Kawasaki W800 - almost perfect except for this!
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- Опубліковано 1 чер 2022
- I was thinking of doing a "5 things I hate", video on the W, but really it's such a sweetheart I could not think of 5 bad things to say. There are two things though that Kawasaki could have improved...
I'm at 5,500+ miles and changed out the stock tires for Michelin something or others a few months ago with a modern tread pattern. The wobble from riding on rain-grooved roads disappeared, and the bike feels more confident leaning over more steeply in a turn.
Excellent, glad to hear that. Thanks, Scott!
I agree with the stock tires. 6000 miles in and I'm excited to install the BT46 I got. The battery lasts 5-8 years as it's a Yuasa made in Japan and replacing it only takes 5 minutes if you know which bolts to remove. I don't think there was any other location to put the ECU because the bike was originally designed to be carbureted.
Thank you for the clarification re: ECU placement. That makes sense. On the battery r&r the problem is also probably due to my lack of mechanical skills. Enjoy your W!
My 2018 Kawasaki KLR650 came with an off brand battery from China. Lasted 2 yrs.
@@roywane354 I don,t know about the newer models ( up 2019) but the older models the battery came out sideways ( so not from the top ) One screw on the top removed, furthere you take away the side cover , push some wires out of the way, That,s it)
Stock tires generally are always “just good enough” in my experience…
Agreed. FortNine did a great episode: ua-cam.com/video/Tv97i_-V7hA/v-deo.html&ab_channel=FortNine
Yep. They are like those low capacity ink cartridges you get with your new printer. You know you should buy a back up for when it runs out at the worst moment, but, of course, you don't.
Depends on the bike. My Enfield Bullet 500 has Avons which are, yes, just OK (though rather "period correct"), but my KTM Duke 890R has Michelin Power Cup 2s, which are OMG freakin' fabulous! BTW, I'm watching this video because I'm thinking of replacing the Enfield with a W800 or a Bonneville. Leaning toward the Kawi.
I watched an online video of removing the battery. It made it an easy task. Thank god for youtube. The tyres are old school design for the look of the bike. There's very few "modern" tyres that fit because of their size.
Yes changing the battery is nearly open heart surgery . I fitted a Zard racing 2 into 1 exhaust system weighing 2.4 kg the original set was a whopping 14kg also a power commander, she's now aching like a 800 twin should
Nice! How is the new exhaust note?
Back when the W650 came out I test rode one. I wanted - REALLY wanted - to like it, because I considered it (I still do) one of the very best-looking bikes ever. But I ended up getting an SV650 instead. The two factors that kept me from buying a W were that it was just too buzzy at freeway speeds, and it wouldn't idle; it was like riding a two-stroke. But the Ws are just absolutely beautiful!
You are right, there is some vibration at highway speeds with that 360 degree crank. So far, I have not found it a problem, but I don't ride over a couple of hours at a time. I can see how it could become tiresome if you were in the saddle for several hours.
Strange mine is w800 fuel injected it idles perfectly I think the 650,was carburetors perhaps they weren't set up properly.
@@lancashireladnorris6067 that's an oxymoron we all know carburetors are never properly set up 😂
With a vintage style bike, Kawasaki would assume that riders would want a vintage looking tire. That's a handsome bike you got there.
I think you are right! Kawasaki used bias ply tires so the bike would feel vintage.
@@ReisterJP And coming from an 1983 bike, I can tell ya that it certainly does.
When I park it, I still tend to turn off the fuel switch, even thou there is none.. xD
Hi Roy: Check your tire pressures. If you don't have a passenger the front should be 28psi and the rear should be at 32psi and the rear should be bumped up to 36psi with a passenger. Too high a pressure creates a narrower contact patch on an already skinny tire and makes it follow the cracks more easily. The right tire pressure does not completely eliminate crack following but it sure improved it on my W800. I agree the battery could be a little more accessible and there is absolutely no storage space on these bikes. Other than that the W800 is a joy to ride and own.
Thanks, Bob that makes sense and I'll give it a try. Most of the time the tracking is just mildly annoying, but sometimes the right groove in the road will definitely get my attention! There is a wooden deck farm bridge near where I live that I have not rode over yet as I know the ditchfinder dunlops will be all over the place. I will try adjusting the tire pressure and try the bridge.
Actually, I read somewhere Kawasaki chose these tires on purpose. Back in the days, tires apparently were made out of 2 halves. It had something to do with molding them. It gave a unique, kind of shaky feeling riding a bike on imperfect roads. Having these tires on the w800 “adds to the feeling of riding an oldtimer bike”
Interesting. That seems very consistent with Kawasaki's other cool, old time design choices like the bevel drive and 360 degree crank. It certainly does feel twitchy on our imperfect farm roads! :D
😁
...old school but not in a good way😆
@@frenchenstein Well, if you are used to it, its a none issue.. Used to drive an bike from 83 and the W just feels a little heavier..
The W feels so natural to me, that I even try to turn off the fuel switch, just to grab into nothing/the hot engine.. xD
I was always weary of getting semi-stuck in train rails and such. Best to maneuver direction of bike to not be compromised in such settings. You are so right about the battery being more difficult than necessary to access. My gripe with sport bikes is that the seating quality runs from hard to harder on the rump and related private parts. Also not to be forgotten is the never ending drive chain on most bikes. A belt drive would not require any lubrication which would drastically reduce oil splatter mess on the bike areas, not to mention that a belt would be quieter than a chain. Does not really matter as I will most likely never own a motorcycle again. My last bike was a 1977 Yamaha 650 twin.
Belt drives are a clean, efficient design for sure. Those 70's Yamaha twins seem to be popular platforms these days for people building cafe style bikes.
Belt drives are a lot less than perfect, which is why so few motorcycles have them. They're heavy, for one thing, and require a wide primary drive. "Oil splatter" is not a factor on modern motorcycles with chains if you use modern chain lube and/or have an o-ring chain. If you can hear a chain drive, you have very sensitive hearing. You should be using earplugs anyway.
That was the Best-Year Yamaha 650.... Dave NZ
@@kdsowen2882, Yes, I heard that 1977 was the most desired year. The 78's had style change and the pre-77's had weaker springs in the fork tubes. The weak areas of the bike were the outer generator brush and the front disc break. I never could figure why a generator was chosen over an alternator? Too bad that the seating was never good, even changing the seat to an upper and lower level seat did little to create satisfactory butt comfort. 45-60 MPG depending on driving conditions. Would have been interesting had Yamaha gone to a 750-800 cc engine in 1978 instead of the Special which was not all that special.
@@roywane354 belt drive is in fact less efficient than a chain.
Lovely bike and good points👍
I changed my tyres to Michelin Road Classic and it is a totally different different riding experience.
Metzler makes a really nice riding tire also.
I bought mine new in 2015 and upgraded to the tapered LSL pipes. Best thing i ever did - With the baffles out it sounds exactly like it should , given the classic looks. Always had a bit of vibration around 3000rpm which i think they all might have. I've always had a bit of fun at the dealers. Booking it in for a service and asking them not to worry about the coolant.
I've noticed there is vibration between 3 - 4K on mine - it adds to the character!
that bag looks awesome at the back
Thanks, I really appreciate your comment!
what kind is it?@@roywane354
@@tegelfish Hello! I found it on Etsy.
Glad you’re enjoying your W800. It’s a great bike that grows on you the more you ride it. There’s a few Facebook forums for the model if you do that kind of thing. The Michelin Road Classics seem to be a common exchange for the stock Dunlops, which as well as being a nostalgic design tread pattern, I believe Dunlop have a manufacturing plant close to where Kawasaki make the W800, so I think there some good ol’ fashioned collaboration going on there.
I looked up the Michelins and the tread pattern looks like it would definitely be an improvement over the stock rubber with the tread channel going right down the middle.
@@roywane354 certainly owners who have swapped to the Michelins say it has changed the whole feel of the bike and the handling and stability in corners is significantly better.
Don't overlook the BT46's a damn great tire for a whole lot less!
My 02 Vulcan Classic 800 is not as bad about batt. location. I had a 80 LTD 750 and loved that little bike. It carried me well for being close to 200lbs.
Beautiful bike.
Thanks Sammy!
With regard to the buried battery. I think this is deliberate rather than bad design, if swapping the battery was easy everyone would do it rather than take it the dealer. A lot of people would look at that and decide not to tackle what should be a simple job. My response is to dig in and get it done and save myself the money. Making things just that bit harder is cynical money making move that those who are prepared to have a go at should fight every step of the way on whatever we ride.
That's a good point!
Once you have changed the battery once it really isn't that bad. Took me about 15-20 minutes to do a swap
Good to know - thank you!
That style of tire and tread pattern is in keeping with the vintage bike look. The Ceat tires in my Royal Enfield 650GT look and behave the same way. I will be dumping those soon.
They only behave that way initially. Within the first 1-1.5K miles it behaved more like a quality tire. Although they don’t last long. I expect at 5500-6k they’ll be shot.
Agreed with both points! Plus, the stock mirrors show your arm, and you need to bend your arm to have a better view of your back.
Yes, you make a good point - the mirror position is not good. Might try something different next year - maybe some bar end mirrors.
@@roywane354 I found rotating the mirror arms forward about 30 degrees helps with the field of view.
Have the same bike. I agree 100 percent with both views. I took mine on the interstate and their were parts of it where the state had cut groves in the road to help with icing issues. It was scary. Also the battery placement is terrible. It's the only issues that I've found. I love the bike.
I have been told by other W owners that Michelin Road Classics are a huge improvement compared to the Dunlop ditchfinders!
I actually prefer the W800 in many regards to my Continental GT 650 but the price and lack of highway prowess kept me away unfortunately. Still randomly watch videos. The bike is simply stunning.
A 6th gear on the W would definitely improve its usefullness at freeway speeds!
It only takes five minutes to Replace the battery considering it should last at least three years not a problem.I agree about the Tire's wear them out then replace with your choice Enjoy.
The battery of my W800 now lasts over 11 years. No end in sight. The only one who is taking care of the battery is the W itself, when I ride the bike. So don't worry about the battery, ride more!
I would pay good money to see anyone change this battery in 5 minutes. There is no way. Half the bike needs to be dismantled and afterwards there is almost no way to get the cable mess back behind the covers/airfilter. Worst design I have ever seen. Second design flaw is in the caferacer fairing (old model w800), can't change the headlight heigt without removing the whole fairing. Could have been fixed with ONE hole for the screwdriver. Own one since 2015. Its a good bike.
Nice bike. I hope you have a lot of miles of enjoyment. While those may not be the best modern technology tires, They are far above the Avon AM6 Speedmasters or the Dunlop front ribbed tires of the '50's and 60's. They were dangerous on even minor road groves.
Thanks, Barb. Those tires must have really kept riders on their toes!
Nice to see you're wearing an airbag vest :)
Yes! Many years ago I came off hard when a car changed lanes right into me at highway speed. When I went down I was wearing shorts and running shoes, no gloves, etc. or in other words, being an idiot. I was nearly killed - got pretty banged up and learned the need for proper gear the hard way. The airbag vest is part of my gear now - I won't ride without it!
removal of the fuel tank to replace the spark plugs is a pain in the butt.
A lot of bikes are like that.
Thanks for commenting! The tires are something I look forward to replacing. Not a ton of options there, but I'm told Michelin makes a good tire for the W. Enjoy your W!
I've got 9,500kms on mine. You're right about the tires, highway raingroves are lethal on the originals. I would add the seat is too hard for all day riding and frt suspension needs dampening adjustment...ie ok on highway but too stiff on Back roads. This is nitpicking on a great basic bike of course...
Exactly - raingrooves, wooden bridge decks etc. add an element of excitement on a ride that I could really live without. Did you replace the tires? What did you get? Enjoy your W!
@@roywane354 I put a Michelin Road Classic on the rear and it fixed the wobble issue. I'll do the same to the front when it's time. Happy Riding !
My 72 /750 had a sloping seat.
The rider allways slid into me.
And/A WICKED HIGH SPEED WOBBLE!
THERE ARE ANGELS!!
I was 16 then/now I'm 65.
Nice video and fabulous looking bike.
Poor OEM tyre selection is a gripe even on the much more powerful Triumph T100 and T120 too unfortunately.
BTW is there any way to get to the battery to trickle charge it?
Hi Robert, Thanks! Yes, I was able to attach leads for a trickle charger without taking the battery out - removed the metal plate under the seat and moved the ECU aside.
My Yamaha Bolt is a pain to remove the battery too. I remember bikes I had back in the 80's that I could remove the battery in 2 minutes. I love my Bolt but it's a bobber style bike so to ride for long periods of time I made an air seat cushion that raises me up 3 inches on a nice cushion of air.
The Bobber is a great retro look and you sure can't go wrong with Yamaha build quality and reliability. Your mod sounds like it really improves the ride - nice!
My XR650L, FZ1, and GL500, all easy battery access.
Apparently they wanted a Retro looking tread pattern? I'm 65 & we all know that tires in the 70's technology wise wasn't what it is today obviously...
I bought a 2022 Z900RS and I have had to make minor adjustments. I'm 6'3" so did 28mm risers I found on Amazon & 1"peg drop kit that was pricey, made in Germany but well worth the $.
Yep those W800's are a very cool Retro Parallel Twin! 😎
I don't think they went cheap on the front tyre. For modern Japanese bikes, front tyre is where they start (even with the really cheap ones like my GD11OHU). But yeah ...the battery. I like to disconnect when I go travelling away from home for a couple of months. It is also time they put ABS on the front.
Let's open a can of worm . You forgot it's not shaft drive .😆
When your hard to reach battery finally gives out replace it with a gel battery (or even a Lithium ion battery). Use a battery tender when your bike sits in the garage and a gel battery will probably last well over 8 years.
Thanks, Bill!
It's a great bike what ever you say end of
I had a 73 380 Suzuki had the same strait tires . they are terrible on lined roads
Fair enough
Battery storage is legendary from times of W650 :-D Not sure how with W800 but I tried several tires in W650 and BT 45 works well. I don't know if you have some holder of that tiny back, but make sure its not giving any pressure on fender. Rear fender is weak point. Due to vibration, and weights of lights, they are cracking after 30-40K (km). Lots of owners for that reason moved lights closer to seat.
Thanks for the head's up - good to know! The pack is super light and I only carry a small cargo net and a grocery bag so hopefully it'll be OK.
About the battery position, I saw a battery wall crack in a 1yr old 2013 VW Golf ser7 1.4L where the escaping acid fluid ran down the wiring trunk main which comes out directly under the battery shelf. In disbelief I wondered how VW could alow this stupid layout with about 50 wires in a cluster right under the battery. Since then I think the W800 battery being under any wiring and ECU is a GREAT location.
You make a good point!
Unfortunately, most "factory" tires are best treated a breaking-in item. FortNine has a great motorcycle channel, and offers some great insight into that subject.
The Fortnine videos are great - Ryan does a fantastic job of educating and entertaining!
battery access and replacement has ben a pet peev since w650, and the tires, yes...they plain old suck in a grooved/cement highway is where you feel it worse.
I usually aveage 15,000 miles a year so the tires would be replaced the first year. The battery placement might be a bit of a pain, but a lot of bikes have this same problem. I think all the bikes of the 60's and 70's had this problem. But the W is so beautiful I could easiely live with it's faults.
It was hard to come up with anything to complain about! I love the bike and my two beefs are very minor.
Easy fixes - ride the crap out of those tires and get the dream tires of your choice :D Also, you could pre wire in a couple of aux. battery connection points ahead of time in case you want to add some accessories that require power (fog lights etc.) so you don't have to get to the battery as often. just an idea. But yea, every bike I've ever owned had the battery very easy to get to.
Good suggestion - thanks!
The W800 already has an accessory connection along the frame under the tank. It is used with the factory heated grip kit.
agree the battery placement is super bad design, not as bad as on some BMW twins, but a real pain.
I get your drift with those tires. Not the best idea. Also, my VMAX 1200 has a battery that is buried beneath coils and other stuff. Removing the seat and getting to it is a pain. Then, they put a chincey friggin' battery that is narrow, tall, and heavy. No replacing it with a better design either.
Sounds like another example of the manufacturer saving a couple of bucks in production costs for them, but creating a pain for the customer. Thanks for your comment!
What is the front brake like on this? I'm always concerned when I see a single disc....
I'd say it's adequate for this bike and the typical style of riding that most W800s will likely see. I would not want this specific brake set up on a Z900 though!
I love mine just hit 3000 miles in the first 4 months of owning it, however it just started making a rattling noise would anyone have an idea what that might be?
There was a recall notice about something not being properly torqued down on the header/exhaust system for some 2020 bikes. If you have a 2020 might be worth checking out?
You can probably solve the battery issue if you’re motivated. Lol. Is the seat comfortable for longer distance rides?
I find it ok, but some folks have said it is not great for all day rides.
I find the seat to be perfect for the average ride that the bike is meant for. Anything over 90 minutes or so at a time gets tiring, but it's really not meant as a long-hauler.
Everyone is different and likes or dislikes different things. I 'don't' like /to say the least/ chain drive.. Shaft drive or nothing.. But a belt is compromise.
my biggest complaint was the tires
They really are pretty bad on any sort of grooved road surface. Have you changed yours?
Battery problem, yes, tire, replace it!
That is the consensus!
Battery is accessed from the left-hand side panel.
I guess just the older ones. My W650 from 1999 a.e.g.
Not really many places to put a big thing like a battery.
Hopefully it wont need getting at very often.
I own a 3 year old Triumph T100.....several things I like about the W800 that I wish Triumph had thought of.....
I hate the big fat rear tyre on my bonnie.....the 60s bonnies didn't have a fat rear tyre.....I see the one on the W800 is similar to its front if not the same.....much more retro looking.
Also the run of the silencer pipes on the W800 nice and neat....sitting in a far nicer way.....parallel to the ground and not sicking outwards....
Oh and I love the tank on the W800....so much neater looking than the T100....to me the T100s tank is to big and bulbus.....yes I know greater range.....but would still prefer the neater tank.
Oh and far less black paint on the motor.
Nice machine....saying all I still love my T100.
Dont see many W800s in the UK.....or I would have considered one.
I would def have gone Triumph if I was looking for liquid cooled. Not many W's here either. I have had it over 2 years and never seen another W on the road and I live near a metro of 2M people. I do see Triumphs fairly regularly and some REs too.
The liquid cooled triumph was my only option....looked at the RE 650 interceptor.....but crude finish in comparison to the Triumph product....yes a lot cheaper.....but it showed....unfortunately....difficult to get euro 4/5 without liquid cooling...with the big triumph engine anyway.@@roywane354
@@roywane354 Here in Ottawa (1 million pop.) I have never seen another W800 or a W650 on the road in my two years of ownership.
@@Bob-xc2us Bob, do you find you get a lot of parking lot interest in your bike? At least 50% of the time when I park at the walmart or the Tire I get people asking about the W. Usually along the lines of "nice looking bike, but what the heck is a W?" 😄
@@roywane354 Every where I go. I even had a guy yell at me out his truck window wanting to know how old it was. After I told him it was a new Kawasaki he said they did a good job making it look old.
I'm not particulary happy with the side stand. It's directly under the peg and sometimes find it difficult to kick down.
True, I find I have to look down sometimes to find it.
just use the side of your foot to raise the foot peg and the sole of you shoe (heel) falls right onto the side stand. I know it's a bit of a pain but it works for me.
Avon AM26 bias belt tyres would cure that. Inexpensive and reliable.
Thanks for the recommendation!
They have an interrupted centre sipe which eliminates tracking on road surface defects. They’re also very good on gravel. I ditched the stock Pirelli Phantoms (awful) on my T-120 1200 and replaced with the Avons for immediate improvement. Not saying all Pirellis are bad, just these ones. Also have AM26 on my 1982 750 Bonneville. Ride it like I stole it!
I break in my bikes on the stock tires, and replace them.
You access the battery from the left side cover. That's why it's a maintenance free battery. You obviously never read the owners book. I use Metzler lazertech tires with no problems.
My issue with the w800 is that it isn't the w650.
Somehow Kawasaki engineers managed to add nearly 60 lbs to the w650, 150 cc's, and make even less power, a commodity of the 650 was not suffering from an excess of.
Come on Kawasaki, no one expects or even wants these bikes to be GSX beaters, but would it hurt you to slip in a couple of extra ponies to show for the extra 150 CC displacement?
I read it was what Kawasaki had to do to meet new P.I.T.A. Euro emission standards.
It was purposely designed to be a slow, classic looking, casual riding bike for those who want that sort of thing. My gripe is going the Harvey-Diddleson direction in charging a premium price to give the customer less performance for classic appearance and image. But that's unfortunately become mainstream motorcycling in America.
@@MarkPalmer1000 - I understand slow. I was riding a Triumph Tiger Cub when my buddy was trying to keep pieces of his Norton Commando from breaking (the parts breaking had less to do with the performance of the Commando, which was in the neighborhood of 60 horsepower, than it had to do with PM Wilson and his labour party busily killing off British manufacturing).
So I have a fairly good grasp of slow and classic bikes. What I do not comprehend is making them less classic (fuel injection) and more slow by increasing the displacement, and I'm really not sure what's more "classic" about making them heavier for no apparent good reason. Did somebody in Kawasaki marketing literally say "Hey this 650 is way too fast to be "classic" let's make it heavier and even more anemic."
At some point, between increased price gouging on classic fans, and the reduced performance, the Royal Enfield Interceptor begins to look pretty darn good.
Or a Craigslist W650...
How bad are the vibrations in it at highway speed? I am loving the old Triumph look it has.
Hi Pat, you feel some vibration at 3-4K around 55 to 65 mph. I don't find it that bad and it goes away once you get over 4K rpm. I actually like it exactly because it does not feel like a totally smooth modern bike!
At 55mph (3200rpm) mine is smooth as silk. starts a little vibration in the foot pegs at about 60mph (3500rpm). At 70 mph (4000rpm) the vibes are pretty much gone. At 75mph (4200rpm) it is very smooth. The vibrations I feel are not annoying like my 1972 CB350 was. That bike would cause your feet to vibrate right off the pegs and make hand and arms numb at highway speeds.
The battery is a valid point, but Kawasaki is not responsible for how your roads are kept or repaired. Nice colour though!
No, where I live our freeways are in excellent condition and mine is really irritating at speed. That front tire tracks on all the rain grooves and gives it a continual shimmy. It's 100% the tire's fault.
It's my understanding that the dunlop tt100 tyres are bias tyres...or crossply tyres. They have a hard side wall in contrast to radial tyres. Radial tyres for bikes only came in in the last 50 years. Hard sidewalls make the tyres flex when the tread catches an edge on the road. It is my understanding that throwing money at the tyres wont fix the problem. You have to be able to get a radial tyres that fits the rims.
Check to see what other tires Kawasaki recommends for your bike. Most people like Dunlops.
Only two, I'd add the eight and a half grand price and in the UK that's starting price with the same power as the Intercepter for over two grand less 👍🏻
Japanese vs. Indian? Please take my 2K.
I drive Continental road attack and classic attack on my W650
My only real niggles are that front tire and that the ignition key isn't removeable while the engine is running like my Vulcan 1600 Classic. Oh, and that the gear shifter tears the heck out of the top of my boot.
where did you take your wind deflector?
Hi Bertrand, I got it from a company called Dartflyscreens.com They are in England. The screen was well made - a good quality product.
Please tell me about the small fender bag please
Hi Mike! I got the bag on Etsy for about $40 or so. It was an easy mount. I have a short video on the playlist here on the bag and mount - check it out!
are there at least battery terminals easily accessible? :)
Yes, reasonably so. I added a connector set to the terminals for a battery tender without too much swearing! :D
The one I demo vibrated a bit
Yes, that 360 degree crank definitely has a bit of vibration between about 3000 - 4000 rpm. I don't find it too off putting, but I don't do a lot of long distance riding.
My 2022 W800 vibrated quite a bit when new but it is much better now that it is broken in.
Your riding a 40 HP motorcycle on what I can only assume the engineers considered "retro" tires. In my experience if you plug the bike into life support during extended periods of non use changing a quality battery won't be frequent. Enjoy your new vintage experience be thankful for disc brakes and no Lucas electrics ( the prince of darkness)
Ha! First time I heard "Lucas - prince of darkness", was from my dad, probably 50 years ago when I was a kid
@@roywane354 50 years ago I was a teenager......still riding own a Royal Enfield 500 chrome a15 Triumph Scrambler and a 16 1200 Thruxton R Love the retro experience WITHOUT the retro problems . Enjoy your W800 I looked seriously at the cafe version but even as an old man still enjoy a speed rush and opted for the Thruxton R. Does your bevel cam drive sound as good as a vintage Ducati ?
@@pinslayer4579 I don't actually notice much sound from the bevel drive. The view of a W from your Truxton would be in your mirrors as you pull away! :D
48HP, please!
48HP, please!
You , clearly , never tried to get the Battery out of a BMW K-100 . Car sized . And ONLY JUST fits between the Subframe tubes . 🤬, 🥵,😡.
You missed the complaint I have the most for this bike. Terrible vibration from 3000-4000 rpm (50-70 mph). Below that and above that it's very smooth, but why in hell did they tune the counter-balance to vibrate the most at the most often used cruising speed?
Yoy are right, it does have some vibration at highway speed. I don't find it that bad, but then most of my rides are not more than a couple of hours long.
Then they’ve truly captured the essence of the Meriden Triumphs. Wring it’s neck and it should smooth out - at least that’s how my T-140 works - mirrors are just a blur until 4,500 RPM but then it settles down into its happy place.😁
@@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus Unfortunately, Kawasaki chose to have the vibration from 3000-4000 rpm which takes up entire cruising range of 50-70 mph, so unless you are on roads that you can run 75 mph all day or you're cruising around town under 40 mph, you are always in the blurry-mirror high vibration speed. They can actually adjust at what rpm the "buzz" comes on with their counter-balance, but for some reason they chose to have it in the most used speeds. Some people are going to say Kawasaki did that on purpose so you can experience the nostalgia of the old bikes. I say it was just poor planning with their counter-balance.
@@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus Yes, get over 4000 rpms or 70 mph on the W800 and it does smooth out.
This is one of the reasons, why I sold my w800 cafe with 1k km on it. Terrible vibrations around 90 km/h and a seat that is as uncomfortable, as a cactus. I went back to a Harley heritage. Maybe the w800 is for riding around town or short distance, but not for mile eaters.
I really wished they made the 650 still
I've heard the 650s were better than the 800s.
@@roywane354 yeah hence why it makes no sense as to why they stopped.
Really? It's the same bike (I've had both). Just a slightly larger engine.
Emissions laws
@@kdsowen2882 No, not really. They could have put fuel injection on the 650 and it would have met emissions. But you're right, the original one with carbs wouldn't pass. However, outside of the engine size that's the only difference in the two bikes. But like everyone else, Kawasaki has to keep making engines bigger every few years, like they think we really needed or wanted it.
Do these tyres Tramline you mean
Looks like it's been flipped over backwards.bent rear fender/bent seat.
The W800 has a tire problem alright. It has tires from the Flintstones era. There is simply NO reason why a motorcycle should have tube type tires in 2022. It's just ridiculous. Way back in 1986, Honda designed wire spoke wheels for tubeless tires. They were a brilliant design. But they only used then on one bike, and only for 2 years. That was the 1986/1987 Honda Rebel 450. 36 years ago. Can you imagine if cars still had tube type tires? I gave up on bikes with tube type tires a LONG time ago. A flat on a tube type tire means a tow truck. And tube type tires are a LOT easier to puncture that tubeless tires. I have been stranded beside the road over a dozen times because of flat tube type tires. I was almost killed a couple of times when the tubes blew out at 80 mph on the freeway. There is no way tube type tires should be legal on street bikes in 2022.
Yes, tube tires are a bit too "retro". I think the Royal Enfield 650 might also have tube tires.
How does it run when it’s hot like Texas heat?
Not sure to be honest. It never usually gets above mid 70s where I live.
I run in 108 degree heat in New Mexico with no problems. All my bikes but one are air cooled and I've never had any of them complain about the heat.
I haven't used that tread pattern for decades. Try going across an old bridge on that front tire. Pant stainer.
Yes, wood bridges, metal bridges, grooved pavement - all will mark the Fruit of the Looms!
What about Vibration???
I just got back from a ride at 60 - 65 mph and up to 4500 rpm. There is some vibration between 3000 to 4000 rpm, but it is pretty minor. I'd give it a 2/10 on a scale of 0 being none and 10 being your hands go numb in 20 minutes.
Ah but I’m not one of those people who can justify immediately binning the stock tyres. The lack of a kickstart certainly makes the battery placement more offensive
Same here, I will need to wear them out a bit first. There have been lots of great suggestions from viewers about what to replace them with.
@@roywane354 I'm adding them to the list too. Usually stock will give 12-15k KM before dryrot.
i changed my tyres on my 1999 to classic type ie 19 dunlop front and a k 70 rear 4 inch same as my british 650 the handleing was better in my opinion sharper just sayingps europen roads tend to be better than us roads in my experience
Yes, roads can be in pretty poor shape here in North America.
If u think that battery placement is bad try getting one out of a bmw rt9.
It's like bike manufacturers are all deliberately trying to drive us crazy with bad battery placement !
Какой красивый мотоцикл 🛵
The w8 is a nice bike, shame about the tacky , cheap looking tank badges ! 🤔
A painted logo on the tank would have been OK.
Old school says ride it and handle it, no problem!!
Tire is a big thing.
Yes, several people have suggested tire brands that would work better than the ones that came with the bike.
so silly complaining about the tires that come stock; that's the easiest thing to change to what ever you would like better. Takes a couple minutes to access the battery? So what, how many bikes have you owned? I've had over 150 and this is a very pleasant bike to own and VERY easy to maintain. . Sheeeesh.
hasn't got tubeless wheels.....forget it...!!
....except for worse performance than the much cheaper RE Interceptor....which is saying something! See Bennets comparison review of both bikes.
I would really love that bike if I was gay.
You're absolutely correct on the battery placement. My neighbour bought a W800 and quickly sold it because of the insane antics involved with removing the battery. As you said, completely unnecessary. And, by the way, that is a show stopper for me purchasing this bike as well. Just my opinion.
please explain why everyone is so wound up about the battery position ... i only look at my battery when i need to replace it about every two and a half years .do you people take the battery to bed with you
Some neighborhood.
@@nealblackburn8628
🤣😂👍🙈
보기만이쁘고 가격만 비싼차
Horrible (though authentic) vibes put me off
Not a fan of that exaust
Boring and slow
Actually, I read somewhere Kawasaki chose these tires on purpose. Back in the days, tires apparently were made out of 2 halves. It had something to do with molding them. It gave a unique, kind of shaky feeling riding a bike on imperfect roads. Having these tires on the w800 “adds to the feeling of riding an oldtimer bike”
Great catch, I knew they wouldn't pick the tyres for no reasons!
Kinda funny Kawasaki going into this depth for their nostalgia exercise.
I'll replace my stock 2022 W800 tires with more stock tires! Yes it shakes it head on parallel road grooves, but just let it have fun. Its not like its a barlock-to-barlock headshake.