2000 Kawasaki W650 [visit 16 of 31]
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- čas přidán 14. 07. 2020
- July 10, 2020: 2000 Kawasaki W650. Many thanks to Pam for dropping by today on her lovely motorcycle. Pam is also the first woman rider in the the cul-de-sac and here’s hoping to see more of our female riders! Pam is the third owner, purchasing the bike in 2003. At the time it had 8,500 miles. Today, it has approximately 35,000 miles on the clock.
This is a year 2000 model. It was only imported for 2 years and then discontinued when Triumph reentered the market with the new Bonneville series.
It pays homage to the earlier Kawasaki 650 motorcycles that were produced in the 1960s & 70s, which themselves were initially based upon the BSA A7 500cc and A10 650cc motorcycle of that era.
2000 Kawasaki W650
The engine is a vertical twin, 650cc with approximately 47 horsepower, 8 valves with overhead cams and driven by a bevel gear, similar to the old Ducati's. It is air cooled with a five speed transmission. It has a single front disc brake and rear drum brake.
The gas tank capacity is 4 gallons and the bike weighs in at approximately 425lbs
As you will see, it has both an electric start and kickstart and the kickstarter works just fine!
The original paintwork was silver with factory blue decals, but Pam had the tank repainted to reflect a more traditional British paint scheme of dark green and white. The seat was rebuilt by Don Weber ( Mr. Ed’s Moto) in Albany, Oregon. The original ‘cow horn’ handlebars were replaced by euro-style parts purchased from England. It also has the Napoleon bar and mirrors, indicators / turn signals and heated handlebar grips.
It's a thoroughly reliable and user-friendly motorcycle with classic styling and pleasant ergonomics.
In 2009 the Motorcyclist magazine named it one of “America’s 50 best used bikes”
I hope you enjoyed this video!
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What a great statement.
" Im proud of this bike, I love this bike and I'd love to tell you about it".
Perfect 👌👍😊
I have about the same feelings about mine :D
@@UncleLongbeard Are parts a problem?
@@jessbailey6718 not at all
@@jessbailey6718 These 650s have a cult following, especially in Japan.
They're very well-supported..
@@babyfacenc The W800 s as well.
Way nicer than a modern Bonneville. It's what Triumph should have done when they came back. #classic
I have owned dozens of bikes and started riding in 1973. Amongst my bikes is a 1999 W650 that I have owned from new. Apart from one front brake micro switch and battery and tyres, the bike has had nothing replaced. The build quality is by far the best I have come across...simply superb.
Not often someone modifies what is a beautiful retro out of the factory and actually makes it better, well done, remarkable job.
When Pam kick starts it and bursts out laughing, loved it, good onya Pam.
Hehe, I know! That was a nice moment. I feel like that every time one of my old Brit bikes first kick 😊
We need another update about her and the bike ☝️😀
Years ago when I showed an old friend a photo of my 2012 Bonneville he asked if I had ever seen a W650. I had not. He told me that it looks more like the 60s Bonnevilles than my 2012 did. He was right. Fortunately, Triumph's latest modern classics look much more like the old classics did. I especially like the shaft driven overhead cam on that engine. Very nice.
Pam is simply awesome and the bike is great too.
She is a true enthusiast! Awesome bike. I’ll try not to bore you, but this reminds me of a 1973 Yamaha XS650 I was hoping to buy in 1974. Since I was 19 and it was used, I couldn’t get financing. I ended up buying a new Suzuki GT380 that I could financing on. I enjoyed my GT but was a bit sad I couldn’t get the XS650. Her bike is a beauty.
You got the better bike!
I've always liked the look of the W650. It's great to see Pam excited about her great bike. Thanks for the video.
Hello Mike, I have a 2000 Kawasaki W650 and I agree with Pam that this is quite the bike, I would say it's the quintessence of the modern retro. I did some brushing up on its history and this is what I found. In the the mid-50's BSA introduced the A7 series 500cc vertical twin. At the time a prestige Japanese motorcycle company called Meguro bought the licensing rights to it, made a number of improvements such as cutting the engine cases horizontally instead of vertically so it wouldn't leak oil, and various other upgrades. The model was called the K1 Stamina. Seeing the success the then upstart Honda was having in small motorcycles, Meguro came out with a single cylinder 250cc bike called the Junior. It was made to the same precision specs as its larger bikes so they were more expensive than their competition which lead to slow sales and Meguro was facing bankruptcy. Enter Kawasaki Precision Aircraft Company. In 1953 Kawasaki bought a small Japanese motorcycle company called Meihatsu and transformed it into Kawasaki Motorcycles. In 1960 Kawasaki began the process of purchasing Meguro and made extensive improvements, renaming the bike the K2. In 1965 they transformed the bike into the Kawasaki W1 with a bored-out engine of 650cc. It was the largest motorcycle made in Japan at the time and was a sales success in Asia and somewhat in Europe, but not so much in North America as it was viewed as too much like the British bikes of that day (and yes, it did vibrate) but it did establish Kawasaki's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability. The W1 series and its successor the W2 were eventually overshadowed by the Mach 3 triple which established Kawasaki's reputation for performance, which in turn was replaced by the Z1 in the early 70's. The W2 was replaced by the W3 (the most attractive of the series) and remained in production till 1975. Fast forward to 1997. The revived Triumph began r&d on a retro Bonneville, and when Kawasaki got word of this they wanted to beat Triumph to the punch and they came out with the new & improved W650 in 1999, a full year before the new Triumph Bonneville. It became one of their best sellers-except in North America. It was on our market only in 2000 and 2001 and the reason could be that it may have been too soon for a retro-style bike. In other parts of the world the W650 was in production till 2008, a victim of noise and emissions regulations. It's replacement was the W800 in its first generation from 2011 to 2016 and its second generation (Euro 5 compliant and still air-cooled!) from 2019 to the present day. The W650 uses a balance shaft (a British invention from the early 1900s) and the engine is smooth as silk, handles beautifully, and is reliable and easy to maintain.***Kawasaki has decided to revive the Meguro brand. It's actually a stock W800 with a paint job reminiscent of the Meguro designs from the late 50's-early 60's and it's unclear if Kawasaki is going to import these to the U.S. and Canada. There's a couple of good videos on CZcams: "2021 Meguro K3"(Kawasaki) and "Kawasaki MEGURO K3" (MoToBike). And here's some other videos that you may like: "2020 Kawasaki W800-Action Video" (Kawasaki), "The Original Icon/The New Kawasaki W800 Street & W800 Cafe 2019/Official Action Video" (Kawasaki Motors), "2020 Kawasaki W800-Tech Video" (India Kawasaki Motors), "2020 Kawasaki W800-Walkaround-2020 Toronto Motorcycle Show" (AutoMotoTube), and "2020 Kawasaki W800 Walk-Around-Specs-Review" (Tripp on Two Wheels). ***I enjoyed your most recent video honoring your friend Dennis with a journey through the beautiful Oregon countryside, it is a fitting and honorable tribute. Denver sends its greetings to Portland and hopes the recent craziness is past and things return to normal. And, as always Mike, stay safe, stay healthy, and keep the sunny side up. With best wishes, Gary
Many thanks Gary for the additional info. I appreciate you sharing this. It's a very cool bike. Best wishes, Mike
Some great research Gary . Someone put you wrong about the Triumph/Kawasaki part though . Kawasaki inspired Triumph to make their Retro-Bonnie, not the other-way around . Kawasaki Only produced the new W650 for The Home-Market Retro-scene , where the most-desirable-bike was a 60's Triumph . They Never intended-it for export ,nor to compete against other Brands . It was almost a year before they gave-in to pressure from the overseas Franchises and reluctantly-agreed to supply them . One of the reasons they Didn't want-to , was the intentional-vibration built-into the bike for the Japanese-Buyers . Japanese bikers are obsessed with the 'old-bike-experience' and demanded that it vibrate , which is the-main-criticism of western owner/buyers. Kawasaki went as-far as recalling-bikes and removing them from The Markets, after Triumph released their more-powerful Bonneville as They did not want Their-Brand tarnished or damaged by comparisons it was never intended for . It is a very-special-bike designed to celebrate Kawasaki in Japan and to-date is the-most-expensive that Kawasaki has produced in-regard to Development-Cost . Dave nz
the bike and rider matches perfect! happy to watch this episode. thx.
Lovely to see Pam so happy with her bike. I also have one thats done 30,000 trouble free miles and as she said ' no oil leaks.' Really like her tasteful paint job, nice colour. Thank you.
Yes but it's trying to be what it isn't.
@@bonkeydollocks1879 Who cares, it looks great!
@@dougfielding8215 hang on a sec, other people spout shite I'm just doing the same
I was riding a w650 manufactured in 2006.
I remodeled it a lot, but it was in very good shape.
The engine and body are fairly sturdy and hard to break.
It is a popular model among women, beginners and veterans in Japan.
It's a very good product and it's a very popular bike in Japan.
That bike is really fun to ride. I modified a carb version (shim the needle .020, removed the idle mixture screw plugs and turned them out to 3 turns and 1 up on the main jet.) It totally transformed the engine and made the bike a blast to ride.
Triumph Thruxton carb-needles work even better ! Dave NZ
Thank you for this pleasant interview and yes - this Kawasaki W 650 is truly a feast for the eyes - Many greetings from Germany!
What a beautiful bike 👍🏍
Thanks for sharing and safe rides
A beautiful looking bike. It certainly has the wow factor. That petrol tank paint job is so classy. Loving your cul-de-sac motorcycle meet ups.
I got a 1999 model with 108000 kms on it. It is looking very nice and runs greatly . We have been to the french meeting near Chambery last 18 21 of june ! About 24 W's and more bikes also
It was a journey of around 1540 kms go and back from my home !
Awesome bike! Glad it's owned by someone who really appreciates it.
I so enjoyed that video. I have a 2014 W800 and I really do enjoy owning, riding and caring for it. Pam just said it all so much better than I can. Thank you for sharing this with us all.
Many thanks Graeme. Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Mike
Excellent, that was a nice surprise Mike. Pam sure sings the praises of her great looking & reliable bike.
It's so nice to be learning the story behind the visitors bikes, their little add-ons & tweaks to make it their own.
atvb t ..
Like others mentioned, sounds like a proper vertical twin. Nice modifications Pam!
You've got some real little gems uncovered on your channel, Mike. Both bikes and persons. Many thanks again!
Glad you like them! Thanks very much for your nice note. I appreciate it. Cheers, Mike
Dear Mike, great, first time meetìng a nice Lady and her beautiful bike on Your website! My wife Anni was born in Ebensburg/PA and passed away by cancer in 2012. Sehr hated bikes. But now there is Anne, my girlfriend, and she is a real enthusiac, ownerin of a Harley Softail and former of a Ducati Monster. All the best again from Germany, Ulli
Thank ou. It was nice to just enjoy a person's enjoyment of a nice ride.
What a sweet lady on her beautiful bike. The best regards from Denmark🇺🇸🇩🇰🇬🇧
One of my favs from the Cul de sac. What a lovely lady with a genuine laugh and enthusiasm. My first thought was why bring a modern bike up to the close. But then realised how time warps with age. Hard to believe these are 20 years old and into classic territory. When i was 17 I had a BSA lightening which was a 66 but then thinking back that made only 12 years old and considered a classic then!. Ummm got me thinking.......I've never had a Kawasaki..............
I feel like I've just seen a ghost from my past. BSA Triumph Norton as they could have been. As always, thank you.
Thanks mike, and thanks to pam for showing us her beutifull bike.
Got the same here in Paris. Thanks for your Channel Mike ! Love it
My bike. My second favorite bike in the world behind the Yamaha SR 400 and 500. I love it. I have customized mine a fair bit, and I love it. Air boxes gone, bigger jets and two in one pipe. Absolutely wonderful bike. And you can get 60 HP with a few touches. Gorgeous.
Nice----so evocative of the 1960's Bonneville. Nice lady too. Very good mods as well. No wonder she loves it. Amazing that the total specs are almost exactly what the new RE Interceptor is sporting.
Bill Marsh - the RE Interceptor has a short stroke 270 degree engine though. Different character.
He Pam and thank for your Kawa W650 telling - I have driven here in Norway 6000 km on my W650 and I love this maschine more and more - And nearly for this winter it has to stay in front of my bookshelfes. Drive
safe still and take care of ice in the morning. The season here in Norway are nearly over. But have a nice winter Pam and Kawasaki W650 from USA and The Mighty Garage::
Great video - I owned one of these from 2000 - 2018 in Japan not far from Akashi, Japan where it was made. My rationale for buying it was that it was supporting local business & employment etc, to the one who controls the budget (the missus). She understood the logic and we became an item. 37,60km and 18 years later I had passed retirement age, heaving her onto the main stand was a major chore, kickstarting no longer appealed, my body was giving me a message, so I passed her on to my son. He has her under wraps, so she will go again some day when he gets round to it. Probably the best 'British' motorcycle that the Japanese ever made IMHO. Very pleased I had the privilege to ride it all those miles. HTH
What a wonderful breath of fresh air Pam is. Her joy about her bike is contageous. I think i smiled through every minute of the video. Thinking of buying one. Bit closer after watching this 😊
Many thanks Roger! That was one of the most enjoyable visits to the cul-de-sac! And you may know that this has been my old time favorite video from my channel for all the reasons that you mention above ❤️😀👍 best wishes, Mike
@TheMightyGarage Hi Mike, I'm the proud new owner of a 2003 W650. Went to see it today (after buying it from a chap on Ebay). Having it delivered on Thursday can't wait! I'm planning to ride it in the global charity event Distinguished Gentlemens Ride on 19th May. Take care and ride safe. Roger.
Fantastic news Roger! Congratulations! Cheers, Mike
One of the most beautiful bikes from Kawa ever..
Really nice bike.Love the colour.Like the superimposing of the scrambler picture on top.Like the miking up too.Top work.
What an awesome lady. Popped it right up on the center stand! I like the way she "bonnified" that bike.
That's how its built, it predated the Bonneville by a couple of years
You don't see any matured mom riding cool classic motorcycle. Here's one!
Ride safe!
Awesome bike. Amazing that it is a 20 year old classic.
So nice! And such a cool vibe in this video. Kawasaki for days and days...
Glad you enjoyed it!
That is a beautiful green color !!
Pam - I have the 1999 W650 - and the best from Triumph and Ducati and Kawasaki Heawy Industries!! Pam your bike can go for 100000 to 150000 km without problems! A littke SUPERBIKE who people have meaning about! Mostly the best - and I love my W650 and have a BMW 100/7 Scrambler customized - A fine maschine too! - And I have the Triumph Thruxton 900 - But the best is my W650! Thank yoy Pamela!!
Seriously considering picking up one of these beauties instead of the 800. Love that kickstart feature - a good bridge between classic and modern. Thanks for sharing the video!
W 650 looks great 👍..Great enthusiasm for biking...Drone work good to...😎🇬🇧🏍🇺🇸..
I own a 2019 W800 Street model. I absolutely love it. Unlike other twins today, it has a 360 degree crank, is air cooled, and has a long stroke engine. It runs on regular gas (not premium like many bikes today). Unfortunately, the current models don't have a Kickstarter. It is the closest modern bike to the 60s and 70s Brit bikes but you can ride it and not have to wrench (spanner?). They go back to the 1999 W650 and have built a solid reputation for reliability and superb fit and finish. They are closer to the Classics than modern Triumphs. The bevel driven top end is the icing on the cake 🍰. Thanks for bringing a W650 Kawi to your cul - de sac. I'm very interested in what rider's who are experienced with the Brit bike classics think of the W's.
The new Bonnevilles have 360 degree cranks.
@@mark.e.p No, actually they have 270⁰ cranks since converting to water cooling. Their engine has a short stroke with decorative cooling fins.
Lovely vintage looking!
It is larger than a 650 cc it is about 676 cc which means it is only 97 smaller than the W800. Both the W650 and W800 (77 X 83), are under square the 650 more so (72 X 83), providing great torque compared to many other modern vertical twins.
Great video the bike looks fantastic great condition stay safe 🇬🇧👍🏻
I love to see ladies enjoying bikes 👍🏻
Piękny motocykl. Jak moje marzenie o nim! 👍🇵🇱
I enjoyed so much.
Thank you.
Amazing
I've never seen a Kawasaki 650 before, it definitely strongly resembles the Triumph and BSA, it really looks good, like a Brit bike, and that bevel gear drive is very nice. I've had a couple of Ducati's, and that is a dead solid cam drive. I bought seven basket case Yamaha 650's, in the early nineties, and built them, fixed one I had with the spare parts, and put six people on cheap bikes to ride. I think that Kaw is really well set up, I didn't even see the kicker until you mentioned it. That is a very nice bike I think. Thanks for showing this off!
Thank you very much John. I’m glad that you enjoyed this video. It’s my all-time highest viewed video!
Beautiful retro styling and the engine note sounds great
Pam is a hoot!
She has a very nice motorcycle and yes I thought it looked a lot like a Triumph too!
NICE BIKE! Ironic that the Kawasaki W650 and W800 are the best looking Brit Bikes ever. If Kawasaki could get the price down about $1,500 to $2,000 they woould blow Royal Enfield and even Triumph right off the sales charts. Indeed, I went to the shope to look at a new W800. Loved it. But I went home with a new Bonneville T120 because of pricing. I still think the W-800 looks more like a Bonnie than a Bonnie; but in the end I could not bare to pay a bit more for a W800 than a T120 that had considerably more power.
You can often find W800s that are marked down. Also, in most places both the T120 and T100 cost more than the W800. The T120 cost about $2000 to $3000 more in Western Canada.
Ohhhh... now I get that centerstand looking thingy. Obviously I really miss the centerstands (ride-off pedestal in BSA speak). She said that her bike is a treasure... just try to find one in the midwest. It surely is a treasure. Another great video, Mike.
Although rare, they seem to be a lot more common in the US even though the model was only sold there for 2 years instead of 7 everywhere else. They are thin on the ground in Australia, so people must hold onto them (unsurprisingly lol)
What a beautiful bike and what a lovely person! I've seen this video several times precisely because of it. By the way, I own a W800 2021 model.
Pam, what a lovely lady and she got a great bike too. Nice.
I've never seen or even heard of this Kawasaki model. Fooled me when she rode up. I must say, the overlay was a spectacular touch Mike. She sure has taken care of it, and she is right, the paint makes it look just right.
Just been introduced as bigger w800 in USA for 2020
@@Roger_Ramjet Which is 10kg heavier, less hp than the 650 although the torque is much lower in the range. And no kickstart lol. Alas for smoothness its FI
I love anything Kawasaki that comes in 650 AND I like Triumphs. Cool bike!
I ride a ninja 650 and a Bonnie so this is like the love child of my two bikes.
Alright, a very nice "Bonnesaki" Nice machine, I've always admired these bikes. & it even has proper British exhaust sound. Thanks for posting the video. Cheers.
The W was brought out one year (1999) before the Bonneville so its hardly a copy. Kawasaki made the W1 & W2 in the 60s where they actually had a licence from BSA.
Very nice and Pam made some nice changes.
I have a 2013 W800. These are the nearest you can get to something really retro in a modern machine. great fun
Love these bikes! Pam is the coolest!
What a happy lady. Ride safely Pam.
7:19 Sweet indeed! Reminds me of the once- mine Yamaha 500 single. Kick start only. I learnt how to never stall at a green light, from the inconvenience when it happened😀
Despite being Japanese Kawasaki...a copy of the triumph 650..but in a way better...it has a classic look with all the modern today bits.. Such a good looking machine and a style that l relate to..So thank you for sharing this marvellous video..and the owner too very well presented..👍👍👍👏👏
I just test drove one of these today and let me tell you, they are deceptively quick! 56 nm of torque paired with a light weight launches this bike forward with V-twin-like aggressiveness. Loved it!
Thanks for sharing Tony. Best wishes
I always liked those bikes, looks like a triumph
What a lovely little bike!
Lovely review of a really good, classic 650 Kawasaki. Hello from the UK. Pam is clearly a happy bunny with her W650 and a proper enthusiast. I currently have a Z650b1 - little cracker it is, too. Love the simple but effective modifications she’s made….lovely.
Thanks for a lovely note Nigel. That was a really enjoyable visit by Pam. Best wishes, Mike
My wife has a W650 (1999 with high bars) bought new, now has over 80,000 miles on it. It's done numerous tours around the UK and the rest of Europe. It is the best looking retro bike ever made and (sadly as a Triumph man) much better than the Bonneville of the time.
Beautiful Kawa.
Wow, a truly good looking bike.
Great bike. She made some really nice changes to it. The handlebars, seat and paint job really make it feel like a 60's British twin.
I totally agree! Thanks Dave, cheers, Mike
Amazing sound !
Pam was great, I can tell she really enjoys riding her machine. I never knew about these Kawasaki W650s, very nice Bike!
Thanks very much Ken! This has been my most popular video of all time! It seemed to check all the boxes 😉 Pam did such an excellent job with the presentation and her bike is awesome. Best wishes, Mike
A Japanese styled modern 650 Triumph twin! The sound is almost identical, even though it's an ohc 8-valve. The seat is definitely styled on the early Triumph!
Nice to see you don't forget the ladies nice bike fair few over here stay safe
Beautiful retro motorcycle , & one happy , enthusiastic lady owner 😊👍
Thanks a lot Mike! Glad you liked the video. Cheers, Mike
That’s one beautiful bike! A true classic. 👍 Good riding 😎
Many thanks for your kind note. Best wishes, Mike
Gorgeous bike, I love the W650, just a classy looking motorcycle
I like the color of the tank and the kickstarter. Nice movie!
Great video! I remember being tempted by the W650 when it was introduced 20 years ago, but the time wasn't right for me. It looks, sounds & is more in proportion to the Meriden Bonnevilles than the Hinckley Triumphs, as Quentin Willson alluded to at that time. And knowing Kawasaki, reliability shouldn't be a problem. If it hadn't been for the Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor, I'd have gone for a second-hand W650.
Lovely looking bike and a great colour
good to see the ladies join in .
The original W1 from the late 60s was BSA influenced, because of Meguro/Kawasaki . But these newer ones are obviously Bonneville influenced, and look great !
Nice bike! I like those handlebars!
Some guys are lucky - A fine W650 -and a supersweet wife!!
Nicely presented Pam 👍
Love it, beautiful bike.
In my opinion all motorcycles should have a kick start.
Wow! This W650 looks amazing! Though I love the original w1 or w2 ss
That's just a class act, love the bike.
An ex girl friend of mine had a W650. Rode fantastically, sweet handling and lovely to look at, funnily enough so was the bike...
Fab
"Looks like a BSA A10"...yah...right, A very nice Japanese Triumph! Love the bevel drive
Yep japanese triumph
Great Bikes , love em.
Beautiful bike!
I have a w650 as well and I absolutely love it! I've had some other issues but my bike is beat up a little more than Pam's. City living plus street parking wears one a bike. I also get people stopping by to comment on my "Bonnie" lol
Kawasaki Heavy Industries began making motorcycles with the Kawasaki brand after purchasing Meguro, and their existing 650, which was an evolution of the BSA 500 which was built after the war under license by Meguro. There are some devoted Meguro (pre-Kawaski) collectors out there. I have seen a Meguro along side an early Kawasaki 650. A few Meguros of different models made it to the USA courtesy of returning GI's.Very impressive machines. Always wanted a Meguro, or a W... maybe when I win the lottery... You have a very fine bike, and one with a history going back, oh, let's say, about seventy years. BTW mostly because of import difficulty, there are even Japanese versions of American V Twins!
Classy exhaust sound