Video: Kawasaki W800 vs Triumph Bonneville vs Moto Guzzi V7 Classic

 

Kawasaki:

Send the W800 to the states!!

(THanks in advance. ;)

I had a go on a W650 and really liked it - it had a lovely engine, simply gorgeous torque oozing out all over the place, never a wrong gear for a corner. The chassis itself left a little to be desired, the riding position squeezed me a bit, leading to a cramped hip, and the short travel suspension aggravated some back pain which recurs too easily. The frame gave a sort of wriggle over the top of a bumpy hill winding road (in the dry), creating a sense if not the actuality of a bit of instability. I was in some discomfort when I returned to the dealer, so I reflected back on the bike I had ridden just before, an older Suzuki Freewind XF650, which I had wanted to try out for ages. The Freewind had seemed crude at first, with some takeup in the throttle action, some chugging low down, and some throbbing going through the rev range, followed by some noisy popping on the overrun. But the handling was superb, much lighter than the W650, higher up but much easier to get down in corners, delightful soft suspension (think "Cadillac" ride), comfy seat, and I just really didn't have to think much about riding it at all. I had no discomfort at all on the Freewind. In the end, as it was only half the price of the W650 (although with 40k miles…they can do more than double that), I ended up buying the Freewind. It also doesn't cause any numbness in my hands, even though it's not what you'd call silky smooth, the minor vibration has no effect, unlike any other bike I've recently ridden. If I had the cash for the W800, who knows?