Triumph is kicking **** and making money with their “classic” styled Bonneville bikes, most notably the T120. That means you can expect Japanese manufacturers won’t be far behind with retro-styled mid-sized motorbikes.
Enter the classic/retro styled Kawasaki W800. It’s the bigger bro of the W650 that team green discontinued six years ago, and quit selling in the USA a decade ago. Oh, if they would have known that there would soon be a huge market for an inexpensive Trump knock-off. Just like the old days. What fun!
Now that Kawasaki has realized this, they came out with a bigger version of the W650! The W800 is a 476 lb (216 kg), fuel injected 773cc (closer to 750 than 800 but why quibble?) inline twin with a drum brake in the rear and the flatish ribbed seat that evokes the days of…. I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But lots of people think they were cool!
Doh! It’s only being sold in Europe! You can buy one in Russia, Israel, and freaking Egypt, but not in America. Good job, Kawasaki.
When will a Japanese manufacturer finally get with the program in the States?
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