The Kawasaki W800 Street has been priced at Rs. 7.99 lakhs, ex-showroom. Its expensive on account of being imported to India as a semi-knocked down unit from Japan.
Kawasaki recently launched the W800 Street modern-classic motorycle in the country for a price of Rs. 7.99 lakhs, ex-showroom. This makes it the second retro-themed motorcycle from Kawasaki in India, the first being the Z900RS. The Kawasaki W800 Street is still very different from the Z900RS in what it has to offer in India as a neo-retro motorcycle. So here’s everything you need to know about the Kawasaki W800.
A rich history to its name
The W800 Street pays homage to the 1966 Kawasaki W1. The Kawasaki W1 had the distinction of having the largest displacement engine in any Japanese motorcycle of that era – a 650 parallel twin. The W series has been identified as Kawasaki’s performance lineup and has delivered more iconic model over the years including the Kawasaki Z1 and more recently, the H2.
Mechanical Bits and Bobs
The Kawasaki W800 Street is a very simple and pure motorcycle underneath. It does not come with any electronic rider aids or riding modes. Its underpinned by a double-cradle frame, a 41mm conventional telescopic fork at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. It gets 18-inch wire-spoke aluminium wheels with 100/90-18 front and 130/80-18 rear tube-type tyres. And although it gets LED headlamps, twin-pod instrument cluster with a digital screen and dual-channel ABS, those are the only modern bits. The W800 stays true to being a retro motorcycle.
Powertrain and Specs
Although the Kawasaki W800 Street comes with a big displacement 773 cc engine, it is not much high on power. The parallel-twin air-cooled SOHC motor has a long stroke configuration and a low 8.4:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 47PS at 6000rpm and 62.9Nm at 4800rpm. In terms of specs, the Kawasaki W800 Street takes on the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 in India. Both motorcycles have equivalent power but the Kawasaki has 11Nm of more torque. It also weight a little heavier with 221kg kerb weight. Given the stats, the W800 sure wouldn’t be high on performance, but it intends to be a relaxed cruiser and we think it will do that pretty well.
Also Read : 2020 Honda Africa Twin To Get A More Powerful Engine – Report
It sure is expensive
Given the simple mechanical components of the motorcycle and the kind of riding experience it has to offer, the W800 has been priced a little out of its league. Something around Rs. 5 lakhs would have been fine for this motorcycle but since the W800 Street is imported from Japan as a semi-knocked down (SKD) unit, it demands a rather high price of Rs. 7.99 lakhs, ex-showroom.
Also Read : Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 And GT 650 Cross 11,000 Sales Mark In India!
Oh, it also has another cousin
The Kawaski W800 Street also has a cafe racer cousin which is known as the W800 Cafe but that’s not on sale in India. Although both motorcycles are largely the same, and the W800 Cafe is based on the W800 Street, it gets some modifications in the form of a headlamp cowl – and it looks very cool and retro – lowered handlebar, rubber tank pads and a stepped seat.
