Thanks for making these videos, I'm an old guy and grew up with the British bikes of the '60s, and for me a bike must be air cooled, like I said I'm old. I think out of the new motorcycles this Kawasaki and the Royal Enfields come closet to the old British bikes. I do really like the Moto Guzzi V7's, but have never owned that brand. I see you had a 2016 V7, but I'm looking at the 2017's on up. If I was to buy right now it would be tough to pick between the V7 or the W800, I like both, and I think the newer V7's have solved some of the earlier issues, although not the dealer network, so today I would probably get the W800. As for the stock W800 sound, I wish it was a little bit louder, but I think it has a better sound than any of the aftermarket choices I have heard, plus it looks right, I'd probably keep it.
Hello there! I did have the moto guzzi and I did not enjoy the bike. Although it looked great and handled great, the throttle and power delivery was too jerky and it ran like an auto rickshaw. The dealership also warned me that Piaggio's service is awful so I said no thanks and traded it for the Kawasaki. I too wish the Kawasaki was slightly louder, but in terms of classic looks and styling, it is the best option. When I sit on it, it feels like a Royal Enfield Bullet 500, but much faster and smoother. The paint and the chrome look stunning. I'm glad you enjoy the videos and I look forward to shooting more when winter ends.
Nice ride along. The W sure sounds nice when short shifted in slow traffic. If it seems like everyone else is speeding it might be because your speedometer reads about 3km/hr faster than you are actually going. I have checked this with a GPS on my W. That low end torque is nice in traffic. Enjoy the riding while the weather permits. BJ in Ottawa
Hi there, great question. I was worried about this since my first three bikes were Honda inline 4s which were louder, faster, and revved up to 9,500 rpms (550/750/900). The 900 was overkill at 85hp for legal speed limits. I'm happy to say I'm not disappointed with this Kawasaki W800. It has a very linear powerband and doesn't fade off at high rpms where you actually need power to pass on a highway. I can accelerate without downshifting and I can keep up with North American highway speeds. I also really enjoy the 5-speed gearbox as it's mated perfectly to the 48hp twin. My only similar comparison was a Moto Guzzi V7 and I did not enjoy the experience at all. I am very pleased with the W800.
![Touring across Kyushu in early summer in Japan (Part 2) [Kawasaki W800 Street]](/img/n.gif)
Thanks for making these videos, I'm an old guy and grew up with the British bikes of the '60s, and for me a bike must be air cooled, like I said I'm old. I think out of the new motorcycles this Kawasaki and the Royal Enfields come closet to the old British bikes. I do really like the Moto Guzzi V7's, but have never owned that brand. I see you had a 2016 V7, but I'm looking at the 2017's on up. If I was to buy right now it would be tough to pick between the V7 or the W800, I like both, and I think the newer V7's have solved some of the earlier issues, although not the dealer network, so today I would probably get the W800. As for the stock W800 sound, I wish it was a little bit louder, but I think it has a better sound than any of the aftermarket choices I have heard, plus it looks right, I'd probably keep it.
Hello there!
I did have the moto guzzi and I did not enjoy the bike. Although it looked great and handled great, the throttle and power delivery was too jerky and it ran like an auto rickshaw. The dealership also warned me that Piaggio's service is awful so I said no thanks and traded it for the Kawasaki.
I too wish the Kawasaki was slightly louder, but in terms of classic looks and styling, it is the best option. When I sit on it, it feels like a Royal Enfield Bullet 500, but much faster and smoother. The paint and the chrome look stunning. I'm glad you enjoy the videos and I look forward to shooting more when winter ends.
Nice ride along. The W sure sounds nice when short shifted in slow traffic. If it seems like everyone else is speeding it might be because your speedometer reads about 3km/hr faster than you are actually going. I have checked this with a GPS on my W. That low end torque is nice in traffic. Enjoy the riding while the weather permits.
BJ in Ottawa
One last day today! We're up to 14°C in Edmonton today... then the long dark winter and 5 months of watching my own videos on repeat 🥲
@@deinfluencing Ditto.
I like the look but does it have enough power to be exciting?
Hi there, great question. I was worried about this since my first three bikes were Honda inline 4s which were louder, faster, and revved up to 9,500 rpms (550/750/900). The 900 was overkill at 85hp for legal speed limits. I'm happy to say I'm not disappointed with this Kawasaki W800. It has a very linear powerband and doesn't fade off at high rpms where you actually need power to pass on a highway. I can accelerate without downshifting and I can keep up with North American highway speeds. I also really enjoy the 5-speed gearbox as it's mated perfectly to the 48hp twin. My only similar comparison was a Moto Guzzi V7 and I did not enjoy the experience at all. I am very pleased with the W800.