Check Out The New Kawasaki W175 In 8 Pics

Kawasaki’s most affordable motorcycle, the W175, is finally here and the bike opens its innings with a price tag of Rs 1,47,000 for the Ebony variant and Rs 1,49,000 for the Special Edition variant (ex-showroom). Sporting a retro theme, this premium 177cc commuter will compete with other retro bikes like the Yamaha FZ-X, Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and even the TVS Ronin. Let’s have a closer look at the motorcycle in these eight pics.

Design

At first glance, the W175 looks like a scaled down Kawasaki Z1 from the 70’s. The retro street bike theme sits well; and arguably, it’s probably one of the most retro-looking bikes south of Rs 2 lakh.

Fuel tank

Like on the Kawasaki Z650RS, the 12-litre fuel tank on W175 is a teardrop unit finished in a shimmering paint scheme and also gets a cool, retro-looking ‘W’ badge. That said, we wish Kawasaki had given the fuel filler cap a chrome finish to further accentuate its retro look.

Seat

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The seat on the W175 is a traditional bench seat with a slight step towards the back, similar to what you’d find on most 100cc commuters. However, this India-spec bike gets a seat height of 790mm, 10mm more than the Indonesian W175.

Lighting

The most affordable Kawasaki on sale in India gets a basic lighting setup, which at this price point, is a bit disappointing. There’s no LED light and the headlight is a simple halogen unit. Yes, the indicators and tail light look old-school, but feel a bit basic.

Instrument cluster

The only thing remotely modern on this W175 is its semi-digital instrument cluster. It’s positioned slightly asymmetrically to give it a retro touch. It displays basic readings like speed, time, odometer, trip meter and fuel reading.

Exhaust

The second most retro-looking element on this bike is its exhaust. The Exhaust is finished in matt black, it gets an old-school, peashooter exhaust similar to what you’d find on the bigger W800.

Engine

The Kawasaki W175 gets a 177cc, single-cy linder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine producing an underwhelming 13PS and 13.3Nm and is mated to a five-speed gearbox. Not the most exciting numbers on paper.

Suspension

Suspension duty on the W175 is managed by a telescopic fork and dual shock absorbers. The front fork gets retro-styled gaiters, which give it a sportier look; however, with just 110mm and 64mm wheel travel (front and rear), things could become bothersome on our broken roads. 

Brakes and rims

The W175 features 17-inch wire-spoke rims and uses a 270mm disc at the front, and a drum brake at the rear. Hence, the W175 only gets single-channel ABS. A dual-disc setup with dual-channel ABS would have been nicer.

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Verdict

It’s nice to see Kawasaki enter this premium retro-roadster theme, which is slowly but surely gaining popularity. However, on paper the new W175 is failing to impress with regards to performance and features. Justifying its price tag is even more difficult as the competition is either more affordable or better equipped. That said, motorcycles are best enjoyed outside the bezels of our screen and the W175’s real-world performance will do the talking when the time arrives.