RE: PH2 ridden: Kawasaki W800

RE: PH2 ridden: Kawasaki W800

Author
Discussion

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Rather nice looking one on bikeexif today:

http://www.bikeexif.com/lsl-kawasaki-w800


Turn7

23,478 posts

220 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Not for me, dont get the knobbly look at all.

kwakazx

1 posts

133 months

Thursday 21st February 2013
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Hi I bought one of the first W800 to arrive here in WA in late jan 2011.
My opinions of this bike after 15K are.
If you say the brakes are bad then I suggest you squeeze the lever nearer the handle end. If you do and you apply good pressure you can make the tyre squeal fairly easily. not gettin the full leverage does make them seem a bit underpowered but they're not. well not for the bike they're on. I've got a number of 1200 zrx'z (one tuned to buggery) that have been back and forth across the states a few times (nullabor) and yes six pot calipers are great but those on the W800 suit the bike adequately.
Fuel injection on what would normally be the choke period can get a little erratic. I suggest you take of the cover and see how it (the choke) or fuel increase system works Then you will find it easy to keep it working fine.
My bike has no trouble reaching the old Ton and a little beyond that I haven't tried yet. It's really smooth at 110 to 120. Sharpen up the exhaust a bit and it has quite a pleasing Bark at speed or acceleration. Usually wear ear plugs on other bikes but because the w800 is more upright or closer to the position where helmets are usually tested for wind noise I don't need them.
This is the bike I always choose for shorter rides say up to 200k. Of course it will do the longer rides just the same as my KLR 650 does but when carrying lots of luggage on an interstate trip or a fast ride around the twisties I generally revert to the bigger bikes to get my jollies.
Tank Mileage using full reserve will get you around 260k with safety and at 125kph or less speeds
I never have been a lover of fuel injection and specifically the flybywire throttles on more techno machines. Sooner or later whether during first owner. ownership or perhaps on higher mileage second owner models I think the electronic throttle is going to fail. And I dread to think of the consequences in a corner etc.