Kawasaki W800 Street

India Kawasaki Motor launched the W800 Street motorcycle in the country priced at Rs. 7.33 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Kawasaki W800 is a retro-styled motorcycle and it can be considered a direct rival to the Triumph Street Twin and the Triumph Bonneville T100. The new W800 Street will also lock horns against the Harley-Davidson Street Rod, Indian Scout Sixty.

The new Kawasaki W800 is inspired the W1, which at 650 cc, was the largest displacement Japanese motorcycle to be sold in 1965. The styling remains true to the original W Series with the curved body panels, sculpted fuel tank, round headlight with the chrome bezel, round indicators and a twin-pod instrument cluster with chrome surrounds. The wide handlebar and centre set foot-pegs make for a neutral riding posture, while the single-piece seat has been optimised for comfort. The bike also gets chrome finished twin exhausts along with fork gaiters for the front suspension to complete that charming old-school vibe. The motorcycle is shod with spoked wheels that complete the retro look on the new W800. For the Indian market, the retro Kawasaki is available in a single colour option - Metallic Flat spark black/Metallic Matte Graphite grey.

While the Kawasaki W800 looks old school, it does sport a number of modern components. It gets five-way adjustable clutch lever and a four-way adjustable brake lever. There is an LCD screen display as well which throws out more information alongside the twin pods. At the heart of the motorcycle is a 773 cc vertical twin-cylinder engine with fuel-injection that makes 62.9 Nm of peak torque at 4,800 rpm. The motorcycle also gets an assist and slipper clutch, while the bike is underpinned by a modern double-cradle frame.

The Kawasaki W800 Street gets beefy 41 mm telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear with preload adjustability. Braking duties are handled by a 320 mm single disc with a two-piston caliper at the front, while the rear features a 270 mm disc with a two-piston caliper. Dual-channel ABS is a standard fitment. The 18-inch Aluminium spoke wheels come shod with 100/90 front and 130/80 rear section tyres.