2019 Kawasaki W800 Cafe

They were famously known as “ton-up boys,” post-World War II working-class motorcyclists who hopped up thumping British singles and twins in their quest to outrun each other at triple-digit speeds. The Kawasaki W800 Cafe celebrates that bygone era with a nod to the Japanese bike maker’s own heritage. As its name suggests, the Cafe is based on the earlier W800, now fitted for sporting duty with a small headlight-mounted fairing, a clubman-style handlebar, and a two-tone saddle that gives the illusion of solo-only use while being passenger-friendly. One thing that hasn’t changed is the engine, a fuel-injected, four-valve-per-cylinder, tower-shaft/bevel-gear-driven overhead-cam parallel twin whose roots go all the way back to Kawasaki’s mid-1960s BSA-look-alike W1.

Continuing with the historic theme, a double-cradle steel frame features a 50mm square-section backbone, is suspended by a conventional 41mm fork and twin shocks, and rolls on 18-inch wire-spoke wheels shod with tube-type bias-ply tires. So will W800 Cafe reach the vaunted “ton”? Most certainly, but it will take a lot longer for the 491-pound machine to top that legendary marker than a ZX-6R, Kawasaki’s modern middleweight racer-replica. But that, of course, is missing the point...

Likes: Slipper/assist clutch has light lever feel and smooths corner entries

Dislikes: Sixty mph to 0 in 156 feet? More stopping power, please.

Verdict: Live in an analog era with most of the benefits of the digital age

“The double-cradle steel frame suggests the W800 Cafe is reminiscent of the original W1,” Michael Gilbert wrote in his preview of the 2019 model, “but Kawasaki employed dynamic-analysis software to determine the rigidity for each piece of tubing used. Kawasaki claims use of this technology contributes to a well-balanced ride.”

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Kawasaki isn’t the only manufacturer that has hitched a ride on the retro-twin train. Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Triumph, and others also have models for buyers who yearn for the days when motorcycle engines were air-cooled, simpler to work on, and not hidden behind acres of expensive plastic body panels.

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For 2019, the W800 Cafe is offered only in Metallic Magnesium Gray/Galaxy Silver. Kawasaki has, however, developed a number of accessories to help personalize the bike. These include engine guards, heated handgrips, an Ergo Fit reduced-reach saddle, a luggage rack, passenger grab rail, helmet lock, and chrome-trimmed replacement parts.