Why I quit riding Harley for Kawasaki W800
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 เม.ย. 2021
- Sorry guys, no Scottish video this weekend as the Astra side effects brought me down. So, this time the only video I had ready... After creating it I thought it's rather stupid so wanted to delete it... but I didn't and at least I've got something for you this time.... And some of you were even asking that question - why I stopped riding my Harley in favour of W800.
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My first bike was a Harley (79 ironhead) and I have owned about 40 bikes since. I have come to the conclusion that I enjoy lighter bikes the most. Now I own a W800 and a Royal Enfield Himalayan 400 and am very happy with them. Heavy bikes are supreme when traveling two-up with luggage, but otherwise a light bike is just more fun.
Exactly mate
When you get that sidecar mounted to the Harley you HAVE to get it painted with flames to match! That would look outstanding! 😁
It would however it will probably end up being just black ;)
Totally get it, I love the way a Harley looks, but not the way it drives, especially in European roads, the Kawa seems to be your style and an overall better driving experience
exactly, especially for the UK where it's so crowded and plenty of bends ;) cheers mate
Thanks for the video. 2,200kms on my new W800 and couldn't agree more. It leaves you smiling
Great to hear!
I came from a big heavy Harley Electra-Glide Classic that I rode for 10 years and 85,000km and I loved it. I traded it in for a new Kawasaki W800 Street and, like you found, I love it's nimbleness and fine handling and classic Brit bike lines and sound. Great on twisty roads and in the city. I am still hoping to get another Harley for long distance straight stretches (Harleys do get under your skin). I'm thinking a lot about the Heritage Classic. I think the W and the Heritage would be a great duo. The style of your sidecar will look great with your Harley (I love sidecars also and had a double wide California Sidecar Friendship III for 10 years camping with my wife and two kids with a GL1200).
I wish you a full recovery, my wife caught it half a year ago and thankfully has recovered well. It did take a while for some of the symptoms to subside.
I've got a same thoughts except before my Softail I had 2005 Road King and that bike was terrible. Not confidence building in the corners for sure ;) and not even enough low rev torque as it was fuel injected 88 TC... no more ;) Luckily I didn't have covid - just side effects after astra vaccine. Pretty bad for 3 days but later perfectly fine :) cheers
Better than no video! Hopefully you're feeling better, presumably the AZ which seems to have more side effects but worth it.
Yep, the AZ ;) I'm perfectly fine already, so all good thanks. And to my surprise people found this video interesting enough ;)
Even though the W800 has low HP it gets up and goes, main reason I bought one for a second bike.
It's definitely have enough power, same as 70's bikes really
@@UncleLongbeard I agree, and the Bevel drive is unique, I wish there were more after market options for the W800, like a performance air filter, I looked and couldn't find anything. Surprisingly it has a more comfortable ride than my Guzzi, and it is more stable at highway speeds.
My W800 Street rips!
You do manage to throw the Kawasaki around the countryside really well, makes far more sense to put the sidecar on the HD than the Kwak :-)
Well, that had much more sense from the beginning but somehow I just wanted to replace that Enfield with something running but still ride my Harley solo ;) Which all ended here :D
Hope you’re recovering. The W800 is a beauty.
I'm not too bad really. First day after was a disaster, then gradually going back to normal.
I took my exes VT600 through town, couple of years ago, and I absolutely loved how small and light it was. Big bike has its appeal, but occasionally something small and light can be even more fun.
To be honest, if I would still be in Poland or in Estonia - I would stick to my Harley... Mostly straight roads, not many bends, not much traffic and the roundabouts... but here is a different story ;) Cheers buddy
@@UncleLongbeard Don't get me wrong. I am not looking for trading in my little elephant :P I just completely get the reasons why small bikes can be as much or maybe more fun, in the right circumstances.
@@theodorstravels and I completely get why an elephant can be fun :)
The harley with side car is a great idea and will look nice once it's completed!
I think so too! cheers
I found the video!! Definitely a good choice connecting your sidecar to the Harley!! Why big down your quick and nimble Kawasaki right!! Awesome video, and I'm glad you don't give a shit what others think!!😂😂.
Subbed 👍👍
Glad to hear that. Cheers mate.
Just took a trip down I270! I agree, not the kind of road for my w800 caf. Next time I'll go down the old route 355. After all it dates from the British!
Definitely not the interstate bike ;) doable, but pointless... but why on earth use the interstate if you have the other choice? :)
I totally agree with the lighter bikes being better for the English country lanes! During Covid times where I have mostly been riding and exploring close to home on small country lanes I've almost always found myself reaching for the keys of my Honda 125 rather than my Yamaha XJR1300! And as a bonus the 125 will easilly go over 300 miles on £10 of petrol no matter how you ride it! :)
true that is ;) I was thinking about buying myself supercub for a local fun ;) but eventually I thought that the W is a perfect balance
Love It Too!:-)
thanks mate
wow.. i started watching for w800.. you are doing great.. love from India💌
Brilliant. Glad to hear that mate
Nice vid like always, didn’t know that you have so many bikes 👍
Hope the side effects from the vaccine is gone now.
Im actually in Russia for work and think about getting the vaccination here.
Anyway
Stay safe and I’m looking forward for new vids.👌🏻
I am better indeed however still not 100% fine and I missed some awesome biking weather on that weekend :( But on a plus side will be much safer now
I enjoy all your videos including this one. You made a lot of good points that I agree with except for one: Harley is not good for cornering. Harley is certainly heavier than W800 and it may take a little more practice but it still does a very good job. If my riding skills, and I still have a lot to learn, almost consistently allow me to make a 9 feet radius U-turn on my Heritage Softail then I cannot consider your point on Harley's cornering limitations as a valid one.
your video
To be honest that softail I got is reasonably nimble and I have no issues throwing it into corners. And it even behaves quite well when thrown into the bend... As you said not as lightweight as the W and not as flickable but still I don't find it particularly terrible... BUT ! The keyword is the lean angle ;) I simply scratch my pegs on every corner and roundabout here... And even when leaned to the max it's far away of what the W is capable of... And on top of that Kwaka is lighter and much more nimble and flickable
So, as I said - compared to the W - Harley is not good in the corners ;) It's only good when you are going slow... and if you try to have fun and go faster, you can risk a lot with those pegs catching the tarmac. And trust me on that - we've got some serious bends everywhere here
Sporsters are fine on back roads. Handle good and excellent fuel mileage. On the other hand they suck on the freeway, they vibrate and my air cleaner clog’s up with oil from blow bye.
Going to test ride a W800 this coming weekend. I was initially drawn to the Royal Enfield Interceptor, but as soon as I saw the Kawasaki and that beautiful engine and green / silver colour scheme, I loved it. My last bike was a Versys 1000, but it was realistically too big and too heavy. I’m hoping the test ride will prove the W800 goes as well as it looks.
Well, I don't know if you can expect anything after jumping on it from versys... It is just a simple classic bike. I heard that Enfield is even better in the bends as it's got stiffer frame. But as you pointed out - the W looks more authentic...
@@UncleLongbeard I also thought the Versys was too powerful. I got it because the wife and I planned on doing some touring, and so the bigger engine would help with that. But really it was overkill. The Versys 650 would have done the job. But the height and the weight just made me nervous. Now our trips out will be mostly day trips and evening rides, so I think the W800 will be perfect. Plus it’s not too heavy, has low centre of gravity, and I can get both feet firmly on the ground.
and it's just a pleasure to look at it ;) let me know what will you think after the test ride
@@peakrider4886 You will find it perfect for the needs you stated.
I was in a similar position to you. Sold my Heritage Softail for the RE INT650 & am way happier with her now. Would have gone for the W800 if it was cheaper. Still an amazing bike.
both are great bikes and fun in the bends.
I own Kawasaki, have had Kawasakis for decades. Respect and love Harley sound.
Carburetted Harley sounds amazing indeed
I have a Harley Springer Classic and an XR Sportster, I'm thinking of ditching the Springer and getting a W800. I think it makes more sense because where I live the country roads are similar to the UK but without the claustrophobic hedgerows. The Springer is nice but too big and heavy.
I can't tell you if that is the right decision. It was right for me however I miss the Harley
Hi there. Loved this video and I'm glad you enjoy riding your Kawasaki W800. I have a 2011 Kawasaki W800, which I've had since June 2021. I love it. I'm 5' 4", 64 year old lady and this bike just seems to suit me down to the ground. I just completed my advanced riding course and passed the advanced test last Monday. One thing I've noticed is there's a lot of vibration through the mirrors. Do you or anyone else find the same? If so, is there any different fittings that might reduce the vibration? I have asked a few people and they mainly say it's the nature of the v-twin, therefore, maybe it's something I have to just get on with. Anyways, glad I found your channel. Cheers
Hi, great to hear that. It's a brilliant bike for British roads... and fantastic even for longer trips if you have iron butt ;) It's got a lot of vibrations as it is typical classic parallel twin where both pistons are going up/down at the same time which is causing a bigger mass and bigger vibrations. It was much worse though on old British twins as W800 have counter balance shaft which is reducing it by loads. The only vibrations left actually are those reminding you that you are on a classic machine. It's not that annoying but just causing blurry mirrors... I heard that some models had rubber mounted mirrors but that was not reliable in a long run as rubber was deteriorating pretty fast. You just need to learn to live with that or you can try a few different mirrors as I heard that some are dealing better with that. Cheers
You could try bar-end-weights (go in the end of your handle-bars) bike shops sell them..keepsafe Dave Aotearoa nz
I think like you. The kawa is great for back roads and the Harley for long trips. I did a test drive in a sidecar and it was quite different in terms of handling and stability. Driving on the road must be mastered.
The only issue is that I enjoy that bike so much that I even take it on a long trips instead of HD :D
@@UncleLongbeard That's why I haven't bought a Harley, having too much fun on my W800 (even on the straights of the highway that 360 degree crank just gallups smoothly).
What mufflers are you running !.... They sound nice and deep, I found a cheap W650, but it sounds like crap , so looking at options ! And agree, they are great bikes, light and 'flickable' but heavy enough to feel safe . Dave NZ
Thanks Owen. Here's my exhaust explained ;) th-cam.com/video/R3zYW_7wa7E/w-d-xo.html
Yeah, those BIG bikes are fun on BIG roads, but on small roads you can only use such a small part of their potential that they get boring pretty quick
The power is so easy accessible that you're constantly have to restrict yourself.
On the other hand the smaller bikes on Broads...
Coming from a BMW 1200 GS I first discovered that on a RE Himalayan but went back to a Tenere 700 for my trip to Morocco.
Afterwards I bought a RE 350 Classic. It was like discovering the fun of motorcycling all over again.
And then my most recent purchase : The W800 for just a bit more A-road capability.
The W800, a nice balance between overpowered and underpowered and offcourse the timeless beauty of the machine.
But I must admit, the 350 Classic still gives me the most smiles per mile and that's also a beauty.
Well, I still have the bullet 500 ;) But the bike I ride the most is my R nineT Urban, simply because it's barely heavier than W800 with loads more of power. However... to be honest the ride on the W is different... and it still feels lighter and nimbler. And I love it. No matter what, I'm not going back to heavy and bulky bikes. Not in the UK for sure. Modern GS's are too big as well. Not as heavy as Harley but the size is unbelievable. Original R100GS was a tiny bike in comparison.
Very interesting, but would you take the W800 over a well-sorted Guzzi T3? 👍
That's a tough question. I love round barrel Guzzi's but well sorted one would cost much more than the W. On the other hands not as much as all my bikes together so this argument is just an excuse ;) And I wanted to buy one to be honest but each year I find less and less free time to sort out my bikes... and the part of the W advantage is - that it doesn't require servicing almost at all... and still feels like an old bike. So my answer is: I would take T3 over the W if I wouldn't be afraid of some minor issues here and there ;) But for every day molesting the W seems to me like a more reasonable choice
@@UncleLongbeard Got you, thanks. Bennett's state improvements from 2019 on for the W800. Rear disc, abs, improved stock exhaust note, plus, " the chassis has been overhauled to improve steering response and give the W800 a sportier edge. The steel double-cradle chassis is all new, with thicker tubes to improve stiffness, while the non-adjustable forks have also increased in diameter, up from 39mm to 41mm. Perhaps the most significant change is the move from a 19in front wheel to a faster steering 18-incher, which also matches the rear". I'm not fussed about abs or rear disk, but improved handling...hmmm. Do you think these will provide significant real world improvements in handling, or not really noticeable to average rider?
@@mattcc6603 it all depends. I think on a track it will make loads of difference... but will you? ;) I have this bike for various reasons but nr1 is the classic look and classic (but good) handling. The new model still looks good but bit less classic to me. Classic british bikes had 19" in front so I prefer that sort of look over a bit of the "modern edge". And at the end of the day it is just 50ish bhp notsofast bike... I would only bother about those improvements if the old version would be terrible. But it isn't. And what most people are saying if you really want improved handling throw some better shocks and front springs on it with more modern tires and you will see a day and night difference. But I don't care ;) It's good enough for what it is IMO
@@UncleLongbeard Thanks for your insight - very helpful to me 😎
In 2019 I chose the W800 Street over a Guzzi V7 and am very happy with it. I like the 850TT but, like most adventure bikes, it's just a bit too tall for my liking. I think the new Guzzi 850 Stone would be a great bike also.
What a brilliant idea. The Harley doesn't like to lean So slap the sidecar on it. It's GENIUS. Get the covid vax side effect kicked screaming into a muddy ditch and get the angle grinder revved up. Looking forward to the build vlog my friend. Happy wowser days. Keep safe.
it doesn't lean and doesn't rev, so... perfect for a chair :D cheers mate. I'm already much better to be honest, but still missed a perfect day for a ride
Nice video!
I am thinking to buy one, how tall are you?
I am 6'2 do you think would fit my hight?
Thanks you
I'm 5'11 and tbh it's not a big bike for me. Depends if you are used to classic bikes which were generally smaller, you should be fine with w800 as well. But generally speaking I think you'll find it a bit small
I'm 5'11 and tbh it's not a big bike for me. Depends if you are used to classic bikes which were generally smaller, you should be fine with w800 as well. But generally speaking I think you'll find it a bit small
@@UncleLongbeard thank you for your reply.
The thing which I guess will be most annoying for you is the position of the legs as the footpegs and its position is designed for shorter people. Even my legs are angled a bit too much but the bike itself is not small. It's longer than classic BSA A10. So if you reposition your footpegs you should be just fine. For me just an inch would work but for you it could be a bit more. Not the cheapest option but sorting it out for sure: japan.webike.net/products/24982211.html?fbclid=IwAR103HHR2wfx2gS0PxVIhKpyg6dYEYO0DABSETQq04jCmRKilpmbxjPMMtc
Just bought a w800 cafe today, after having sold my 96 Heritage Softail, that got an engine collapse from a blocked oil pump. I have been riding evo bikes for 25 years. They are brillant, so if i find another nice one, I will probably buy it. But for now, I will try the w800. It's just about riding fun, not philosophy!
It exactly is. And I still love my Evo
I always tell people they want to try a sidecar buy a Sidecar motorcycle and not put one on their solopipe because they might not like it on your solo bike and if you don't like it you can always take it off and she'll the sidecar separately. Good move on your part
Got rid of my Harley for M109R got rid of that for a Vulcan 900 and love it
I guess we all have different reasons as I would never trade it for another cruiser. When it comes to cruisers I think HD is the most characterfull one and I love it. I rather needed different style.
W800 is from a BSA motorcycle licensed to Meguro which was bought by Kawasaki who created a motorcycle division using this design. This is the OG Kawasaki.
I was talking about that in my last video ;) cheers
@@UncleLongbeard I will watch that vid! Very cool. Cheers!
You grow to this... and me tooooo.
Some people grow to ride Harleys and some the opposite ;) And some may call it boredom ;)
disappointed that sums up riding Hd’s for me ❤
1st mistake was getting the experimental vax 🤦♂️ but I got the W800 cool bike
Leading link front end
I rode a lot of leading link forks and I don't like 'em
Kwackers I think are made by bike riders , shame about chrome on most of them
what about chrome?