Kawasaki W800

I agree markjenn, this does sound more like the 650. What ever it is it gets you on down the road just fine. It's just plain fun to ride.

I know that was what many speculated it was going to be originally. But I had just read that the number was actually much lower and kawasaki is not actually advertising the power figures anywhere for this reason. It could be incorrect info though, I think I read it on triumphrat and they might be a bit biased

Actually, I just confirmed that I'm correct. Here is a link to kawasaki's own website advertising the 48 PS number (PS is nearly identical to HP). http://www.kawasaki.eu/W800


Now considering almost all manufacturer figures are crank numbers, the W800 produces 48 horsepower at the crank.

If I just looked at the stats for the W650 I'd probably think the bike is a slug.

As it is, it's a fun bike to ride regardless of the published HP. Could it use a little more power? Sure, but I've felt that way about every bike I've ridden, I'm sure even owners of S1000RR's feel the same way.

So even if the HP is the same as the W650, with another 100cc, it's got to have a little more torque which is really what counts anyway.

The thing is, you tend to ride a bike like the type of bike it is. Sports bikes make you want to go fast all the time, cruisers make you want to just lope along. My W650 makes me want to ride it quicker than a cruiser, but not stupid fast like a sport bike. Kind of like Goldilocks, it's just right.

Appears you're right. Definitely not the bike if high horsepower is your goal. But that's not really what this bike is about. That being said, more would be better.

- Mark

I'm a freaking spectacular rider, ALMOST never make mistakes, yet I am only a human, so I will never be able to say that I NEVER made a mistake, or that I will NEVER make another mistake.

I'd rather have ABS when my human nature shows up, again, and it will, than to pretend I'm not human and won't ever make a mistake.

(No, I'm not a spectacular rider, just a regular rider, just wanted to make a point).

Alright, we all saw the pictures, we all read the advertising copy, we all loved it.

So who outside the US actually bought one?

We need a ride report! (Make us feel worse.)

Nobody bought one????

I have one on order - should take delivery next week, hopefully - and I'll let you know what it's like. Give me a nudge if I forget, though.

I can tell you that it's a real beauty to look at (but you'll know that from your own bike and the photos of the 800 that are already out there).

Not yet ridden one -- but I think I know roughly what to expect...

As much as I liked it in the pics and vids, when I saw one in the flesh I realised I am not ready yet to go all retro.

In a few years time however when the performance of the bikes in my stable start exceeding my abilities ahem I might consider the W800.

However if Kawasaki in their eternal wisdom will produce a 21st century reissue of the Z900 I will buy one. That's the only true Retro Kawa and also means I won't have listen to this endless whining "you should have bought a Triumph"

Thanks Rocca, looking forward to it!

I've gone halves with a friend for one, 10th sold in WA this year, delivery date in May.

Had mine since early Feb 11...
absolutely love it!

No matter where I go - country ride, around the city, even pulling into fuel it or at a convenience store... I get stopped by people coming up wanting to talk about it!

Even my local motorcycle club it still draws comments.

Is a great bike to ride. Has more than enough power for what I want, comfortable riding position, oh yeah and did I mention it just looks soooo cool!

G'day all,

Rode one a couple of weeks ago, love at first ride! Just needs better pipes- sounds like a vaccuum cleaner, dammit...

Anyhow, long story short, mine arrives in Aus on the 12th April, pickup within the week. Can't wait!

Looking at a few mods though. Anyone know if the W650 seat will fit the W800? The Corbin "Gunfighter" looks the goods. Add bullet blinkers and an old school tail light and we're getting somewhere.

Alloy tank could be a hitch, due to the internal pump for the EFI.

See how it goes.

Cheers, Dan.

Thanks guys, just what I was looking for. Good luck with the new bikes to all of you!!

Has anybody ridden a W650 previously, or better yet, have one?

Looking for a comparison in power and handling.

Odd that the pipes don't sound right, I think the ones on the W650 sound great. Just the right tone and throatiness.

As far as the tail light, this is the style I put on my W650, but mine is brushed alum. finish, rather than chrome. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHRO...3295183QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I can send a photo of it on the bike if you'd like.

I took my new W800 on its first outing over any distance today (about 100 miles) so here are a few first impressions, mainly for the benefit of those so sadly deprived of this bike on the other side of the pond...

Firstly, as others have said, the bike's a real looker. The metallic green paint was glittering under unbroken blue skies across my home county of Yorkshire this morning and the bike was attracting plenty of glances, and questions too in the places where I stopped. The paint seems thick and well-applied (headlight casing is painted to match the tank). Forks are lacquered-over alloy, as are the engine cases. Rims are aluminium, again lacquered. The mudguards (fenders) and chain guard are chromed - from memory the 650's were painted - and again the quality appears high. The only slight mis-steps to my mind (and you might think I'm nit-picking here) concern the tank's lighter second colour, which is achieved by a sort of graduated graphic to give the appearance of blended in paint, and the W800 emblems on the side panels - which are stickers. I'd have preferred badges, or maybe an embossed decal. As with the 650, most parts are metal and when they are not - e.g. the indicators and tank badge - they're still convincingly well-made.

I've been riding for 25 years or so and in that time have owned plenty of different machines - more recently these being bikes offering considerably more performance than the W. So I recognise the need to recalibrate my riding style a little bit for the new bike, and today I've done nothing more than run the machine pretty gently over rural roads - to maybe 70 mph max., but mainly at easy touring speeds of between 40 and 60 mph. I'm limited to 4000 revs (about 70 mph in top gear) at the moment anyway, as I'm running it in per the guidance in the owner's manual.

I can feel that the engine's already starting to loosen, and my impression from today is of a pleasingly torquey unit. A bit more grunt than I was expecting, in fact. The fuel injection seems to be entirely glitch-free and the bike pulls cleanly from nothing, with very little evidence of the leaning-off surging that affects a lot of FI bikes at around 30 mph (a key speed limit here in the UK, so you notice when it's not quite right). Vibes are always present to some degree, which you'd expect (and perhaps even hope for, if your idea of what the bike should be matches my own). It's not buzzy, though vibration through the foot pegs does get a bit more intrusive at about 4k revs -- we'll see if it smooths out a bit given time and some more miles. The exhausts are a little bit too quiet for my ears - this is inevitable on new air-cooled bikes given modern-day noise regs - but the tone is pleasing enough and the bike thankfully avoids sounding over-much like a two-wheeled sewing machine. Handling over mainly twisty, poorly-surfaced roads I found to be pretty reasonable. The bike steers sweetly, and it's a mainly comfortable ride for me (approx 90kg) on the standard shock settings (there's no fork preload adjustment). I'll experiment with the shocks to try and dial out the wallowing I experienced over larger bumps and undulations, though I don't expect to achieve miracles given the constraints of the chassis design and parts used.

I'd told myself to expect the bike to feel underbraked - the front looks to have the same single disc/ twin-piston calliper set-up found on the 650, though I'm not sure if the rear drum isn't of slightly larger diameter. Expectations were indeed met as the lever requires a fair old four-fingered heave in order to achieve anything resembling bite. The rear seems quite effective, though, so the answer seems to be to get used to using it as a matter of course in conjunction with the front. After a couple of hours saddle time I can't say I was overly troubled by the lack of braking, the performance in this respect clearly being of a piece with the bike's retro aspirations. Tyres are Dunlop TT100s, by the way, which makes Brit bike old-timers come over misty-eyed, though the profile on those fitted to the W looks a bit more rounded to me, and I'd hope they're using a modern rubber compound too.

Other brief observations: updated instrument graphics have an attractive art deco look. Mirrors are of the elongated, semi-rectangular type and reasonably vibe free (the mirror surface being a rubber-mounted insert). The ribbed seat seems pretty comfy: at 6' 2"-ish I wouldn't say no to a slightly higher seat, but it doesn't feel unduly cramped.

Overall, I'm well pleased thus far. I bought the bike with the vague idea of taking stress-busting summer evening rides after work and at weekends - possibly involving stop-offs at picturesque Yorkshire Dales pubs for a glass of shandy (low/ no alcohol: the laws of the realm will be respected!). I'm fortunate enough to have another couple of machines at my disposal so the W is likely to lead a pretty cosseted, well-polished and largely rain-free life. It looks like it's going to fill the brief admirably, as well as being generally a very pleasing thing to own for someone who appreciates the aesthetic.

What a lovely machine! Congrats and enjoy your new ride!

As for the brakes, I suspect you will gain some major improvement in the front if you replace the stock rubber flex hose with a stainless braided hose. The same mod is popular on many other bikes with single discs in the front.

that's gorgeous. twin shocks never looked so good. right where they should be. they look awkward on the XR1200. perfect on this bike.

That really is a beautiful machine...I really like the back-to-basics design and the quality of the execution looks to be excellent...

Wish we could get 'em here in the States, but we have a little history regarding "naked" bikes...we say we want them, but then we don't buy them (H-D XL1200, for example), so I can't really fault Kawasaki for not bringing the W800 here...

But I would definitely choose a W800 if they brought them here...

Beautiful photos and bike. Congratulations...

Thanks Rocca for that great ride report.

Once it's broken in I'd love to hear a comparison vs. the 650 on power and handling.

On my 650 I changed the brakes at less than 1K miles to EBC HH pads and it made a noticeable improvement in the braking. For very little money and very little time, less than 10 minutes, it's definitely something you might want to consider.

I agree with you on the riding style. You tend to ride the style of the bike, and that one just calls out for sweeping tree lined country roads at a leisurely pace. I have an SV1000 which screams for a different style, but I feel I can relax on the W, ride a sane pace, and not get bored.

It's beautiful, enjoy it!