Kawasaki W 800 Cafe Style 2014 — Specifications

When Kawasaki decides to play the British card, you get the W 800 Cafe Style, 2014 vintage. A machine that borrows the café racer codes without ever truly committing to them. The round headlight cowl, the single seat with its small padded backrest, the colors that reek of the sixties: everything is there to evoke the Triumphs and Nortons of yesteryear. Except purists will quickly notice the absence of clip-on handlebars. The handlebar remains high, comfortable, betraying a vocation for urban cruising rather than racing between two London cafés. This is unabashed dress-up, not historical reenactment. And frankly, for showing off on the boulevards or parking outside a café, the effect is guaranteed.

Beneath this retro costume beats a 773 cc vertical twin, fitted with 4 valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 8.4:1. The numbers speak for themselves: 48 horsepower at 7000 rpm is hardly earth-shattering. But the 62.8 Nm of torque available from just 2500 rpm changes everything. This twin doesn't need to be flogged to deliver pleasure. It purrs around town, pushes gently on A-roads, and its calibrated vibrations remind you with every twist of the throttle that you're riding a living, breathing machine. The 5-speed gearbox is more than adequate for a bike topping out at 171 km/h. You don't buy a W 800 to blast down the highway at full tilt. You buy it to savor every kilometer at a human pace.

The chassis confirms this philosophy. The steel double-cradle frame, the 39 mm telehydraulic fork, and the twin rear shock absorbers form a sound, unsurprising package. Braking pairs a 300 mm front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 160 mm rear drum. Classic stuff, effective for the intended use, even if a rear disc would have been welcome at this price point. The 19-inch front and 18-inch rear tires contribute to overall stability and reinforce the machine's slender silhouette. At 216 kg wet and with an 790 mm seat height, the W 800 is approachable without intimidation. The footpegs scrape tarmac without needing to ride like a lunatic, which gives a fair idea of the available lean angle.

Against the competition, the Kawasaki plays in the same league as the Triumph Bonneville and the Moto Guzzi V7, two benchmarks of the neo-retro segment. The Bonneville offers more engine character, the V7 a bold Italian personality. The W 800 Cafe Style banks on Kawasaki reliability and a price tag of 9,399 euros that remains reasonable for a machine this polished in its presentation. Its 14-liter tank will however limit long-haul legs, and those hungry for thrills will quickly find the twin's limits on corner exits.

This Kawasaki is aimed at urban and suburban riders who want an elegant, easy-going machine, accessible with an A2 license thanks to its 48 horsepower sitting right at the legal limit. It's a bike with more visual character than mechanical, an invitation to ride cool without taking yourself too seriously. Those looking for a snarling, aggressive café racer should look elsewhere. Those who want to catch their reflection in a shop window with a smile on their face have found their ride.