The Kawasaki W800 is a
parallel twin
A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
Straight-twin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; ot ...
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
produced by
Kawasaki from 2011 to 2016, and then since 2019. The W800 is a
retro style
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
model that emulates the
Kawasaki W series, three models that were produced from 1967 to 1975, and which in turn were based on the British
BSA A7
The BSA A7 was a 500cc motorcycle model range made by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at their factory in Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham. The range was launched in 1946 using a long stroke engine. An improved version based on the ...
. It replaced the
W650, which was produced from 1999 to 2007. The W800 has an
air-cooled
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. In all combustion engines, a great percentage of the heat ge ...
, 360° parallel-twin,
four-stroke engine
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directi ...
, with shaft and
bevel gear
Bevel gears are gears where the axes of the two shafts intersect and the tooth-bearing faces of the gears themselves are conically shaped. Bevel gears are most often mounted on shafts that are 90 degrees apart, but can be designed to work at othe ...
driven overhead cam. The carburettor-fuelled W650 was discontinued because it could not meet emissions regulations,
[ so the W800 engine is ]fuel injected
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All comp ...
. Unlike the W650, the W800 does not have a kickstart.
The retro style includes a highly polished, gloss-painted and pinstriped fuel tank, as well as a ribbed saddle, wire wheels and a special W-logo on both sides of the tank, which refers to the W1-model.[
]Kevin Ash
Kevin Ash (10 December 1959 – 22 January 2013) was a British motorcycle journalist and author, who contributed to ''The Daily Telegraph'' and to ''Motor Cycle News''.
Covering technical as well as topical issues, Ash was described as "one of ...
wrote, "the performance feels distinctly retro too, but in a good way, as the W800 purrs along. The sound is friendly and mellow and the engine pulls well enough not to feel breathless, as the W650 could".[
]
References
External links
* {{commons category-inline
W800 at Kawasaki UK
W800
Standard motorcycles
Motorcycles introduced in 2011
Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines