Kawasaki W 800 Cafe Style 2016 — Specifications

Who hasn't dreamed of riding a Triumph Bonneville without draining their bank account? Kawasaki clearly asked that question internally before releasing this 2016 vintage W 800 Cafe Style. On paper, the recipe is familiar: take the W 800 base, already perfectly respectable in standard trim, and graft on an in-house café racer kit. Retro headlight fairing, single seat with its small padded backrest, paintwork that reeks of the English sixties. The result is eye-catching, there's no denying it. Except that genre purists will raise an eyebrow upon discovering the high handlebar, a far cry from the low-slung clip-ons that café racer tradition demands. Kawasaki is playing the style card here rather than the authenticity one. What we're really looking at is a roadster dressed up for show rather than a machine born to attack English country roads, fists forward.

Beneath that alluring bodywork beats a 773 cc vertical twin, fed by four valves per cylinder and a conservative 8.4:1 compression ratio. The numbers speak for themselves: 48 horsepower at 7000 rpm and, more importantly, 62.8 Nm of torque available from just 2500 rpm. This is no powerhouse. Top speed caps out at 171 km/h, which places the Kawasaki W 800 in a leisurely register, worlds away from a Ducati Scrambler or even a Yamaha XSR 700 and its 75 horsepower. But this long-stroke engine, with its 77 mm bore and 83 mm stroke, favors character over raw power. The twin purrs, vibrates just enough to remind you it's alive, and delivers its thrust with an almost British smoothness. Every outing becomes a ride, not a test of strength.

The chassis follows the same philosophy. A steel double-cradle frame, a 39 mm telehydraulic fork with 130 mm of travel up front, two classic shock absorbers offering 105 mm at the rear. Nothing sporty, but the package proves sound and predictable. The braking, however, betrays the era the motorcycle seeks to evoke: a single 300 mm disc with a two-piston caliper up front and a 160 mm drum at the rear. It's adequate for the machine's 216 kg wet weight, provided you don't play amateur racer through tight sequences of corners. The 100/90-19 and 130/80-18 tires confirm the easygoing touring vocation. The seat, perched at 790 mm, accommodates most builds without issue, and the 14-liter tank demands regular fuel stops — which works out perfectly since this motorcycle is precisely an invitation to take your time.

The five-speed gearbox gets the job done without particular flair, and the chain drive remains conventional. You might regret the absence of a sixth gear for motorway comfort, but let's be honest: nobody buys a W 800 Cafe Style to gobble up toll roads. This Kawasaki is aimed at urban and suburban riders who want an elegant, easy-to-handle machine, A2 license-compatible thanks to its spot-on 48 horsepower. It will appeal to beginners seeking character without stress, as well as experienced riders looking for a pressure-free Sunday second bike. At 9399 euros, it sits opposite the Mash TT 40, significantly cheaper but also less refined, and below the Triumph Street Cup, more capable but pricier. Kawasaki occupies a clever niche. This isn't a true café racer — it's a beautiful mechanical object that draws smiles on café terraces and in rearview mirrors. And sometimes, that's exactly what you ask of a motorcycle.