Kawasaki W800 Retro Roadster Teased, India Launch Soon?

The W800 will be the Japanese brand’s range-topping retro roadster model in the Indian market

Kawasaki India teased the W800 retro roadster on its various social media platforms in the country. The teaser commemorates the 60th anniversary of the W range of motorcycles globally. It indicates that the Japanese brand might launch the W800 in the coming days in the Indian market. Earlier, it was rumoured that Kawasaki is contemplating the launch the entry-level W230 in India, but now it appears that the company has bigger plans with the expansion of the W line-up as it gears up to roll out the W800 in our market.

This is not something very new as earlier too Kawasaki had adopted the same promotional and marketing strategy with the launch of the W230 in India. Presently, it has only one model in the retro segment in the form of the Z650RS which is available with massive discounts and benefits in the country to clear the unsold inventory of MY25 units.

Kawasaki W800 will be a direct rival to Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 in India. Needless to state, it will be brought via the CBU route in the country and attract a premium pricing. Similarly, the W230 will also be sold as a CBU but we believe that Kawasaki might price it aggressively as the bike shares several cycle parts with the KLX230 which is locally manufactured in India.

Kawasaki W800 is powered by a 773cc twin-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine which develops max power of 51.3 bhp and peak torque of 62.9 Nm. The engine is paired to a 5-speed gearbox. The retro roadster comes with a relaxed riding position while key features onboard include LED headlamp, front and rear disc brake, ABS, dual-pod semi-digital instrument cluster and slipper clutch.