Kawasaki W800 Street Launched (Interceptor 650 Rival) – 5 Things To Know

Kawasaki W800 Street vs Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Spec Comparison

Here is everything you need to know about Kawasaki’s newest retro offering the W800 Street that was launched recently in the country

Kawasaki launched their neo-retro roadster W800 Street in India priced at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom) recently. This is the second motorcycle to join Kawasaki’s retro bike lineup after the stunning Z900RS.

Here are the 5 things that you should know about the retro roadster.

1. Underpinnings, suspension, and brakes

The Kawasaki W800 is built on a traditional double-cradle frame. The motorcycle relies on a 41mm conventional telescopic fork at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The braking department of the W800 Street is handled by a single 320mm disc brake at the front and a 270 mm disc brake at the rear.

A dual-channel ABS is also offered as standard for the safety of the rider. For your information, the ABS is the only electric aid available with this motorcycle.

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2. Torque rich engine

The W800 Street is powered by a 773cc parallel-twin, air-cooled SOHC motor. The motor paired with a 5-speed gearbox produces about 47PS of peak power at 6000rpm and 62.9Nm at peak torque at available at 4800 rpm. The W800 power output is almost equivalent to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and It has a kerb weight of 221 kilograms.

 

3. Has a Rich heritage

The W800 is a part of Kawasaki’s W lineup and it pays homage to the original W1 of 1966. The W800 takes its styling inspiration entirely from the iconic W1. It features a retro-styled round headlamp at the front, wide and easy to reach raised handlebar, a simple looking twin-pod instrument cluster and a traditional bulb taillamp towards the rear.

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4. Is quite an expensive motorcycle

W800 Street is imported from Japan via the semi-knocked down (SKD) route which is also the reason for its high pricing. However, a price tag of Rs 7.99 lakh for a motorcycle with almost no exclusive feature or electronic rider aid makes it an expensive offering.

5. Rivals

At this price point, the Kawasaki W800 Street faces some heat from the Triumph Bonneville T100, which is priced at Rs 8.87 lakh (ex-showroom). The Triumph Bonneville is slightly more expensive than the W800 Street but it is powered by a more advanced liquid-cooled engine which offers almost 3 PS more power and 13.83 Nm more torque.

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The Kawasaki W800 also rivals against the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 as well. The RE Interceptor 650 is not far behind when we compare its performance with the W800 Street but where it actually beats the Japanese rivals is the pricing. The RE Interceptor 650 is the most affordable mid-capacity motorcycle available in India at this moment.