Kawasaki W800 the best modern retro you may not have seen in person

[@FredVanderhoek]

I fully agree! A great motorcycle indeed! I did a mid-October ride of about 560 miles in 2 days on mine. Very fortunate to get a ride in this time of year. South- western Utah is a awesome place to ride.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@FredVanderhoek sounds like an awesome adventure

[@r_v_g]

Absolutely a stunning bike, I bought mine a couple of months ago, and very pleased with the bike. Imo this bike have the most beautiful sound of all bikes. Great review, thank you.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@r_v_g thank you for commenting! I agree, the W is the most beautiful modern retro out there!

[@RichardPoole-qx9yk]

Great video very informative,😊

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@RichardPoole-qx9yk thank you so much for watching and for commenting!

[@HitomiCOD2]

i love your narration. it would be really cool if your channel would be the go to channel for the kawasaki w800. You could, for example show essential things you need to maintain this motorcycle like: how to change oil, what wrenches to use, what filter to use, what oil to use. Or how to chaange your seat- simple things but necessary things. Or how to clean the chain and sprocket and how to correctly lube it. Or best ways to care for the chrome. Man that would be so awesome!

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, all of them are super great ideas for future videos, thank you!!!

[@kawabungah20]

That was a beautiful autumn ride with nice commentary. I'm deciding on my next machine. This one could be the one. It's a through back to my early riding days in the '70s. Our local Kawi dealer has an open house soon and they may have one to look at. Thank you.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@kawabungah20 I really love riding mine! If they have one I highly recommend a test ride.

[@lorimcquinn3966]

There's no doubt the W800 is a nice machine with some great features. I owned a W650 which was very similar. That said, there are a few concerns/curious items of note. I've never been a fan of chrome fenders, something which always rusted early on Japanese bikes. I feel stainless would be more suitable and just as authentic. I had stainless on both my first Kawasaki(s), a 1970 and 71 and they also came on Norton's Commando. While I've certainly changed my share of tubed tires, I would place a tubeless tire as more of a priority with all the other modern items in place. It's a safety thing and should be addressed as such. IMO, the rear suspension travel on the W series is insufficient and the ride and safety would be enhanced if the travel was increased. I also owned the original W650 which in reality was nothing like the modern W except for a 360 degree crank.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@lorimcquinn3966 thank you for the insights and for commenting!

[@russtynail55]

@Big Blue Motorbike Dog. Another great video and narration from you. A question, please: what tyres did you go with to replace the original factory ones?

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@russtynail55 Michelin Road Classics, I have a couple of videos on them

[@russtynail55]

@@bigbluemotorbikedog Thanks! I'll check out your videos.

[@AndyPat239]

gday m8

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

Greetings! !!! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@Bob-xc2us]

The odometer is actually an LCD., "liquid crystal display". LED is "light emitting diode" which actually lights up and can be different colors. The W800 display could be either but I think is is LCD. Nice to see you out enjoying the fall colors. The 270 degree crank engines sound a bit like a v-twin. There is nothing that sounds like a 360 degree crank engine. That's the biggest thing that makes the W800 riding experience so authentic. There was a time when Japanese engineering and manufacturing was considered to be inferior but now it is beyond reproach. One big selling feature for me was the fact that the W800 is not made in Indonesia or Thailand or India or..... BJ

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

It IS LCD not LED - not sure why LED was stuck in my head - thank you so very much for pointing out the error! I love that it's still made in Japan, which does increase the cost a bit, but keeps it true and genuine to it's roots at Kawasaki!

[@Bob-xc2us]

@@bigbluemotorbikedog In my mind the W800 is worth every bit of the extra money it costs over the competition. There really isn't any accurate competition.. I wasn't calling you out on the LED/LCD thing. Just promoting accuracy for the viewership. Most of us wouldn't no the difference. BJ

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@Bob-xc2us I am always open to correction! I agree the W is worth every penny!

[@Bob-xc2us]

@@bigbluemotorbikedog Not a correction per say. More of a clarification. The technologies are so similar.

[@elwood62]

Another good video. If I’m not careful I might forget I need a bike with longer suspension and get one these instead. Did you see that Kawasaki released a smaller version new for this year? The W230. The dry weight is under 300 pounds. Nice looking little bike. Maybe to compete with something like Royal Enfield’s 350’s?

[@Bob-xc2us]

They also sell a very nice W400 in the Japanese market. That would be the perfect size for a rival to the RE 350. A little more capable in my mind.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

I did see that there is a W230, available int he USA too! Definitely a good 'city bike' size to get zooming around!

[@Bob-xc2us]

@@bigbluemotorbikedog I think the W230 might be a tad weak for our North American roads. The W400, however, might be the sweet spot for some riders if they ever bring it to our side of the pond. If city commuting is all that is needed the W230 might be perfect but if it were me I would want the extra capacity for the odd time I might venture outside the city.

[@elwood62]

⁠@@bigbluemotorbikedogit’s listed on the American website. I have to assume it’s available here

[@elwood62]

@@Bob-xc2usit probably wouldn’t work as an only bike, but I definitely enjoy backroads on low powered machines. The Classic 350 is nice but has its faults.

[@scoothome]

What tire, tube did you go with? Starting to look at these over T100. Great video.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

I kept the stock tube, but went with the Michelin Road Classics for the tires! Thank you for watching and for commenting!

[@BlakesPipes]

Another great video about the W, my problem is they did not put a centerstand on the Cafe version. And yes i can buy one, but the e tire set up is over 200 dollars. To me that is crazy 🤪

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

That makes no sense to me... why wouldn't they just keep it standard across the Cafe as well? *shaking my head* - I absolutely love the center stand.

[@BlakesPipes]

@@bigbluemotorbikedog have you seen the W230 coming to us in 2025?

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@BlakesPipes = I have : www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcycle/w/retro-classic/w230

[@garyloucks7682]

Great video, just out of curiosity you mentioned tire repair do you carry something for road side repair? I usually have a tail bag with hiking poles water and a few odds & ends co2 cartridges leather man. I have a little adventure planned for today tri-state region Md, WV & Va destination exploring the Monongahela National Forest I really should learn how to record my travels. Good times on my W800 😎

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

I have tire repair kits on all of my motorcycles, for the tubeless tires they are pretty easy, plugs, co2 cartiges, etc., for the W being tubed tires, I need to figure out a pair of tire spoons that fit in my tail bag, or fix some saddle bags on so I can do a tube repair. Definitely would love to hear more about your adventures on your W!

[@mantarayal]

I'm unsure why you would take all of this trouble, and not do a walk around of the bike. You know, so we can see what it looks like. And the controls, and seat, and paint, and, well, everything. This is just odd.

[@bigbluemotorbikedog]

@@mantarayal point well taken, there are lots of videos on my channel that have walk around sections, feel free to check them out!