Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 vs Kawasaki W800 Cafe Review

[@whimsicalliteracy1472]

I just can’t wait for my W800 cafe will be delivered next week!

[@MotoJournoKris]

Great choice!

[@ragimundvonwallat8961]

i envy you, how do you like it???

[@LabRat6619]

How did she measure up to your expectations?

[@markh2715]

did you get it? how do you like it?

[@blacksheep6888]

Mine is on layby im just over half way

[@LabRat6619]

The Royal Enfield has the best retro paintwork in orange!

[@souhailshamaissem7564]

Top video mate. Nice to see Australian contents on you tube

[@marcmaz21]

Honestly I would definitely be happy with either one of these bikes. Fun simple bikes. Like motorcycles should be.

[@robertfarns]

Great little review and comparison.

[@FroggyCrimes]

I got to test the 2020 W800 (non cafe) at the Long Beach Motorcycle Show and I gotta say I prefer it to the cafe version. What a smooth, pleasurable bike to ride. Really wanna get one for myself, soon as I pay off my last bike purchase haha

[@MotoJournoKris]

I haven't had a chance to ride the regular version yet so I'm really interested to see how it feels in comparison. I can definitely seeing the Cafe being a bit more a niche choice though. That's some good self control there too, always fun to have the next one lined up!

[@FroggyCrimes]

@@MotoJournoKris Definitely take the chance if you can. It's not too different apart from aesthetics. The handlebars make it more upright. The seat obviously. The front wheel is an extra inch larger, it's overall slightly shorter and thinner. It also comes with a center stand as standard. Also .5cm less ground clearance lol (maybe cuz of the center stand). OH! and almost forgot, .6 gallon larger fuel tank.

[@dougfielding8215]

@@FroggyCrimes Wrong, the 3 models of W800 all have 15L fuel tanks (4 gallons).

[@kdsowen2882]

I have a W650 which is closer to the RE in real-terms . It's a great-machine , I push it harder than it was probably-intended and all it does is idle a little higher as it gets hotter . It simply doesn't miss-a-beat , but I'd expect the same from the RE . I expect the W to handle this for many-years (with appropriate-servicing ) there's one in Japan , mentioned in forums that has passed 500k without a rebuild . It will be interesting to see what mileage the RE's do , considering that it's an exceptionally well-designed motor and bike all-round too . These modern-classics are all great-machines in their own-ways , if people want to experience this kind of machine . You seem to have identified rather-well , the Riders who would enjoy either one . Dave NZ

[@MotoJournoKris]

That definitely seems like that Royal Enfield intended to achieve with these bikes. They're meant to be massively over-engineered in order to be bullet-proof. That's what I really liked about the W800 and RE 650s, you can have a proper go on them and not be going ridiculously fast. There's a lot to be said for the simpler, more analogue motorcycles.

[@defaultdaniel]

I'm sure the Interceptor is a great little bike for the price, but put it side by side next to a W800. The Kawasaki's build quality is second to none. The interceptor looks 5 years old on the show room floor. Brushed engine side cover, air fins, thin seat, headlight , etc.

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep, the W800 does stand out in that department, although it's not quite at the level of something like the Z900RS.

[@danytheunicorn95]

The royal enfield has better ground clearance for off-roading and better lean angles for aggressive cornering. But the W800 seems like you could ride it for 100 years and it will still feel new, so beautiful and well built. It is a tough choice. But in this economy, you want to take your bike to the shop as little as possible, and the kawasakis shaft drive is the winner on that regard. But if you are on a budget and want to have fun. The Royal Enfield wins.Anyway, you can´t go wrong. Great video!

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep there's definitely some pros and cons, with each model shining in certain areas.

[@billh4301]

Shaft dirive? Nope

[@dougfielding8215]

@@billh4301 Ya, that made me winse also. I think he is referring to the bevel driven top end Both bikes have chain final drives.

[@jboy2621]

Let's just go over the history of the W Series! First it is actually a British motor design. Meguro purchased the rights to produce a BSA A7 motor in Japan. But like all past companies, the war led them to bankruptcy, similar to Rikuo which made Harley bikes in Japan. Meguro was quickly acquired by Kawasaki and all the tooling, the machines were re-used to make the K series bikes or W650's. The W800 is the only Kawasaki bike which still uses the BSA design, bevel drives, and probably a different engineering group. Awesome history. However, it doesn't invade on the rich history of Royal Enfield of India!

[@MotoJournoKris]

Very interesting, and lucky that Kawasaki continued production all things considered, so we still have a piece of (modern) history available today! Royal Enfield has some British inspiration as well on these modern machines, apparently they poached a lot of Triumph engineers to design the 650s, which seems like a successful strategy, not to mention their much more distant history stemming from Enfield partnering Madras in India and eventually taking over the Royal Enfield name.

[@jboy2621]

@@MotoJournoKris You can definitely research both Meguro and Rikuo motorcycles. They aren't that historically famous, but Harley hardcore fanatics remember them from the 1930's. Rikuo made modifications to the old Harley engines because that's what Japanese did. They improved the designs in the 1930's sighting problems with quality. (AKA HD). As for Meguro? I'm not sure where the patents are with BSA. But Kawasaki owns that patent now. So living history it is. Luckily Kawi makes cheaper bikes to fund all these important elements of their lineup. As for Enfield? Yeah I finally sat on one at the dealership. What a beautiful bike. I see the 650's all the time in San Francisco. It's pretty popular. Triumphs are also very popular.

[@jboy2621]

@Paul Boobier BSA A7. Meguro Motorcycles bought the license to that model. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_W_series Read and enjoy.

[@jboy2621]

@Paul Boobier Well it's the same deal with Rikuo and the Harley motors. They looked at what they had and changed (improved/re-engineered) the v-twin motor to meet Japan's standards. Rikuo had strong ties to Harley before the war, but they did totally tweak the motor. It's in Japanese but there's a man who owns Meguro and he states it's a BSA licensed bike with shift on the wrong side as well. Etc.. Enjoy that video too! And I'll add a video of surviving Rikuo's. Great history. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3uyepVunriclcU kzbin.info/www/bejne/hneWqn2ohKmaotk

[@dougfielding8215]

J Boy - The W1s engine was not bevel driven. The new engine with bevel driven top end has it's own history dating back 20 years to the first W650 in 1999. It was built in honour of the W1, being the first large displacement (650cc) Japanese motorcycle since the Rikuo and the first large displacement Japanese motorcycle to be sold in North America.. The Widow makers, Water Buffalo and Honda CB750 were yet to come. I believe Honda's CB450 came a year after the W1. The 1999 W650 was a few years ahead of the air cooled Hinckley Triumph Bonnevilles. The engine architecture of the W800s is far more similar to the classic Triumphs and BSAs than either the modern water cooled 270⁰ firing Triumph Bonnevilles or the RE. Fortunately, none of these current bikes are known for leaving puddles on the garage floor (due to better gaskets and horizontally split engine cases rather than vertically split).

[@baldilocks1914]

RE is a sharp bike but I gotta give the Kawasaki the nod for the quality is far superior.

[@ronalddauro563]

Japan

[@ianw3294]

Just about to pickup my new Interceptor. I have ridden both and have been riding for over 50 years on many bikes. Indian quality has lifted considerably with the 650. Don't forget its been designed and tested in UK. Cant justify the extra $4000 for the Kwaka. Cheers

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep the UK development was great to see, lots of ex-Triumph staff plus Harris's involvement there, while they really did step up the quality on the 650s versus the 350s, 500 and even the Himalayan.

[@finnbellFCB]

Thanks for the review. I'm upgrading from a SR400 soon and really can't decide which of these two to go for. I'm leaning a bit more to the W800 since I'm in Europe and Kawasaki has way more points in the after sale and service side.

[@MotoJournoKris]

Fair enough, it's definitely good to have the dealership network support. We've got a good network here in Australia for Royal Enfield locally which certainly helps!

[@dougfielding8215]

finnbellFCB: It's a tough decision as you would probably enjoy either bike. I like the fact that they are both not water cooled. I chose the W800 Street for the extra CCs, Japanese build quality and bevel driven top end. The W800 is one of the few bikes still built in Japan (most are built in Taiwan) I sat on both and listened to them run. I liked the sound of the stock pipes on the W800 and when I sat on the comfortable W800 Street everything just felt right. I have read tester and owner reviews of both and the reviews of each were very positive. Where I live in Alberta Canada there are many more Kawasaki dealers and the lone Enfield dealer added too many phony delivery charges etc. making the price only a little less than the W800. I am crazy happy with my choice and can't stay off it. I just wish both these bikes had belt drives and additional kick start (like the W650 had).

[@MotoJournoKris]

@@dougfielding8215 That's what's most important at the end of the day, everyone looks for slightly different things in their bikes, so you've got to go with the one that feels right to you. How are the ergonomics of the Street compared to the Cafe?

[@dougfielding8215]

@@MotoJournoKris I found the ergonomics of the Street quite a bit more comfortable. The wider handlebars should give the Street easier and lighter steering also.

[@Jaatsoldier]

@@dougfielding8215 I'm also planning on buying the W800 Street here in India. However, I have doubts whether they still make them in Japan. Most probably Thailand??

[@framusburns-hagstromiii808]

Hmmm...here in the states Royal Enfield dealers are few and far between and I'm still not confident in the build quality....so I'm leaning towards the W800 for now

[@MotoJournoKris]

Fair enough, having a dealer fairly local if there are any issues adds a lot of peace of mind. I'd definitely say the W800 wins on build quality, but from what I've heard here in Australia, Royal Enfield have been great on the customer service side of things, while replacement parts are very affordable, if there was any issue with longevity. It's still best to have a local RE shop you can roll into though!

[@walsmachinist1]

I like the 360 degrees engine, don't like a 270 degrees feeling. The W800 rides smoother and more relaxed!

[@MotoJournoKris]

That W800 is incredibly smooth, was a real standout of the bikes I tested in 2019 for that relaxed cruising.

[@dougfielding8215]

@Paul Boobier No, it has a 360⁰ long stroke engine, the Interceptor has a short stroke 270⁰ engine with less flywheel affect. The W800 is so smooth I sometimes am riding comfortably at highway speeds and realize I still have a gear left (4th rather than 5th). Some people don't like the W800s having a 5 speed transmission, but the gears are perfectly spaced and the torque is powerful enough to make it a non-issue. Also, the bike has fine engine braking going downhill or going to a stop.

[@bferguson9277]

I sort of wish the Enfield had a 360 degree crank. The W800 just sounds better, IMO.

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep the W800 sounds wicked, it's a lot more relaxed in how power generation occurs than the Enfield though.

[@allans7281]

I rode the interceptor not a big fan of the narrow handlebars and the crossbeam. There they should be more of a natural band without the crossbar

[@MotoJournoKris]

I didn't find the width or shape/reach an issue, but it's an easy swap to change bars.

[@lisacolbert5987]

Wish there was a Int650 vs W650 video . I KNOW there are differences but I’d still like a take on it .

[@kdsowen2882]

No-one has done it ! Dave NZ

[@MrAndrew1953]

Agree the Enfield Continental v WR800 would have been a better comparison. How big is the tank on the Kawasaki? I think the tank on the Enfield is 13 litres giving it a pretty short range for Australia.

[@MotoJournoKris]

I believe the new WR800 is a 15L tank. The fuel economy on the Royal Enfield is pretty exceptional though, whenever I refilled thinking I must be getting low I was actually around the 8-9L range. It'll be a limiting factor but 250km between stops should be easy.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@@MotoJournoKris 250km sounds reasonable enough. Definitely time to get off for a tea /caffeine break. Younger days Melbourne to Canberra it was a Mars Bar, coffee, fill the tank, back into it. Very competitive with times.

[@MotoJournoKris]

@@MrAndrew1953 I bet! My first few 600-800km rides I'd do the quick stops, I'm definitely more mellow now, and enjoy taking it a bit easier. I did a few trips with maybe 20 mins off the bike (a 250cc) all up and could barely walk the next day.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@@MotoJournoKris 1972 I rode from Perth to Melbourne in 3 and half days when I was 19 on my first bike a Suzuki T250R. Seat felt like black granite. Only drum braked bike I owned.

[@MotoJournoKris]

@@MrAndrew1953 Wow that's quite the trek, especially on a smaller bike! I did Sydney to Melbourne on a FZX250 and was glad to have a few days rest before the return trip. 3500km in 3.5 days though is absolutely brutal.

[@sathishrao7926]

Can’t understand why Cont 650 ( cafe racer sibling of Int 650) wasn’t used for comparison!! ( or W800 instead of its Cafe variant)

[@MotoJournoKris]

Because I didn't have either of those bikes at the time.

[@Naveen27]

Can you do a comparison between the RE 650 with the Rebel 500?

[@MotoJournoKris]

I can definitely try, I don't have many dealings with Honda, but I'm hoping to test some of their machines later in the year if I can organise something.

[@Naveen27]

@@MotoJournoKris Thanks

[@Toni62R]

Good review! I had a 2014 W 800, and this bike was very very smooth

[@MotoJournoKris]

Apparently they moved the peak torque a lot higher in the rev range on these new ones, which left me wondering what the old ones were like!

[@Toni62R]

@@MotoJournoKris The old one was very torquey, you could drive it from 2000 revs on

[@titoarifianto2037]

@@MotoJournoKris i think there was the custom model 650 that have peak torque on lower rev

[@brandoncostner7437]

Continental gt 650 i think would be6a better comparison

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep, would have been far more ideal, I just didn't have one at the time!

[@cksajeevkumar]

Very informative review.👍🏼 If someone asks you, which one among these is more Value For Money, what would your answer be?

[@MotoJournoKris]

Thanks! The Royal Enfield certainly comes out ahead there in my opinion, you can't argue with the price they are selling for, as it's super competitive and I also think there's a wider appeal especially being LAMS/A2 legal in so many places, where the W800 is a bit more of a niche machine.

[@cksajeevkumar]

@@MotoJournoKris Thanks for the reply, mate 👍

[@sidwinus]

And on modification possibilities too re 650 wins

[@dougfielding8215]

Ask this question after 10 years of ownership and you may have a different answer.

[@sumitwadhwa6071]

The two things W will always beat RE are sound and reliability. Reliability not because I rode W but because I rode RE in India

[@FRANK-cents]

i was tossing up between these bikes 🤷 both beautiful 😎 found a 2019 w800 street that was nearly $3g off the showroom price which swayed my choice + i was a little worried about RE reliability 🤔

[@MotoJournoKris]

Damn, that's a good deal! That's definitely a consideration, especially compared to something that's been around as long as the W800.

[@midnightfun1277]

U got a steal.

[@prashantark]

I don't understand why people keep talking about reliability issues with the RE when it has proven to be absolutely reliable???

[@amitabhbhosale1522]

You should have compared continental gt 650 with w800 and when it comes to styling RE wins hands down

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yea that would have been a more direct comparison, unfortunately I've only more recently had a chance to test the Continental GT, where I had the other two at the same time.

[@hbsupermage]

wins hands down? the w800 is a much higher quality bike.

[@dougfielding8215]

@@hbsupermage I agree. I also rather like the looks of the W800 Street and cafe. Both are handsome bikes.

[@Bikrammajumdar14]

@@hbsupermage of course w800 is very good quality bike but it's expensive as well. But interceptor 650 is good value for money bike also quality is good and u can also customize it in different categories..

[@slash502]

no way. RE bikes look and feel cheap, all of them feel like toys next to W800s or Guzzis, which are real machines.

[@markletts2000]

Good review 👍🇬🇧

[@momchilyordanov8190]

tbh, with the price difference being about £900, i would prefer kawi vulcan s. it seems to be much more bike for the money, compared to both of these

[@MotoJournoKris]

The Kawasaki Vulcan S is a pretty awesome offering, certainly another good alternative.

[@MyZxcvb12]

The colours on the Kawasaki are not missed match its a blend like red white blue good combination look in nature like green red on an apple .

[@MotoJournoKris]

I get what you mean, I think it could just have been integrated better somehow. It's very retro however, which works for the bike.

[@souhailshamaissem7564]

I will always pick the kawasaki w800 because of the well known Japanese built reliability and it will last longer and you get better resale value as well.

[@MotoJournoKris]

That definitely comes into it, and while you may spend a bit more upfront if you've got the possibility of making it back when you sell, that probably off-sets the difference in price for many riders.

[@magicdaveable]

Kind of biased focusing a majority of photos on the RE.

[@eazyrider6122]

So you have an Extra 4k in ya pocket to make the RE a better bike how ever you like in you own time. They give you the crust and the sauce and the cheese you choose your toppings.

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep I think that's a good selling point, as it offers a lot of possibilities to make something quite unique and special, or just to seriously beef up the suspension, brakes and maybe performance.

[@ruahinesrider]

$4000 on upgrades is a no brainer for Interceptor but now 2yrs later the Interceptor is $500 more & the W800 is $7000 more the new 2022 model & performance is similar to older bike don't know where the money went could 865 & more on Interceptor or buy a T100.

[@wilmitsao3530]

3:00 there's a woman moaning in the background? nice review man

[@MotoJournoKris]

Recorded near a tennis court, so occasionally some of that gets caught in the audio unfortunately. Can be a challenge to find somewhere quiet. Thanks!

[@Adam-mo2qw]

Should have compared the royal enfield 650 gt

[@MotoJournoKris]

Didn't have one at the time.

[@John-pe7ru]

Interceptor 650 for me

[@karunakarpradhan9555]

Enfield blinds you, i just need a saddle on an engine and up for a trip, with enfield you get technology and engineering which later becomes a character and behaviour of that machine...Enfields are for Human, it listen's! you can see the soul.

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

I have personally watched Kawasaki's W models sit unsold in show rooms for about twenty years, but now it is supposed to be a great ride? Not at that price.

[@MotoJournoKris]

If they were the same price as a Royal Enfield 650 I reckon they'd sell a lot more, however they aren't really a bike for the masses, and are pretty niche these days.

[@maucort_col]

Mucho mejor la royal enfield

[@Kenkalsi]

650 is 5k usd n w800is 8k usd.

[@MotoJournoKris]

Yep there's a fairly big difference in price between the two models!

[@highplainnsdrifter3050]

The W800 comes in at a price point where there are a whole lot of better motorcycles to choose from that are its easy superior. To buy it then is only to buy it for its style. It's close to 10,000 U.S.$$. That is crazy for a poor performing old motorcycle riding on thin bicycle wheels. You can actually buy a Triumph at that cost if you're so stuck on retro looks. No thanks W800.

[@MotoJournoKris]

I would probably say the W800 isn't for someone who just wants retro looks, there's definitely better options if that's the only concern. It's for someone who appreciates basically a fairly true to form retro machine, not a modern bike that looks like one. For those riders the limited power and handing package could be part of the appeal. But that can be a big turn off for others. Basically the Harley approach in some ways. They are fairly pricey considering what else is available, making it a very niche machine, it's a shame they couldn't knock that price down. I guess it's possible the people buying them are older riders looking to relive past glory days with plenty of moolah (or hipsters?), rather than the mass market.

[@marcmaz21]

W800 Cafe is seriously marked down now since they aren’t selling. Most dealers, if you are lucky enough to find one have them are $7k here in the midwest. Cool bike. Kaw screwed up settling prices too high

[@slash502]

you dont buy W800 for the price or performance. It is clearly not aimed at you as you dont seem to understand it. Thin bicycle wheels lol, alright kiddo.

[@pjeng1]

Every time I look at the Royal Enfield 650 bike, I saw nothing but that ugly steel frame beneath the bench seat. It makes a supposedly great looking bike looks cheap with low quality feel. Please improve the seat comfort and design the seat to cover up the ugly black steel frame under it.

[@badmondaywang]

But w800 not worth 2 interceptor …way too over priced .

[@MotoJournoKris]

About 50% more here, which is a hefty amount.

[@yathishbl3757]

5.5k vs 10k ....well why don't you get a interceptor and a Himalayan instead of a one w800

[@MotoJournoKris]

Definitely an option! The Royal Enfields are great value.

[@blacksheep6888]

The himalayan is total rubbish test road one and I found it to be a pathetic poorly made bike same as all re

[@slash502]

because they are both cheap garbage?

[@johnroe3915]

I am never buying an Enfield again they constantly break down.

[@MotoJournoKris]

What did you have? I have heard from multiple sources they particularly need a really thorough going over as part of pre-delivery, with a lot of people having issues when that wasn't done properly.

[@ronalddauro563]

@@MotoJournoKris interesting 🤔

[@blacksheep6888]

Rode an Enfield it was shit

[@MotoJournoKris]

Really? A 650 or the 350/500s? The smaller machines are much more basic, really a classic motorcycle from 40 years ago just off the factory floor.

[@blacksheep6888]

@@MotoJournoKris very poor quality