Bonny Rival Kawasaki W800 is Real

motomaniac

motomaniac

Street Tracker
It's for real. I talked to a Kawasaki dealer here in Japan and he said it will be rolling out next year. Didn't know the price yet.
 
C

cantilever

Scooter
kawasakiw650-1.jpg


Kawasaki-W800.jpg


I do think it's great how they can take pictures years apart and line up the bikes at almost the exact same angle....

plans for the bike might be real. The picture is questionable.
 
C

cantilever

Scooter
sweet! those are very different pics than the photoshopped bike in green! (who knows - could even be kawasaki did that version too and "leaked" it) The rear suspension, seat, exhaust, tank, side panels are different. I like that one better (the badges on the tank are really nice looking). Thanks for the link Kingbear!

Here is what firefox thinks that website says in english...

After the Ninja ZX-10R and Z1000SX leaked out, it was only a matter of time before the rest of Kawasaki's 2011-news emerged. This time, W800 appeared on a Spanish website.

W800 sneaks in nicely as a Japanese alternative to Triumph's Bonneville models and Moto Guzzi's V7 Classic varieties, and look into the ground even more retro look right than their European competitors.

Kawasaki has been generous with chrome trim on the Twinn, while it looks a little thinner on the equipment side, without doing so much on this type of bike.

Performance and handling are not the most important in the retro business, but 216 kg weight of the paper is slightly in excess. Benefits are not provided, but 773-cubic heater with 360 degree ignition sequence is probably not very vigorous.

Some more pictures below, and as we've said a few times before this week: More pictures and info when Kawasaki launches officially, or possibly when it leaks more.
Click to expand...

From that website is another good article with a full press release - http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/10/kawasaki-w800-a-bigger-retro/ .... the full press release has a lot of details.
 
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koifarm

koifarm

Hooligan
Well, at $9,300 a copy you may as well get the real thing....I don't understand their marketing strategy, if they are wanting to edge Triumphs market it would seem they would lower the price to be more competetive....odd marketing strategy...
 
bluesforchallah

bluesforchallah

Rocker
koifarm said:
Well, at $9,300 a copy you may as well get the real thing....I don't understand their marketing strategy, if they are wanting to edge Triumphs market it would seem they would lower the price to be more competetive....odd marketing strategy...
Click to expand...

Yep. I was thinking the same thing.
 
M

musicswapshoppe

Rocker
plans for the bike might be real. The picture is questionable.
Click to expand...
Hows that for coincidence. You post and then a totally different tank and seat design picture is shown. tend to agree with you.
Does that tank badge look at all familiar :)
 
KingBear

KingBear

Hooligan
Actually it was Cantilever's post that prompted me to do a new search, but rather than doing a regular search I looked for it under "news". You get better, more current and reliable results that way.

Anyone else notice the absence of the kick-starter?
 
D9

D9

Vendor
I like the dash overall... even tho it's trying a bit too hard to be "retro"... indicator lamps
in the tach are cool...

5041727592_4c33b1ac84.jpg
 
B

Boofhead

Banned
The W650 over here are getting better prices that the same year Triumph Bonnie's second hand
They are asking and getting the same money for the W450 as the W650 second hand
So i think the market is out there
Here anyway
 
M

musicswapshoppe

Rocker
I noticed that to Boofhead. But i reckon the demand is for the fact its a reliable modern bike with a kickstart. As a lot are being Deused. So they really confuse the Hell out of people as to their vintage. If thats the reason then this wont have such a high resale value.

attachment.php
 
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KingBear

KingBear

Hooligan
I can honestly say that if I didn't already own a Bonnie, and I saw the two bikes side-by-side with no badges or markings, I'd be drawn to the W hands down.

Go ahead, let me have it. I can take it.:whip:
 
dschief

dschief

750cc
I wonder about all the people complaining about the rear drum on that website. Have they ever ridden a bike with a rear drum? It's about as effective as a rear disc, in my experience, maybe even better sometimes.
My old Yamahas all have drum brakes, front and rear, and I will admit a front disc is much better, but the rear disc on every bike I have owned have no feel to them. A drum brake with a rod actuater will give you a bit more feedback, and is just as effective.
 
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