Motorcycle specifications Kawasaki W 800 Cafe 2019 Doc' is in the race

the W 800 will make a more discreet than noticeable comeback, but all enthusiasts will welcome Kawasaki's gesture. The Euro4 standard kept it out of the limelight for a while, just enough time to gamble. A small redesign, preserving the essentials while changing 90% of the parts, and once the necessary compatibility was in hand, the most classic of Kawa bikes took on its own little challenge with this Café version.

previously known as the Cafe Style, this "sport" version of the W 800 allows the vintage roadster to be dressed up as a pseudo cafra. The recipe works as well as ever, mixing the machine with an old-fashioned fork head, a two-tone single-seater-style seat and Clubman-specific handlebars. Narrower and lowered, it gives the illusion of holding bracelets and tilting the torso. A café-racer is designed with the attitude to enjoy the ride... and find yourself in a driving position that's not necessarily comfortable.
So you have to show off a bit. With white backgrounds for the meters, a little more chrome than on the Street, milled cooling fins on the cylinder head, black rims, a pair of knee grips, and an emphasis on bevel gearing.

the last representative of the spirit of the 1966 W1, the W 800 has succeeded in an audacious gamble: to bring an air-cooled twin-cylinder that's more than just fun to look at to the present day. Power has been kept under 35 kW, so as to appeal to A2 license holders. It's nothing out of the ordinary, as it wasn't spitting out more horsepower before. 48 horsepower, with the pudgy, nostalgic sound of a poppet. Enough power to get around, at the pace of the 70s. There's a little more technology than back then, with LED headlights, ABS, dual disc brakes, fuel injection and a digital window in the tachometer.

kawasaki is giving the W 800 a new lease of life, and it's more than ever at home in today's vintage movement. It leaves the good offices of power and neo-retro to its Z 900 RS cousin. Its niche makes it more suited to battle with the Bonneville Street Cup, Guzzi V7 Racer and Mash TT40. Alas, as with the Street, its high price tag means that it's only for those who fall in love with it.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos