Kawasaki W650 650cc

Bought it with rattle in engine. Piston slap on one cylinder. Kawasaki do not offer oversise pistons, oops I thought caught again. After a lot of trawling about Piston Broke in Bristol saved the day were able to source an alternative and WOW what a pleasure it is to ride pulls like a train 2 up.The bike is all good .

I commute through London and I sometimes take a long summer road trip. The W650 never fails to put a huge smile on my face, never fails to start, never fails to turn heads. I can't fault this bike and I can't agree with whoever wrote the original review. The W650 is great. Yes, some of the tiny points on the final finish, such as the rear light housing could be a little beefier, but they're bang on spec for the retro bike. If you want a proper Triumph T120 sound and feel, but don't want to wake up to a bike that's tiddled oil overnight and does other things like start first time... buy a W650. Loads of potential for customisation too.

I purchased my Kawasaki W650 new in September 1999. It has run faultlessly ever since.

I have spent £12 on a new front brake micro switch and £99 on a new mainstand as the lever started to bend. Apart from tyres and servicing the only other item replaced was the battery.

The finish is excellent, barely any rust and the paint looks like new.

Riding position is very comfortable, particular compared with my Triumph TT600.

The W650 will cruise cofortably above the legal limit and reach significantly over the ton when pushed hard.

Handling is pretty good, I've managed to crank the bike over hard enough to ground the mainstand lever.

Bike has never been dropped (touch wood) but has front crash bars fitted just in case.

I bought my 1999 Kawasaki W 650 second-hand in 2006. At that time it had covered almost 9.000 km and I have covered 10.000 km since without any kind of problems.

I was already the owner of a Honda VFR 750, so I really just bought it for the sight and to have an easy and simple motorbike for short trips in the local area. However, this bike has convinced me that I just need one bike.

As this model is very rare in Denmark I was not sure whether this was the kind of bike for me. I have always been fond of the classic English parallel twin and think that the Triumph Bonneville and Norton Commando models from the early 70s are the most beautiful bikes ever built.

Today I can only say that the W 650 model has entered my blood. It so incredibly light and relaxing to drive; any trip becomes a pure pleasure. You experience a completely different and calm way of riding a bike when you are on the W 650. At the same time it is powerful enough to handle a back-seat passenger and some luggage without any problems.

I have mounted a lower handlebar of the acebar type on mine and also changed to BT 45 tyres. This has improved its driving qualities substantially. I have also mounted a small Givi windscreen for handling the worst wind pressure. Contrary to what you would expect, the W 650 is very suitable for long trips and I have been to Holland and the south of Germany on mine.

The W 650 is actually surprisingly good at the almost everything; it is especially great for trips in the city and small, winding roads. If you are looking for a relaxing "old-style" motorbike with corresponding twin sound, then there is no way of denying the W 650. It is an excellent bike and I can sincerely give it my warmest recommendations.

I knew there was a brilliant bike in there the first time I rode one: but the Kawasaki W650 650cc only gets 4 stars in standard trim, because it does have some weaknesses. Original Bridgestone Accolades are downright dangerous, with ZERO grip in the wet. Don't wait till they wear out (probably never). Replace with BT45s. Suspension is pretty poor and Hagon mods don't really fix it: they just change it from bouncy and mushy to bouncy and harsh, because there's no rebound damping to speak of with either set up. Replaced with Maxton acrtridge fork internals and rear shocks, but other quality kit available, including Ohlins. Seat is awful: replaced with Corbin, which is very comfortable solo or two up. Other additions: Renthal road bars (cos I love them), Hepco & Becker frame/cases (brilliant), EBC pads and braided line. Now it goes, handles AND stops as well as it looks. Cruises all day at 85 mph+. Totally stable. Goes round corners like a good 'un. Sounds fabulous. Incredibly flexible and tractable (20 to 110 mph in top without snatching!)

So ... I paid £2600 for a bike with 1500 miles on it and spent £1200 getting it right. That still works out good value for a bike that suits me better than anything else on the market. Real world performance. Real character. Better than an old Bonnie, without the vibes, leaks and breakdowns. MUCH better than a new Bonnie, which to me has all the character of an over-fed Honda Dream. This really is the bike that (old) Triumph should have developed in the 80s and 90s. Kawasaki simply took over where they left off.

If you own a W650, hang onto it and keep improving it. If you fancy one, buy it before they start becoming collectable and rare.

Pillion view (Liz): DO NOT SELL THIS BIKE. EVER.

sure hope kawaski still builds this machine.

Just thought I'd mention that several years have passed and I still have my Kawasaki W650 650cc. It's still one of the best all around motorcycles I've ever owned and I've been riding since 1969. A deer collided with my Connie and I in November 2006. RIP Connie. And almost ME! Replaced it with a V-Strom for touring and hauling. But I am always drawn to the W650 when I walk into my garage. Every ride makes me love it more.....

The Kawasaki W650 650cc is a wonderful bike, an inside glance at how close the Brits got to getting it right.

All that has been said before and more.....

How do you feel when you open the garage door and see your bike?

Buy a W650 and feel the difference.

You don't need to be 50 to get it, but in my case, I cannot put a price on the Stargate back to my youth which this bike provides.

And you don't have to ride quickly to prove anything........and you are seriously cool because it ISN'T American or Italian.

This Kawasaki W650 650cc bike turned me from a Mod into a Rocker.... I was a lifetime Vespa enthusiast, I loved the Mod styling and the whole 60's retro thing (born in 1967) but I had this gnawing feeling that I was in denial about my real desires.Eventually,having been forced to do my full bike licence in order to ride my new Vespa GTS 250, (which I thoroughly enjoyed) I realised that what I really wanted was a classic British 1960's MOTORCYCLE.However, I knew that I needed both performance and reliabilty and neither of these things seemed possible(together) with a true classic.Then...suddenly in March 08.. I discovered the existance of the W650 on the internet quite by chance and realised I'd turned.By mid April 08 I'd bought one off Ebay, a 2004 model with no alterations in perfect condition (de-badged) and...a snip at £2800.I fell in love, bought a Belstaff, added a Dart fly screen, retro grips, longer rounder mirrors, a rear rack, cooler, smaller indicators and chrome rear light and I'm happy. ( sold the Vespa)