Kawasaki W800

WHAT WE LIKE

NOT SO MUCH

While many today associate the vertical-twin glory days of motorcycling with British marques, from the early to mid-1960s Kawasaki was also making an impact with a range of such machines, most notably the W1 of 1965.

These days, however, retro machines that hark back to ‘Golden Age’ of the British motorcycle industry are big business – for proof look no further than Triumph’s modern Bonneville and its associated spin-offs – and so it’s no surprise that Kawasaki has produced a similar modern ‘time warp’ roadster, the W800.

It’s not the first time Team Green has done down this path. It released the W650 back in 1999, and although it never recorded volume sales, it received widespread acclaim and developed a passionate following all its own. In fact, several clubs dedicated solely to the W650 sprang up around the world, and the model continued to be brought to Australia as an unofficial ‘grey’ import long after official importation ceased in 2004. Those grey W800s are still coming to Australia today, and indeed it serves as the basis for a couple of quirky retro models for Sydney-based boutique bike builder, Deus Ex Machina (www.deus.com.au).

In 2011, the W800 is picking up where the W650 left off, with faithful period styling and a more potent 773cc vertical-twin powerplant.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The W800 is all about yesteryear styling blended with modern engineering. It’s also a ‘bare bones’ roadster, with little if any bells and whistles to detract from the pleasure of the ride itself.

The format sees a 773cc, air-cooled, SOHC, eight-valve vertical-twin slipped into a tubular steel cradle frame, with a conventional 39mm fork (non-adjustable) up front and twin shocks (adjustable for preload) down the back. Kawasaki doesn’t quote power or torque figures for the bike, but we can tell you it features a 360-degree firing interval (just like Triumph’s Bonneville), and it has bevel gear-driven cams. Also like the Bonnie, the W800 has electronic fuel injection, with the associated wiring and injectors neatly hidden in among a couple of fake carburettors. The engine is one relaxed unit, with a compression ratio of just 8.4:1, and the grunt is fed via a five-speed gearbox to a chain final drive.

An electric start stirs the W800 into life – there’s no kick-starter, as there was on the W650.

The W800’s braking package comprises a single 300mm disc with Tokico twin-piston caliper up the front and a 160mm drum at the rear.

Steering geometry is relatively relaxed, with a 1465mm wheelbase and a rake of 27 degrees. All up, with its 14lt tank fully fuelled and ready to go, Kawasaki says the W800 weighs in at 216kg.

The bike comes with a centrestand as well as a sidestand, and its instrumentation comprises a needle-and-clock style speedo and tacho – the speedo has an inset LCD display showing odometer, trip meters or the time, while the tacho face features an array of the usual warning lights.

The bike is only available in the one colour scheme – Dark Metallic Green – and it retails for $11,999 (plus ORC). It comes with a 24-month, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

ON THE ROAD
I have only fond memories of Kawasaki’s W650 – well, bar the run-in with Victoria’s Highway Patrol back in 2000, which saw both my bank account and my licence take a decent hit – and so I was looking forward to Kawasaki’s second stab at the new ‘oldie’ theme.

Retro machines like this are all about ‘the look’, and to that end – and even before you’ve thrown a leg over the thing – it’s plain to see Kawasaki has kicked a goal. The W800 drew comment wherever I went over the week it was in my care, from both guys who experienced biking ‘back in the day’ firsthand, and those who simply love the lines and look of bikes of the era.

The Kwaka’s finish really is beyond reproach – high-quality paint (shame there’s only one choice, though), lots of chrome and lots of metal. The metal guards front and rear are backed up by a metal chain guard – as far as I could tell, the only chromed plastic was limited to the indicator housings, the speedo/tacho trim and the taillight surround. The ‘antique’ rubber looks great and the fake carbies also look the business, even if the latter isn’t quite as deceptive as those found on the W800’s prime competitor, the Triumph Bonneville. Yep, from its piped seat to its fork gaiters, its bullet headlight to its period exhaust pipes, it’s only when you get right up close to the W800 that you realise it’s actually a new model.

The smile only grows broader once you’ve hopped aboard. It’s certainly not a big bike, with a fairly low 790mm seat height and a 216kg (wet) weight, but while bigger guys might appreciate a little more legroom on long hauls, the flipside is it’s an incredibly manageable package, and supremely easy to ride.

Stab the starter and the bike reveals perhaps its biggest concession to modernity – a super-sanitised exhaust note. There’s still a bit of that vertical-twin character, but on the whole it’s whisper-quiet – a ‘fruity’ set of pipes will top most new owners’ wish lists.

Its road manners are exemplary – this bike is a sweetie in every respect. The engine is unintimidating but grunty and flexible. There’s useable oomph from just off idle, and although that theme continues right through to its 7000rpm indicated redline, this bike is all about the midrange – stick it in the sweet spot, and forget about it.

Despite being a willing revver in most of its five gears, the engine is also incredibly relaxed – at 100km/h in top it pulls just 3500rpm. With its upright ride position (and rear underseat ockie strap hooks) you could easily tour on this thing, and although it’s far from a performance machine, it’ll still crack the old ton, with a bit in reserve.

It sips fuel at a miserly rate, too. While in my care the W800 recorded an average economy of 21.3km/lt, and while the tank is smaller, at just 14lt, you’re still looking at a decent working range of around 270km. I can’t fault the fuel injection, either, which is crisp and responsive.

The chassis also holds up its end of the deal. While basic in spec – a tubular steel cradle frame with twin rear shocks and a non-adjustable front fork – it does a good job, and it’s a pleasure to punt this thing along a winding road. Ground clearance is good, and the limitations of the suspension only reveal themselves when you’re pushing on well outside the bike’s design brief.

The front brake is soft – personally I’d like to play around with different pad compounds to get a little extra bite and feel – but, when mated to the strong rear drum, there’s little to complain about. The gearbox is slick, the clutch light, and the bike’s flat handlebars give the rider excellent control, while still remaining slim enough to make light work of slipping through traffic snarls.

Pillions get a decent deal too, with a broad, compliant and low perch and twin grab handles.

What’s not to like? Err, beats me! I would have liked a kick-starter to complement the electric leg – like on the old W650 – and another colour option. Another couple of litres in the tank wouldn’t go astray either, because the bike’s overall comfort could easily justify it. And one very minor quibble concerns the centrestand – if you’ve got big feet, it’s a little tricky to get your foot on top of the tang because it sits right up against the exhaust pipe.

This is back-to-basics biking at is very best. It looks the goods, it goes and handles nicely, and the build quality is right up there. Priced at just $9 more than Triumph’s base model Bonneville – and only a grand more than the W650 when it debuted 12 years ago – the W800 deserves to win itself a legion of rose-tinted-spectacled fans.

Visit the W800 in Bike Showroom.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed, constant mesh
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel cradle
Front suspension: Conventional 39mm fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 300mm discs with two-piston Tokico caliper
Rear brakes: 160mm drum

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Wet weight: 216kg
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1465mm
Fuel capacity: 14lt

PERFORMANCE
Max. power: Not given
Max. torque: Not given

OTHER STUFF
Price: $11,999 (manufacturer's price before dealer and statutory costs)
Colours: Dark Metallic Green
Bike supplied by: Kawasaki Australia, www.kawasaki.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres