There is a trend involving retro-styled bikes. Manufacturers like Triumph have been doing it for quite some time with their iconic Bonneville series. Our very own Indian bike maker, Royal Enfield too, has been doing the same for quite some time now. Japanese bike maker Kawasaki will soon be jumping in the retro-styled segment in India with it’s offering the W800 .

Kawasaki W800                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Confirmed by a source is that Japanese brand, Kawasaki has begun the testing and certification process of this retro styled bike and looks forward to launching the motorcycle very soon. The bike would be Kawasaki’s answer to the likes of the Triumph Boneville and Harley’s range. Going by the rise in demand for such motorcycles in our market at this point of time, it comes across as no surprise that Kawasaki too wants some slice of the cake. A launch can be expected before the end of this year.                                                                                                                                                

Coming to the bike itself, the W800 is powered by a 773 cc, air-cooled twin cylinder engine which is tuned to produce 47.3 bhp and 60 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed transmission and will have a top speed of 175 kmph. Keeping the retro theme alive is a set of spoked wheels, measuring 19-inches in the front and 18-inches at the rear. The chassis is suspended by a conventional, 39 mm telescopic fork in the front and a set of twin shocks at the rear which offer 5 different levels of adjustment. Anchorage duties are done by a rather large 300 mm disc in the front and a 160 mm drum at the rear keeps the retro look intact. Expect Kawasaki to provide dual-channel ABS and a BS VI compliant engine with this bike.