Well, if your memory serves you well, you'll recall how the old bikes were commonly referred to as having a "hinge-in-the-middle" feel to them when ridden aggressively. Generating 46.6 hp at 6,900 rpm and 39.5 ft/lbs of torque at 5,700 rpm on our dyno, it's enough to propel this newest - and at the same time, oldest - Kawasaki into the low triple digits. Kawasaki W650 - Engine A set of hypoid bevel gears (with curved teeth) on the crankshaft turn a propeller shaft running vertically up the right side of the cylinder. Between the cover and the head are two small nylon washers. Notice how good you feel?
The innocence. But, it isn't Cadi' cushy either. This gave the machine an authentic engineering angle as well as a strong visual feature. "Oh, he's so dangerous," she'd think. Black rubber gaiters protect the male slider portion of the non-adjustable 39mm conventional telescopic forks that work with the five-way preload adjustable dual shocks in the rear to keep the ride well-damped with a bit of that nostalgic harshness.It's mushy when you sit on it, sinking down into the travel a fair amount so you expect a Cadillac of a ride. My idea of a cruiser. I’d like to have them on hand before I start.Think its 5mm, but rather take one out and take with to the shop to get the right one. It doesn't slope forward so much that your tender parts make a home for themselves in the back of the beautifully sculpted tank, but enough that it becomes a nuisance around town or in any situation that calls for constant braking, followed by application of the throttle and back on the brakes again.At a retail price of $6,499 US Dollars, the dealers are reportedly selling every one of these they can get. And this bike is all about being cool. That's emotion. The W650 was never intended to be sold in the US, but the bike has developed such a cult-like following that demand has forced Kawasaki to import the bike to our shores despite reported losses on both the dealer and manufacturer's side. "It is far superior to anything from the time period that this bike tries to replicate." The W650 is light, has a nice power band for around town and it looks way cool.I'm a long time Triumph fan, having owned a 1972 Daytona for over 11 years. Join the Motorcycle.com Weekly Newsletter to keep up to date on all things motorcycling. The W1 was Kawasaki's first four-stroke motorcycle and, just like the British bikes of the time, it had the gear change lever for the four speed gearbox on the right side with an inverted (one up, three down) shift pattern.Kawasaki designed the W650 to capture a large portion of the Japanese niche market which is currently in a retro craze, falling over itself trying to acquire bikes like the original W1. By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of data and cookies. Despite a lack of comfort, I rode 35-plus freeway miles to do some "field research" on this matter and came back sore, but impressed. Lovely and clean all around.What size are the float bowl screws? When you look at W650, it makes you smile since it looks so cool. Someone before me goofed with the backlash settings and got thing too tight I think. Then she started to grow up little by little until she was no longer attracted to dolls, ponys and you. It reminded me of photos I saw of my dad racing his old Triumphs across the desert. “ Kawasaki W650.
Please do meet Kawasaki’s all new W800 – a rethink of the popular W650 and their tilt at the ever-expanding “classic” bike segment. Weighing in at a claimed 430 lbs (dry), this bike is a good 30 lbs heavier than its vintage counterparts which were about 15% smaller overall.Around town (we think that's what this bike is made for), it's a nimble enough to toss around intersections and alleyways without feeling flighty.Other handling characteristics? Still, it's not impossible to turn their heads. This information is then used by the digital ignition to determine engine load and adjust the ignition accordingly for maximum power.The motor is rubber mounted in an old-style tube steel frame with a square tube backbone that's painted black (think, black is bad). Still, once you start riding around more than your own block to impress your neighbors, you'll notice that the seat is awkwardly forward-sloping. But some things just weren't meant to be improved upon.The W650 is reminiscent of Kawasaki's W1 from 1966. Its air-cooled parallel twin engine has rounded cases and fins designed to recreate 30-year-old styling, and uses a bevel drive … We're quite certain that the sound of the twin echoing out the mufflers adds a good ten mental horsepower, but we'll take it any way we can get it; just ask our drinking buddies.The W650 has a 31.5-inch seat height, a four gallon tank and a comfortable reach to the bars with a squishy seat and footpegs set in such a position that man, woman or child could find some seating position acceptable. But, nothing's cooler than swinging out the kick starter and firin' it up old-school style!The time: Every Friday and Saturday during the summer of 1965.My friends and I rarely missed this, and it was that moment that triggered my life-long emotional attachment to motorcycles.Right now in the corner of the shop, with the addition of some lower bars and paint, sits the Green Hornet. "Yeah, 30-years ago women could easily fall for a man on this bike. "We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. Four valves feed each 72 x 83mm cylinder the fuel/air mixture from a pair of 34mm carburetors whose movement is monitored via a Kawasaki Throttle Responsive Ignition Control system (K-TRIC). Still, it is far superior to anything from the time period that this bike tries to replicate. Now at a point where there is very little whine on cold start and almost no gear clatter when running warm. She found herself falling for football players and the bad boys in school.If you could take Kawasaki's new W650 back to those days, Mary would still be yours. "Everywhere in between there is sufficient oomph to shove you off corners with enough flair to make things amusing. We've always been careful not to mix emotion and logic in large doses because what you always end up with is unhappiness somewhere and a generally empty feeling inside.