Battle Of 2 Small Japanese Retro-style Bikes

  • Published May 31, 2022
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Let’s see how the small retro-style motorcycles from Kawasaki and Yamaha stack up against each other on paper
Yamaha FZ-X vs Kawasaki W175 Spec Comparo

Yamaha introduced the FZ-X, a small capacity retro motorcycle in India in June 2021. Now after Kawasaki recently updated the W175, its smallest retro-style motorcycle, abroad, we thought it’d be interesting to see how the two motorcycles fare against each other on paper. 

Engine

Yamaha FZ-X Engine

Specifications

Yamaha FZ-X

Kawasaki W175

Engine

149cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled

177cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled

Power

12.4PS @ 7250rpm

13PS @ 7500rpm

Torque

13.3Nm @ 5500rpm

13.2Nm @ 6000rpm

Gearbox

5-speed

5-speed
Kawasaki W175 Engine

The FZ-X’s displacement handicap is evident in terms of power figures as the W175 produces 0.6PS more. What’s interesting is the fact that despite the handicap, the FZ-X manages to produce 0.1Nm more. There’s a caveat to these figures, more about it later. 

Underpinnings

Yamaha FZ-X Underpinnings
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Specifications

Yamaha FZ-X

Kawasaki W175

Front suspension

41mm telescopic fork

30mm telescopic fork

Rear suspension

7-step adjustable monoshock 

Dual shock absorbers with pre-load adjustability

Front brake

282mm disc brake with ABS

220mm disc brake with ABS

Rear brake

220mm disc brake

110mm drum brake

Front tyre

100/80-17

80/100-17

Rear tyre

140/60-17

100/90-17

The FZ-X leaves the W175 miles behind when it comes to the underpinnings. The fatter telescopic fork coupled with the monoshock at the back compared to the W175’s 30 mm front fork and dual rear shock absorbers should make the FZ-X a better handling motorcycle. Theoretically, it also means a motorcycle which is that much more stable in corners. 

Kawasaki W175 Underpinnings

What should further help the FZ-X’s credentials in the corners are its chunkier tyres. The combination of the 282mm front and 220mm rear disc brakes on the FZ-X should translate to a much better braking performance than the 220mm front disc and 110mm rear drum brake setup of the W175.

Dimensions

Specifications

Yamaha FZ-X

Kawasaki W175

Wheelbase

1330mm

1275mm

Ground clearance

165mm

165mm

Fuel tank capacity

10-litres

14-litres

Seat height

810mm

775mm

Kerb weight

139kg

126kg

At 1275mm, the Kawasaki W175 has a significantly tighter wheelbase than the FZ-X, which should make it the easier bike to flick around in the city, especially when you want to avoid nasty potholes or road hazards that you often spot at the last moment.  A much larger 14-litre fuel tank and a seat height that’s 35mm lower than the FZ-X’s, the W175 should be the more practical and easier to manage motorcycle of the two.

Kawasaki W175

The caveat that we talked about earlier was the FZ-X’s weight. At 139kg, the FZ-X has 13kg more heft to lug around, which could offset the slightly more torque it has. The wheelbase, fuel tank, seat height and kerb weight, all combine to make the Kawasaki a much more practical bike, on paper that is.

Features

 

Yamaha FZ-X

Kawasaki W175

USB Charging

Yes

No

Bluetooth Connectivity

Yes

No

Side Stand Engine Cut-off 

Yes

No
Yamaha FZ-X Instrument Cluster

When it comes to features, the FZ-X is hands down the better equipped bike of the two. It gets an LCD instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity showing call, email, SMS alerts, mobile notifications and more. Its side stand, when engaged, automatically cuts off the engine for added safety.  The W175, on the other hand, offers none of these modern bits.

Price & Verdict

Yamaha FZ-X

Kawasaki W175

Rs 1,30,400 

(ex-showroom Delhi)

IDR 3,43,00,000

(approximately Rs 1,83,113)

(ex-showroom Jakarta)

At Rs 1,30,400 (ex-showroom Delhi), FZ-X is 11,000 rupees more expensive than the Bluetooth equipped FZ-S FI. Honestly, for that extra cash, we don’t think you’re getting anything more than just the FZ-X’s neo-retro design. 

Since the W175 was spotted testing here, we can’t rule out its launch here. Given that Kawasaki doesn’t have a manufacturing facility here, the bikemaker needs to rely heavily on localisation. But, even with that, we expect the Kawasaki W175 to be priced from around Rs 1.7 to 1.9 lakh (and it’s unlikely to be cheaper than that), making it quite an expensive proposition for a 175cc motorcycle.

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