlike the retro image it fronts. Gear changes are silky, suspension is smooth and it’s rarely troubled by your general assortment of Sydney road acne. As with any mortal parallel twin it’s vibey, but not to a silly degree. You’ll still get a mirror full of tungsten spaghetti at night with the vibes of the engine blurring car headlights, but it’s never enough for you to lose track of what you’re seeing. Good for biking oscilloscope fans, then. I also found a rather amusing point in the rev range around the 3000 rpm mark that made my vision go all blurry and really gave me a pleasant, um, a pleasant… Well, you get the idea. Contact me privately for the Polaroids. As you’d expect from its weight and design it feels well planted and stable at speed, but does suffer slightly from a stick-in-the-mud-ish feel when you are trying to get it to hustle around the bendy bits.


It has a habit of looking tall and lean from some angles, and quite wide from others

Torque is there in spades, and all from about 2 rpm. I’ve ridden a few bikes that are really unhappy to do anything but idle in the lower quarter of their rev range. Not the W; it and it’s nice big flywheel were totally untroubled by low rev riding. Like any decent, torquey engine you can just leave it in gear and punt it around using the bloody great mass of twist the engine generates.

Likewise, cruising at high speeds seems just as easy, ticking over at a lazy 4250 rpm at 120 kmh (60 mph) and a crazy-low 2750 at 80 kmh (50 mph). Roll on the throttle and the thing just goes like the high god of tarmac has summoned a surf-able road wave behind you. It never gets hurried or flustered, and although the red line is painted on at a reasonably high 7000 rpm it always seemed to be very at-home-on-the-couch-without-any-pants-on comfortable despite whatever my right hand threw at it.


Yes, the engine looks amazing. Note bevel drive for cams

One thing that did arise from my inner city riding was the tendency for the ‘box to drop into neutral on its way up from first to second. Undoubtedly it was more than a little to do with getting used to the cog-swapping habits of the bike, but it continued more than a few days into my loan and went from generating a slight sigh to a fully-blown helmet-full of toilet language after a few neutral-induced redlines as my left boot found nothing but warm oil on the other end of the gear lever. More than a little embarrassing, too. Hopefully this would remove itself from the picture with a bit more practice and a few more miles on the clocks. Then again, the rather pleasant flipside to this was a very easy neutral selection when rolling to a stop in traffic.


Large indicators enable you to be seen by other motorists and take shelter should it rain unexpectedly

Of course, after I became a little familiar with its looks my mind turned to possible customization options for the bike. Ideally I’d like to ditch as much metal as possible with the intention of getting it out of the 200s and back into the low 190s or high 180s, kilo-wise. The tank would definitely have to go (or at least get the chop) and I’ll have to slap you if you didn’t guess that I’d want to free up the restrictions on those beautiful pipes to let the much-repressed natural songs of the parallel twin out into the open air. I’d also hit eBay for a standard “written” Kawasaki badge (or even an old W650 item) to replace the weird-*** big “W” living there now. Thanks for nothing Kawasaki Marketing Department. Scott tells me that Deus have just wheeled out a mild custom W800 which is now sitting in their Camperdown shop (see iPhone picture below), and a quick search on Google reveals that Kawasaki Japan offer a few sweet aftermarket accessories including a new cowl seat, colour, and bikini fairing. Word is they will be available outside Japan sooner rather than later.


A crappy photo I took in Deus this afternoon of their mildly-modded W800. New pipes? Check. No weird tank badges? Check. Great minds...

I’ve a had a week or two to mull things over with the W800 after it’s return and it struck me that in a lot of ways the bike is to classic motorcycles like a cover version is to the original song. Now don’t take that the wrong way; I’m not taking a shot at the bike but rather trying to express the way the bike looks like the real deal but upon closer inspection it is actually a lot more slick, precise, and modern that it may first appear. Getting this mix is quite the art form, and I think that Kawasaki have done a pretty good job at picking and choosing just what should rock and swagger like Jimi Hendrix and what should glide and bleep like LCD Soundsystem. With the notable exception of that overly fascistic exhaust, the bike has the mix bang-on as far as I’m concerned.


But does it actually do the retro thing? Hell yes!

The W’s true test will be how it fares in the market place against the likes of Triumph’s Bonneville and T100 variant. In Australia the W has the price advantage over the Bonnie along with less chub and roughly the same oomph. Obviously it has tradition against it and as much as Kawasaki would like us to believe the W has a family photo album full of old, yellowing shots of the W1, I think the Triumphs do have it, erm, trumped on this front. We’ve not reviewed any of the Bonneville-based bikes as of yet but I’d sure be interested in doing a back-to-back with the two to see exactly how things stack up. As a solo act, the W800 was a hit with us and I’d happily pop in my own lot as the ride of choice when you’re feeling a little nostalgic but could do without the oil leaks and breakdowns. Nice one team green. Pipeburn recommended.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _______

Source : http://www.mcnews.com.au/Testing/Kaw...800_Review.htm

-- Kawasaki W800 Review
-- By Trevor Hedge


Kawasaki were the first of the Japanese brands to go seriously retro with their W650 more than a decade ago. Despite this, Triumph’s modern day Bonneville (also largely manufactured in Asia) had more cred’ with the buying public, thanks to that British brand name on the tank. The Triumph was also the more appealing ride, having improved and changed over the years, while the W650 remained the same.
In 2011, thanks to a 5mm larger bore, Kawasaki have reinvented their machine and the W650 has grown to become the W800 and this time around Triumph should definitely sit up and take notice.



Retro-chic is all about the look and the W800 is a truly stunning machine. The attention to detail on this bike is really a class above the competition. The chrome rims with their beefy spokes, the authentic lighting, saddle and streamlined tank, all ooze class. The W650 did a reasonable job in this regard but the W800 has stepped it up another few notches.



It is only upon close inspection of details like the switchgear and small LCD gauge inside the instruments, that you actually realise that this is not the real deal from the 1960s. And you certainly don’t have to be of that vintage to appreciate this classic styling - I certainly am not! You get the style without the kick-starting or oil leaks.
The vertical side-by-side twin certainly looks the part with the bevel-drive cam a particular masterstroke of the stylists. Despite a 360-degree crankshaft and heavy flywheel the rider is largely isolated from what’s going on beneath them, which is a little disappointing. Nothing a set of rorty pipes wouldn’t fix though.



Developing maximum torque from as low as 2000rpm, there is no real benefit in revving the fuel-injected mill too hard. It revs cleanly to 7000rpm but the best grunt is available between 3000 and 5000rpm.



Acceleration off the line is a little sluggish but once up and running the W800 responds okay. There is no real feeling of significant thrust as the engine is just so incredibly smooth. Expect to be surprised, however, when you look at the speedo. Top gear roll on from 60km/h or 100km/h is actually quite respectable and a downshift is rarely needed to accomplish a swift overtaking manoeuvre. Its pull is deceptive.



The fuel tank holds a modest 14 litres, but the W800 easily betters 20km per litre which gives the Kawasaki a 280km range.
The spring rates in the twin shock rear end are quite soft but the damping does a reasonable job of keeping it from bouncing too much over bumps. One up it is passable, but if carrying a pillion I really think some stiffer springs will be in order. Again, that’s quite an easy fix and if you really enjoy pushing through corners then throw in a set of stiffer springs in the 39mm forks while you are at it.



Sporting prowess in the hills is not really the design brief for the W800. Although it is much better in the hills than virtually any cruiser style motorcycle you care to name. The skinny rubber helps make the W800 feel very athletic when sweeping smoothly from bend to bend and as long as you attune to its limitations it still offers a fun ride in the hills. There's no pressure riding a bike like this, you just pick your pace and rock your socks off along your favourite riding route. It's not quite as competent in the hills as the Triumph iterations on this theme, but it's still good fun and you don't really care.


The single disc front end has no ABS, nor any need for ABS, as there isn’t enough stopping power to lock the front. The forks couldn’t cope with serious stopping power anyway and again it’s a horses-for-courses scenario. I think some female riders would appreciate less effort being required at the lever though and a little more braking power would be welcome.


This style of bike is perfect for a Sunday cruise out for lunch and would additionally make a fantastic commuter. The W800s easy going nature, smooth engine and low seat height makes for a ripper bike around town. It is certainly worth serious consideration amongst buyers that are after something with plenty of style but endowed with handling dynamics far superior to the vast majority of cruiser style motorcycles. And for a fraction of the price.


At $11,999 plus on roads is a little dearer than the base model Bonneville from Triumph but it is $1500 cheaper than the Bonneville SE. The clincher is that the Kawasaki is a more authentic retro experience than the Triumph, but for some it won’t matter how good it is if it doesn’t have that Triumph badge on the tank. Unfortunately for Kawasaki, that’s just how it is.






Specs – Kawasaki W800
Engine – 773cc, air-cooled, vertical-twin
Bore x Stroke – 77 x 83mm
Compression Ratio - 8.4:1
Induction - EFI 34mm
Transmission – Five speed, chain final drive
Tyres - 100/90-19 (F), 130/80-18 (R)
Brakes - 300mm disc with twin-piston caliper (F), 160mm drum (R)
Seat Height – 790
Wet Weight – 216kg
Rake - 27 degrees
Trail - 108mm
LxWxH - 2180 x 790 x 1075mm
Wheelbase - 1465mm
Ground Clearance - 125mm
Fuel Capacity – 14 Litres
Average Consumption on test – 5 litres per 100km
Range – 280km
Warranty – Two years
Price – Expect to pay around $11,999 plus applicable stamp duties and registration charges


Verdict - ****


Positives
+ Finish
+ Looks
+ Economy


Negatives
- A bit soft
- Needs some noise!


-- Pictorial - Images of the W800 taken near Lake Eildon (VIC)


-- Pictorial - Images of the W800 taken near Lake Eildon (VIC) --
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________

Source : http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/maga...0.asp?id=15183

Ridden: Kawasaki W800


Classic Driver doesn’t generally feature vehicles from the Orient, writes Tom Stewart. The closest I can find here is the Suzuki-powered but otherwise British Icon Sheene motorcycle – but here’s an exception.

Why? Because despite the string of retro-styled models in recent years from BMW, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Mercedes, VW and others, not to mention offerings from Guzzi, Harley and Triumph, arguably no manufacturer has yet marketed anything on wheels that’s as authentically retro as Kawasaki’s new W800.

Though not an exact copy of any particular British bike from the 1960s, the W800 is fabulously faithful in appearance. Yes, there are a few details that have had to change out of necessity, such as the front brake and the LCD display set into the speedo’s face, and unlike the current Triumph Bonnevilles, this Kawasaki doesn’t have fuel injectors that look just like carburettors, but the W800’s overall proportions and styling, even its Dunlop TT100-style tyres, are all essentially spot-on.



The W800 hasn’t just been created from scratch; it’s an updated version of the W650 produced from 1999 to 2007, which was inspired by Kawasaki’s 650cc W1, W2 and W3 models built from 1966-1975, which in turn were updated versions of the Japanese Meguro K series bikes of the early 60s, which in turn were originally based on BSA’s 500cc A7 vertical twin produced from 1946-1961.

More recently, Kawasaki engineers wisely reckoned that modelling their late-90s W650 on a 1946 BSA probably wasn’t the best way forward and so a completely new air-cooled vertical twin was designed which retained the traditional 360-degree crankshaft but employed a unit construction gearbox, wet-sump lubrication, internal engine balancers, 4 valves per cylinder and an exotic bevel gear-driven overhead camshaft similar to that found on racy 1970s Ducatis. Unlike most Brit bikes of the 60s and 70s, the W650 was also properly reliable, and it didn’t compete with the Torrey Canyon for oil leakage.

To turn the W650 into 2011’s W800, engine capacity was increased from 675cc to 773cc, and with this comes improved torque at significantly lower revs. Additionally, the W650’s 34mm carbs were replaced by 34mm injectors, the ‘peashooter’ exhaust silencers were slightly re-shaped, the seat height was lowered slightly and the W650’s kickstart lever was deleted in favour of electric start only.



With just 48bhp the W800 certainly isn’t fast by modern standards, but it can still be first away from the lights, overtake briskly enough and cruise quite comfortably at 80mph or more. Also, being able to regularly grab big handfuls of throttle is fun, especially when at least 50mpg comes as part of the reward. As you’d expect, the engine vibrates a bit, but this is one essential ingredient of this bike’s character and the vibration doesn’t really register until it’s revving close to the 7000rpm redline. One aspect that is definitely missing, though, is a bona fide 1960s exhaust note; those pretty ‘peashooter’ silencers are far too effective.

The new W handles much like an old-timer, too. Steering response isn’t quick, although this is mitigated by the leverage afforded by the wide handlebars. The suspension is soft, but at least the frame and dampers are a huge improvement over similar Japanese-made items of 40 years ago so there’s no wallowing or weaving. The narrow Dunlops grip tenaciously in the wet, and easily well enough in the dry to reveal limited cornering clearance. The front brake feels a little spongy and requires all four fingers to scrub speed in a hurry, although the period-style rear drum works just fine. And it’s unlikely that you’ll have ever used a motorcycle transmission where neutral is more easily found when you want it, but not when you don’t.





The finish stands up to very close scrutiny; the paint, lacquered alloy and chrome all look deep and lustrous, and the net result is a charming bike that turns heads, is blissfully easy to ride and even impresses teenagers. However, because some may still consider it ‘too Japanese’, Kawasaki branding is limited to the back of the seat. Marketing psychology aside, as a contemporary interpretation the W800 is at least as pukka as anything else, either on two wheels or four.

Price in the UK: £6723 on the road.

Text: Tom Stewart
Photos: Jim Forrest and Tom Stewart

[speedfreak7116]

This bike should be way better than the stupid royal enfields we get here.. As the guy in a showroom said a few days back - "If you cant afford a Harley or any other import, this is what you can buy". I told him it was for my dad and I already owned the big daddy of Indian bikes (RD).

[FourWheelDrift]

I don't know if anyone from Bajaj who is in charge of the Kawasaki business, or if anyone from Kawasaki Japan for that matter, trolls motorcycle forums to check out what people are saying, but just in case they're looking ...

Guys, Triumph has just given Indian 2 wheel journos test rides on the Bonnie that's coming to our market.

Triumph Bonneville review, test ride - Review - Autocar India

Hopefully, there's a product planner somewhere working on making a case for the W800 to come to India !

Cheers,

FourWheelDrift

[FourWheelDrift]

Well we're now in November 2013. Triumph will officially announce it's bikes for India towards the end of the month, and the buff mags are already re-running their old Bonnie road tests.

Come on Kawasaki, you've brought in the excellent big sport bikes recently. Now it's time to bring in the W800.

Note from Support - Post edited to remove excessive dots between words that make readability difficult.

[navin_v8]

There is a thread which says Kawasaki has started pre-booking for the Kawasaki Z1000. I think looking at the current market demand for high powered performance bikes, Kawasaki needs to bring in this retro styled W800 to India. This bike surely has all the potential to give a tough fight to the Triumph Bonneville.

Bring it on Kawasaki we are all waiting.

[ku69rd]

Am not quite sure if they can get this to India since it falls below the 800 CC Cut off :(
The bike does look awesome and must be a tough competitor to the Bonneville.

The cafe racer along with the mask is just awesome

[E63]

If Triumph can get Daytona, if Hyosung can get 650R and if kawasaki can get Ninja 650, they sure can get the W800

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by E63

If Triumph can get Daytona, if Hyosung can get 650R and if kawasaki can get Ninja 650, they sure can get the W800

Not quite sure on the Hyosung route, but Daytona & Ninja 650 are in India because they are assembled locally. Think Hyosung is also assembling them here. (not quite Sure though)
CKD Vs CBU.

[VR/46_Chet]

Came across this today. Kawasaki has imported one unit of W800 from Japan.

[Siddy]

Kawasaki is launching the W800 soon in India (early next year). Powered by 773cc V twin engine, it would be placed against the Triumph Street Twin/Bonneville.

Source: Bikewale (http://www.bikewale.com/news/25884-s..._content=title)

[v12]

I am confused. Firstly wasn't the W800 discontinued - due to emission norms getting stricter this year - and they ended production with those Final Edition models. Are the now introducing these same models here now - probably detuned to keep with the emission norms here?

Also isn't the W800 parallel twin and not a Brown?

[Siddy]

Originally Posted by v12

Also isn't the W800 parallel twin and not a Brown?

Yes, the W800 is a parallel twin air cooled motor, wonder if its a typo in the article I shared above. Additionally, the W800 previously sold was 70 bhps!

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Siddy

Kawasaki is launching the W800 soon in India (early next year). Powered by 773cc V twin engine, it would be placed against the Triumph Street Twin/Bonneville.

Source: Bikewale (http://www.bikewale.com/news/25884-s..._content=title)

Err.. the Kawasaki W800 comes with a parallel twin(also called Vertical Twin) engine and not a V twin(opposed cylinders like in Harley Davidson) engine. Kawasaki is too late for Indian Retro Classic party considering its prime competitor the Triumph Bonneville now has a brand new 900cc liquid cooled engine. To make it a success they have to price it competitively. Nevertheless the buyers will now have an option against the Harley street 750, Sportster 883, Bonneville Street Twin, T100, etc.