A long awaited launch, India Kawasaki Motor has introduced the W800 Street retro-styled motorcycle in the country priced at Rs. 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kawasaki W800 Street is part of the manufacturer's heritage and was under consideration for the Indian market for years now. In fact, the bike was even showcased at Indian dealerships back in 2015 to gauge customer response, but it's taken about four years for the offering to hit the Indian shores. The new Kawasaki W800 is a direct rival to the Triumph Street Twin in the segment and bookings are now open for the motorcycle.
The new Kawasaki W800 takes inspiration from the W1, which at 650 cc, was the largest displacement Japanese motorcycle to be sold in 1965. The stylng 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. There wide handlebar and centre set foot-pegs make for a neutral riding posture, while the single seat has been optimised for comfort. The bike also comes with twin exhausts finished in chrome along with fork gaiters for the front suspension to complete that retro vibe. The bike rides on spoked wheels that completes 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.
The Kawasaki W800 Street is powered by a 773 cc twin-pot motor that develops 62.9 Nm
While the Kawasaki W800 looks old school, it does sport a number of modern components. The bike gets five-way adjustable clutch lever and a four-way adjustabl brake lever, while an LCD screen displays more information alongside the twin pods. Power too comes from a modern yet retro 773 cc vertical twin-cylinder engine with fuel-injection that develops 62.9 Nm of peak torque at 4800 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.
With bookings now open, Kawasaki has scheduled deliveries of the new W800 Street for mid-August. The model will come to India as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kit and production is limited for the first batch. Kawasaki says the booking window will be closed once the targeted number of orders are achieved. Apart from the Triumph Bonneville, the new W800 Street will also lock horns against the Harley-Davidson Street Rod, Indian Scout Sixty and the likes.
