VOLUME 58 ISSUE 25 JUNE 22, 2021 P101
T
he air-cooled parallel twin is almost as
old as the motorcycle itself. This engine
layout formed the backbone of the Brit-
ish motorcycle industry during its heyday of the
1950s-'60s, but it's near impossible to find such
an item flowing from the British Isles today (Tri-
umph's retro-styled bikes are all liquid-cooled).
For that, you need to head east to the Land
of The Rising Sun and check out the retro-
looking, sounding and riding, W800.
Inspired by the company's W1 that ran from
1965 to 1974, the $9199 Kawasaki W800 runs
a 773cc air-cooled twin mated to a five-speed
gearbox with a very un-retro-looking slip and
assist clutch for a lighter lever pull and to
prevent the back wheel from chattering under
brakes when downshifting.
FUN
Feeling overwhelmed by all the
tech in your life? Might be time to
slow things down a touch.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
