I own the 2020 cafe and at 6 ft I love this ride. Not a kawasaki owner prior to getting my Concours and a moth later this Cafe, I am truly a fan now. Still looking at getting a Himalayan this year to even out my riding with the mile muncher Concours 14 and the around town W800 Cafe and the Himalayan for back forest roads for my move to Johnson City Tennessee next year. Great bike and worth every penny for the deal you claimed on it.
I've been choosing a classic bike and now I'm leaning strongly towards Royal Enfield. Iron 883 - it feels great until you start turning. Everybody says that Sportys are easy to handle - but they're easy compared to big twins only. And that PRICE. W800 - I just didn't like it. I'm not saying that it's a bad bike - it's just not my thing. Honestly, it seemed a bit boring to me. Maybe because of 360 firing engine, maybe for some other reason, I'm not sure. They are o.k. to ride, but they are not really fun to ride (for me). Triumph twins - well, they are fine, but they are not true classics. Their vibe is much closer to Ducati Scrambler and Yamaha XSR. And they are totally not the thing that I've been searching for. Now, the Moto Guzzi V7. That was the hardest choice. It's absolutely amazing. It gives just the right FEELS, it has maintenance-free shaft drive, it has huge tank and it's totally perfect for city commuting AND for long trips. It was really, really hard to decide, it took me weeks to do so, but in the end I've decided that it's just not worth the money (for me). I - personally - have no problems with lubing the chain and having some extra coffee at the gas station. But IF the V7's were cheaper, I think I would have chosen one instead of RE-650. Thanks for your videos, man, they helped a lot!
Excellent review and the Thruxton 900 comparison is exactly what I needed to hear as I have had a Bonneville 900 and currently have a Thruxton 900. Cheers!
Good job, Alex! Thank you for making the effort and reporting. I'd still like to see the 2020 W800 model with a walk-around and riding video, too. If/when you get the chance, please look into the vibration issue other bloggers report. Peace!
Hi Berni! As soon as there is a 2020 W800 in my area available I will definitely do my best to do a ride and review! As far as the vibration it was definitely "buzzy" at certain speeds, but nothing that bothered me enough to be a deal killer
@@bernisteinbach4835 Also at about 4500km. (About 2800 miles) I felt the bike loosen up a little and there was less vibration (although it never was bothersome). The vibes were just enough to let you know you were riding a mechanical machine, nothing more. The power delivery is very smooth (as it has a large flywheel). Not power that rips your arms out of it's sockets but eager and persistent power and acceleration. More than I need in any circumstance.
Thanks for posting this. This is another bike I would love to have. I would love to see prices near me like you are talking about. I looked up my local dealership and they have a left over 2019 for 7700.
Yeah different dealers in different areas will price things different unfortunately, the local dealer that has these is pretty aggressive when it comes to not letting bikes sit around too long. I mean 7700 is still a couple thousand off...but 6900 makes it a really competitive choice
No W800 deals north of the 49th.. after plus plus plus they blackjack you with an additional 12% sales tax. I remember a huge sign at the border.. welcome to the land of milk and honey, and cheap gas.. ancient history lol.
I've been really trying to find a RE INT or GT 650. Dealer quoted me $7,300 out the door. This was for the interceptor w/ MSRP of $5,799! Crazy. Might be looking at the W800's instead, cause like you mentioned I've seen some leftover 2019's for $6,499 MSRP. Thanks for the info, nice job.
Alex, you mentioned the 900 Thruxton. The W 800 has some vibes till you rev it beyond 4000. What about the 900 Thruxton? Does the 900 Thruxton also have a lot vibs?
I personally experience considerably less "buzz" when I ride a Thruxton 900 or my 650 GT. That being said the buzz was only evident between about 20-45mph, after that it went away
These bikes can be modded for more power and IMO will hold value very well. They are rare and probably will be rare because they just won’t sell enough compared to the athailand made Triumphs.
I love the looks, fit and finish of the w800 street, but how does it stack up against the Int650 performance/maintenance wise, price notwithstanding. 🤔
Never seen a bike "review" without someone actually riding it.What you shared basically opinions after the fact...Not a review but opinions.Granted review is basically opinions as well however difference is when riding people get a feel how it rides so its more then bars putting pressure on your wrists...
It would be interesting to hear what you think of the W650 . More power, less torque (apparently ) .I recently bought an original low-k w650. It rides well for what it is, a few more horses would be good and the exhaust is way-too vanilla in stock-form . A nice 'Bark' is a major part of the overall riding-experience for me . these bikes hold their price well in NZ, The RE650's drop 3k-ish with only minimal K's, which makes them very good buying 2nd-hand . I would love to try the RE , having followed their development with keen interest .If Kawasaki had retained the kick-start on the w800 , it would have made them more desirable in this part of the world. The same has been said of the RE , no 'kicker' was the most disappointing thing, for me at least . Dave NZ
If it’s $1000 - $1500 more than GT650, it’s a Killer deal ! Its fit and finish, power, torque and refinement levels are better than those of GT. Whenever you mentioned Thruxton, did you mean Thruxton R which has much higher power output ( 96 PS I guess) ?
I curious about your take on bias ply tires. I saw another review on this bike that said the bias ply tires are as good in the turns as more modern tires.
To be completely honest I have not noticed a difference in turns between bias etc...I prefer tubeless radial tires if possible just because of the ease of not dealing with tubes etc...but between the types of tires and rims a bike comes with it has never been a deal breaker for me. The bias ply tires have been just fine, and I don't notice a difference, at least for my style of riding.
I am a motorcycle mechanic, though I do not do it professionally any more. You are correct in that air and oil cooled does not necessarily require an external oil cooler, but most identify with an oil cooler as an indicator that the bike relies more heavily on the oil for cooling than simply well designed cooling fins and internal dispersal haha. When I can get my hands on the standard I will definitely be doing a similar video for it :-)
I'm surprised about what you said about the power between this and the Thruxton 900 EFI. Isn't there a 20hp difference? 69 for the brit and 48 for the japanese? Very interested on what you said because I am looking to replace my Harley 48 (the engine just wants to ride hard but the rest of the bike doesn't want to follow!). I was looking for the (sexy) Triumphs but I also have a great history with Kawasaki quality and reliability! I currently have a ZX6R from 1998 that just wont break down. Amazingly reliable, easy to ride and do it all bike...
I was looking at the GT 650 as well. Beautiful bike but some small details put me off. Like the valve adjustment that is to often (even though I could do it myself).
not sure if the seat was real leather, it felt like I but I have been fooled before. I am 5'9" and was great for me, so at 5'7" I am sure it would be fine!
Awesome Bert! Yeah I do a lot of riding in the Nashville area so once this pandemic nonsense sorts itself out we can organize a retro ride or something!
I bought one found it poor quality rust started at 400 miles and the price is falling through the floor. Love the style though, but it’s gone now and it was a swine to clean couldn’t get at anything, and the position of the rear foot brake way to high no chance of feathering that. Well overpriced lost a fortune seen them reduced by 3k in uk and still don’t sell.
I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with it, but I am grateful for you sharing it! It's important to get the perspective from an owner that wasn't happy with it, as I said in my other reply! Thanks again Neil!
I saw this exact same post in several w800 reviews. Just tell your dealer that you're working for (RE) to just increase marketing budget. Stop trolling like some telemarketer in the 90s.
@@Dranreb865 dreamer. Have you been eating something. I’m just trying to save people money. Honda man myself but I have owned Kawasaki’s in the past ZX10 and KLR 650 in the 90’s sorry if the truth hurts.
It's nice but still a bad value proposition when the SV650X is selling for around $5k and the Z900RS is selling for around $8k both have noticably better power to weight ratios than this bike
Very beautiful bike but terribly over priced. The bike here costs 10,000 EUROs, its insane considering the Z900RS cafe is only 1,000 EUROs more and is in everyway significantly superior to the W800. And considering that the W800 is meant to compete with the likes of the Triumph Street Twin/Cup, Royal Enfield Interceptor/Continental GT650, Moto Guzzi V7 III and the such it is not doing well in price, not to mention for a bike with a mere 48Hp it shouldn't even go above 7,000 EUROs. Overall great bike but absolutely horribly price, for 10,000 EUROs you can get vastly better bikes.
I’m glad Jesse Pinkman turned his life around and found something he loves.
Hahaha if you're insinuating that I look like Aaron Paul, thanks I guess? Lol.
I own the 2020 cafe and at 6 ft I love this ride. Not a kawasaki owner prior to getting my Concours and a moth later this Cafe, I am truly a fan now. Still looking at getting a Himalayan this year to even out my riding with the mile muncher Concours 14 and the around town W800 Cafe and the Himalayan for back forest roads for my move to Johnson City Tennessee next year. Great bike and worth every penny for the deal you claimed on it.
Picking one up tomorrow. I'm a pretty slow rider. Excited!😊
I've been choosing a classic bike and now I'm leaning strongly towards Royal Enfield.
Iron 883 - it feels great until you start turning. Everybody says that Sportys are easy to handle - but they're easy compared to big twins only. And that PRICE.
W800 - I just didn't like it. I'm not saying that it's a bad bike - it's just not my thing. Honestly, it seemed a bit boring to me. Maybe because of 360 firing engine, maybe for some other reason, I'm not sure. They are o.k. to ride, but they are not really fun to ride (for me).
Triumph twins - well, they are fine, but they are not true classics. Their vibe is much closer to Ducati Scrambler and Yamaha XSR. And they are totally not the thing that I've been searching for.
Now, the Moto Guzzi V7. That was the hardest choice. It's absolutely amazing. It gives just the right FEELS, it has maintenance-free shaft drive, it has huge tank and it's totally perfect for city commuting AND for long trips. It was really, really hard to decide, it took me weeks to do so, but in the end I've decided that it's just not worth the money (for me). I - personally - have no problems with lubing the chain and having some extra coffee at the gas station. But IF the V7's were cheaper, I think I would have chosen one instead of RE-650.
Thanks for your videos, man, they helped a lot!
No problem at all Pavel! I agree the V7 is also an awesome choice, they are just hard to come by in my area hahaha.
Excellent review and the Thruxton 900 comparison is exactly what I needed to hear as I have had a Bonneville 900 and currently have a Thruxton 900. Cheers!
Thanks for watching Andrew! And congrats on the Thruxton, I do also love those :-)
Thanks! Thruxton is going and getting the W800 Cafe
The tank should’ve a little bit slimmer to look more slick
Good job, Alex! Thank you for making the effort and reporting. I'd still like to see the 2020 W800 model with a walk-around and riding video, too. If/when you get the chance, please look into the vibration issue other bloggers report. Peace!
Hi Berni! As soon as there is a 2020 W800 in my area available I will definitely do my best to do a ride and review! As far as the vibration it was definitely "buzzy" at certain speeds, but nothing that bothered me enough to be a deal killer
@@AlexSimmons11c , glad to hear the bzzz isn't a concern. Thank you, again, for your continuing efforts and successes!
@@bernisteinbach4835 Also at about 4500km. (About 2800 miles) I felt the bike loosen up a little and there was less vibration (although it never was bothersome). The vibes were just enough to let you know you were riding a mechanical machine, nothing more. The power delivery is very smooth (as it has a large flywheel). Not power that rips your arms out of it's sockets but eager and persistent power and acceleration. More than I need in any circumstance.
Thanks for posting this. This is another bike I would love to have. I would love to see prices near me like you are talking about. I looked up my local dealership and they have a left over 2019 for 7700.
Yeah different dealers in different areas will price things different unfortunately, the local dealer that has these is pretty aggressive when it comes to not letting bikes sit around too long. I mean 7700 is still a couple thousand off...but 6900 makes it a really competitive choice
That's a great price.
Just bought a 19 new for 8,300 otd
No W800 deals north of the 49th.. after plus plus plus they blackjack you with an additional 12% sales tax. I remember a huge sign at the border.. welcome to the land of milk and honey, and cheap gas.. ancient history lol.
I've been really trying to find a RE INT or GT 650. Dealer quoted me $7,300 out the door. This was for the interceptor w/ MSRP of $5,799! Crazy.
Might be looking at the W800's instead, cause like you mentioned I've seen some leftover 2019's for $6,499 MSRP. Thanks for the info, nice job.
Alex, you mentioned the 900 Thruxton. The W 800 has some vibes till you rev it beyond 4000. What about the 900 Thruxton? Does the 900 Thruxton also have a lot vibs?
I personally experience considerably less "buzz" when I ride a Thruxton 900 or my 650 GT. That being said the buzz was only evident between about 20-45mph, after that it went away
These bikes can be modded for more power and IMO will hold value very well. They are rare and probably will be rare because they just won’t sell enough compared to the athailand made Triumphs.
Thanks Alex great review!
No problem, and as always PizzaMan, thanks for watching! You guys don't know how much the support helps!
Great review bro👍👍✌️
Thanks Dr Rakesh!
I love the looks, fit and finish of the w800 street, but how does it stack up against the Int650 performance/maintenance wise, price notwithstanding. 🤔
Never seen a bike "review" without someone actually riding it.What you shared basically opinions after the fact...Not a review but opinions.Granted review is basically opinions as well however difference is when riding people get a feel how it rides so its more then bars putting pressure on your wrists...
It would be interesting to hear what you think of the W650 . More power, less torque (apparently ) .I recently bought an original low-k w650. It rides well for what it is, a few more horses would be good and the exhaust is way-too vanilla in stock-form . A nice 'Bark' is a major part of the overall riding-experience for me . these bikes hold their price well in NZ, The RE650's drop 3k-ish with only minimal K's, which makes them very good buying 2nd-hand . I would love to try the RE , having followed their development with keen interest .If Kawasaki had retained the kick-start on the w800 , it would have made them more desirable in this part of the world. The same has been said of the RE , no 'kicker' was the most disappointing thing, for me at least . Dave NZ
I am here as a RE GT650 rider, nice Job
If it’s $1000 - $1500 more than GT650, it’s a Killer deal ! Its fit and finish, power, torque and refinement levels are better than those of GT.
Whenever you mentioned Thruxton, did you mean Thruxton R which has much higher power output ( 96 PS I guess) ?
When I compare this or the GT 650 to a Thruxton I am always talking about the standard 900 Thruxtons since they are the closest haha
I curious about your take on bias ply tires. I saw another review on this bike that said the bias ply tires are as good in the turns as more modern tires.
To be completely honest I have not noticed a difference in turns between bias etc...I prefer tubeless radial tires if possible just because of the ease of not dealing with tubes etc...but between the types of tires and rims a bike comes with it has never been a deal breaker for me. The bias ply tires have been just fine, and I don't notice a difference, at least for my style of riding.
Do the standard version. Air & Oil cooled doesn't require an oil cooler. Oil cooling is accomplished internally. Are you an engine mechanic?
I am a motorcycle mechanic, though I do not do it professionally any more. You are correct in that air and oil cooled does not necessarily require an external oil cooler, but most identify with an oil cooler as an indicator that the bike relies more heavily on the oil for cooling than simply well designed cooling fins and internal dispersal haha.
When I can get my hands on the standard I will definitely be doing a similar video for it :-)
I'm surprised about what you said about the power between this and the Thruxton 900 EFI. Isn't there a 20hp difference? 69 for the brit and 48 for the japanese?
Very interested on what you said because I am looking to replace my Harley 48 (the engine just wants to ride hard but the rest of the bike doesn't want to follow!).
I was looking for the (sexy) Triumphs but I also have a great history with Kawasaki quality and reliability!
I currently have a ZX6R from 1998 that just wont break down. Amazingly reliable, easy to ride and do it all bike...
I was looking at the GT 650 as well. Beautiful bike but some small details put me off. Like the valve adjustment that is to often (even though I could do it myself).
Is it ok for 5’7’’ guy? Or too high? Is seat real leather?
not sure if the seat was real leather, it felt like I but I have been fooled before. I am 5'9" and was great for me, so at 5'7" I am sure it would be fine!
Alex Simmons thanks Alex for the info.
Hey there! Just saw this review! I actually bought the one I own from AMS in Nashville. We should ride sometime! Great review!
Awesome Bert! Yeah I do a lot of riding in the Nashville area so once this pandemic nonsense sorts itself out we can organize a retro ride or something!
I bought one found it poor quality rust started at 400 miles and the price is falling through the floor. Love the style though, but it’s gone now and it was a swine to clean couldn’t get at anything, and the position of the rear foot brake way to high no chance of feathering that. Well overpriced lost a fortune seen them reduced by 3k in uk and still don’t sell.
I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with it, but I am grateful for you sharing it! It's important to get the perspective from an owner that wasn't happy with it, as I said in my other reply! Thanks again Neil!
I saw this exact same post in several w800 reviews. Just tell your dealer that you're working for (RE) to just increase marketing budget. Stop trolling like some telemarketer in the 90s.
@@Dranreb865 dreamer. Have you been eating something. I’m just trying to save people money. Honda man myself but I have owned Kawasaki’s in the past ZX10 and KLR 650 in the 90’s sorry if the truth hurts.
@@AlexSimmons11c every bike drops in value really quickly. It's best to buy used motorcycles.
What's the name of the background song?
That's a royalty free track called "never sleep" by Gunnar Olsen
It's nice but still a bad value proposition when the SV650X is selling for around $5k and the Z900RS is selling for around $8k both have noticably better power to weight ratios than this bike
Dont know where u live but those prices not true here in Boston
*I want a Japanese cafe racer styled bike but this one looks too much like a Bonneville.*
Very beautiful bike but terribly over priced. The bike here costs 10,000 EUROs, its insane considering the Z900RS cafe is only 1,000 EUROs more and is in everyway significantly superior to the W800. And considering that the W800 is meant to compete with the likes of the Triumph Street Twin/Cup, Royal Enfield Interceptor/Continental GT650, Moto Guzzi V7 III and the such it is not doing well in price, not to mention for a bike with a mere 48Hp it shouldn't even go above 7,000 EUROs. Overall great bike but absolutely horribly price, for 10,000 EUROs you can get vastly better bikes.
Crazy that it costs that much there!
773 ccs, if it matters.
Yes, I usually do the "air quotes" when I state CC size since these manufacturers always fudge it a little in the bike's name haha.
Stop wayving your hand Infront of the camera, it totally spoils the video.
Another tested who does not mention the excellent feature of a positive stop neutral gearbox.
don't like this handlebars...
They are definitely polarizing haha
I just like the colors they put on them so pale and boring