Q.Kawasaki W800- Will it be Launched in India?

Kawasaki has apparently cancelled plans of launching the W800 in India following the customer feedback they have received. The bike offers only a drum brake at the rear, five-speed transmission, and is a little underpowered when compared with the competitors. Moreover, there are no electronic nannies which the Bonneville is loaded with.

[B]Kawasaki W800 Spotted in Mangalore:[/B] Looks like Kawasaki is indeed planning to launch the W800 here in India. The bike was spotted testing in Mangalore with the Maharashtra 'Test Car' numberplate. Here are some pictures by motorworldindia.com: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n22211[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n22212[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n22213[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n22214[/ATTACH] PC: motorworldindia.com The bike is equipped with a 773 cc air-cooled, fuel injected parallel twin engine which belts out 48 PS at 6,500 rpm and a meaty 60 Nm of torque at a rather low 2,500 rpm. The engine features the signature bevel-gear-driven cam which the bike is known for. One interesting thing is the part at the down-tube, which looks like a sump guard. This is a welcome addition to the bike as Indian roads aren't as good as those found in foreign countries and neither the Euro spec nor the Thailand spec bike have this particular part. I particularly like the Dunlop tires and oh, they're tubeless by the way. Must've been an expensive endeavor to use the combination of spoke wheels and tubeless tires. The lights and indicators are all conventional ones- no fancy LEDs here. The bike also gets conventional telescopic forks at the front, covered with fork gaiters to give that authentic retro look. The rear gets adjustable shock absorbers. The bike is anchored by a 300mm front disc unit and the rear, sadly, gets only a 160mm drum brake. The bike sports a twin pod cluster with a small digital screen. The clutch lever is an adjustable one and the seat is a single piece ribbed unit. I believe the ergonomics will be spot on and will be very comfortable for long highway jaunts. Oh, the pea-shooter exhausts remind me of the ones found in the Bonnies and overall, with all that chrome and metal finishing, the bike looks properly retro. Kawasaki will probably bring the bike via the CBU route and the cost is likely to be around INR 9-10 lakh, ex-showroom. It will rival with Triumph's Bonneville series and honestly, if the bike is priced like we guess, then the Bonnie will make a much better sense because of its superior features and a bigger engine, don't you think?

Kawasaki's answer to Triumph's Bonneville twins, the W800 was spotted at a Pune dealership here in India. The bike is an amalgamation of classic styling peppered with modern elements. The W800 is powered by an air-cooled, fuel-injected, 773cc parallel twin engine mated to a five-speed transmission. The power output stands at 48 PS at 6,500 rpm and a commendable 60 Nm of torque at just 2,500 rpm. The bike also sports modern features like five step adjustable rear shocks, adjustable clutch and brake levers, digital display in addition to the twin pod analogue clusters and the likes. PC: Motovore facebook page [ATTACH=CONFIG]n21497[/ATTACH] Now, to the million dollar question: Will this classic bike be launched in the Indian market? Well, I'd say it is unlikely because Kawasaki plans to discontinue this bike in many foreign markets by this year end. Kawasaki also does not have any plans to update the engine to the Euro 4 emission norms. The bike is estimated to cost around INR 10 Lakhs if imported to India via the CBU route. So, even if Kawasaki plans to manufacture it in India (the chances of which is very less), the bike's price will be at least around 5.5-6 Lakhs, considering they update the engine to BS 4 emission norms. At that price, it may undercut the tech-laden Bonneville but not the upcoming Royal Enfield Continental GT 750- which is the primary competitor for the W800, I feel. The Continental GT 750 is likely to be priced around INR 4.5 Lakhs. So, if Kawasaki wants to make a dent in the entry-level big bike segment, they have to take a lot of effort. What do you guys think?