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Webike's owner-pickup feature shares the voice of a Kawasaki W800 owner. Compared with the CB1100, low running costs proved decisive. The air-cooled vertical twin, rooted in the W1, is described candidly, including how an ECU remap transformed the riding experience.
The W800's roots trace back to the 1966 W1 — seen in the context of Kawasaki inheriting the blood of British motorcycles, this bike carries real depth. The significance of keeping that air-cooled vertical twin's heartbeat alive in the present day doesn't show up in any spec number. It disappeared once, and came back. And still, it preserved the way it feels to ride. I believe that's proof that even as technology advances, the essential relationship between rider and machine was never abandoned.
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Lower running costs than the CB1100, that's genuinely useful info from a user's perspective.
You've got to factor in the cost of the ECU remap too, not just the running costs.
It says the W800's roots trace back to the W1, does it actually look similar?
The silhouette is clearly designed with real intent, especially that tank shape and seat line.
A bit lacking that the article doesn't give the actual maintenance cost figures or annual expenses.
As another air-cooled vertical twin, I'm curious how it differs from the W650 too.
They say the ECU remap changes the ride drastically, but that feels like cheating, or at least a different animal, when evaluating the stock condition.
A W800 owner's honest take, saying it's cheaper to maintain than a CB1100 carries real weight coming from someone who actually rides one.
