Back to the future.

It begins with the kickstart, tucked against the right side of the oddly assymetrical engine. First reaction: this is one of those falsies, like some Harley parts companies make, a non-functional bit tacked on for looks alone, pretentious chrome. Who puts a real kickstart on street bike in the end of the millennium? This can't be real... But then you climb on the bike and turn the pedal out, rise up and drive down hard. The bike churns over immediately, a soft chuffing sound. You smile - how long has it been since you worked a kickstart? You always have the convenience of the electric start when needed, but there's something far more satisfying about that moment when human muscle and mechanics meet to pump life into the engine.

Fit and finish come to mind. Words that somehow often get forgotten when we discuss horsepower and compression ratios, when we compare zero to 100 times. The W650 is crafted, not merely assembled, with fit and finish in mind. It's a bike of simple, fulfilling elegance. From the chrome fenders to the polished metal cases of the instruments, from the alloy rims sporting chromed spokes, from the deep lustre of the gas tank to the dark black of the twin down-tube frame, the W is wonderfully and carefully built of quality components, as if it had to live up to its past, not merely reflect it. And it does it well.

Even the requisite tool kit that comes with the W is well-crafted: all the component tools are superior quality, drop-forged and chrome plated, then packed into a small, padded vinyl case. This is the sort of attention to detail the bike is replete with.

The W650 may be a modest offering in an era of superbikes, but it is competently modern; eschewing upper-end performance and technological wizardry in a time when high-tech seems to dominate. In an age of super computers, gigahertz processors, and fairings designed in wind tunnels, the W650 is an anachronism. It appears a throwback to days when motorcycles were machines built from human engineering. It recalls the grainy black-and-white films of Triumph production lines where Speed Twins were hammered into shape, fitted into frames by people, not machines. It works, but works without the Star Wars stuff of modern technology to make it come together. It has enough, just enough, modern engineering to make it do the job, and do it well, but no more. That minimalism makes you feel closer to the machine than with most modern bikes.

But technology was not forgotten when Kawasaki remade their classic for the fin de siecle. It was simply understated. Along the right side of the engine, a chrome tube that houses a shaft to drive a bevel (hypoid) gear, operating the cams. This sort of machinery is also seen in modern Ducati engines, although the design is much older (Bert Hopwood designed a similar bevel-gear engine for BSA in 1949, see image at left). It eliminates the need for cam chains and tensioners, and the offset position reduces friction and noise. Plus, the engine has four valves per cylinder, not the two of the Beezer that inspired its ancestor. The exhaust uses the Kawasaki Clean Air (KCA) system. The generator uses rare-earth magnets for longer life. And, of course, it has a wonderfully oil-tight engine and cases.

In the saddle - smiles per mile.

The morning I picked up my W, I climbed aboard my sleek '99 VFR Interceptor for the last time. The 800cc, fuel-injected engine purred into life. For a few blocks it was choppy as it warmed, but once I hit the highway, it opened up to a smooth, aggressive and powerful machine. I almost hesitated to trade it in, the ride was so good. But I had made the call and was determined not to be sidetracked.

The single W650 in the shop was silver with lustrous blue paint, slightly dusty and looking somewhat ignored among the sport bikes and bad-boy cruisers. It was a very nice colour, but I had hoped to find a red/cream model - apparently less common. There are several other colours in Japan and Europe, but overly cautious buyers in North America opted to only bring in the two. I would have preferred the imperial red/black or the green version. With good graces, I accepted what I could find.

The W was a little grumpy at start, and the shop had to play with the unbalanced carbs to keep it running. It took three hours to get everything sorted out, and the needles in the right places, but once on the road, the W was smooth and steady, never once hesitating. True, it was slower than the VFR to rise to speed, but to be fair, I was its first rider and had some breaking in to do. The 70 km ride home was only the first part of the relationship and I reached a comfort level at around 100 kmph - 3,600 rpm.

The wide bars seem awkward at first - like the Kawasaki Drifter's bars - especially after the flat, low, tight bars of a sport bike, but you soon get accustomed to them. They allow great amounts of leverage for cornering, which combine with the lightness of the bike to make it nimble and agile in corners. Plus you sit upright, not leaning on the bars, a real boon.

Shifting is butter smooth, never missing a gear, never drifting into false neutrals: just clean, crisp clicks. Kawasaki uses a 'positive neutral' finder to ensure you get into neutral without a fuss. The clutch is mechanical, not hydraulic and the final drive is - of course - a chain. The engine burbles and blips away underneath - a trifle too quietly for my taste. That can be changed.

Despite the rubber mounting and internal engine balancer, the bike vibrates - less so than I recall an old Bonnie did, and much less than my BSA A50, but more so than any recent bike I've owned outside the Enfield Bullet and Harley Sportster. This isn't uncomfortable, just different from the purr of the others. It's most noticeable in lower gears, but quickly smoothes out in higher revs to a omnipresent background hum. No sufficient to jar one's fillings loose, but always there. To me, that's part of the charm. Motorcycles vibrate. The only question is whether they do so in an obtrusive manner. The W does not.

The seat is a little too soft and slopes forward in a way that makes you shift a few times trying to establish a position where you don't become too intimate with the gas tank. The seat cover seems too flimsy to withstand hard riding or long periods in the sun. It combines with a rather solid suspension to make backroad riding on rough pavement or even unpaved road a little too jangling. Neither are permanent faults. The seat can be replaced with a new Corbin seat, and I later adjusted the suspension to better suit local conditions.

As expected, the mid-level seat height and position of the pedals and handlebar perches the rider upright, arms comfortably outstretched. It's a very common cruiser position, easy to assume and settle into, but one that might be tempered by flatter bars for those of a more sporting bent. A windshield will help on long trips where the upright position against the wind gets tiring.

There's a centrestand on the W. Not many times you see that any more on today's bikes. It's a great boon when cleaning and oiling the chain. And at around 425 lbs dry, the W is relatively easy to get onto the stand with minimal effort. The sidestand is a solid piece with wide wedge of foot to maintain the bike upright.

The instrument cluster is beautifully designed. The speedometer and tachometer are reliable, electronic replicas of the old Smith instruments. Tucked into the speedometer face is a digital odometer, trip meter and clock display. The meters work wonderfully at night, too.

I had to keep the W under 4,000 rpm during break-in. Not a problem - at 100 kmph it is only doing around 3,600 rpm in top gear, so it handled the 70 km trip home quite nicely on the 80 kmph highway. During a test ride in June, I took another W up over 150 kmph - about 4,500 rpm, with plenty of power to spare: the redline is at 7,500. But the lack of a windshield, and the unfamiliar suspension made me opt for discretion and not push it higher. Besides, 150 kmph is usually plenty fast enough for my riding needs. At that speed, the W seemed a stable platform, although the single front disk brake (and rear drum), plus the period-style small forks would recommend against excess shenanigans or power stops.

Acceleration is acceptably smooth and powerful, given the claimed 50 bhp at 7,000 rpm, with a top speed of 105-110 mph. That compares nicely to the original Bonnies at around 46 bhp (although the new Bonnie claims 61 bhp). The Yamaha XS650, a contemporary Brit twin clone, managed 53 bhp at 7,000 rpms. Around town or on the highway, the W is easy and comfortable to ride at almost any speed and rpm range. It offers good power in the low-to-mid-ranges, as well as having a "healthy" top end. In top gear, the bike won't complain if you drop to low speeds and throttle back up without shifting.

The twin pistons work in 360-degree fashion: they rise and fall together, firing alternately on their long stroke. The throttle is assisted by Kawasaki's Throttle Responsive Ignition Control (K-TRIC) system. This allows the bike to cruise steadily at almost any speed from 1,000 rpm up, as well as improving fuel efficiency. The throttle response is also very good - immediate roll on when exiting curves, albeit without a power rush of the sport bike: steady but muted. It's got low-end torque that will let it break away from the traffic, but the W isn't a racer - at least in stock form. Actually the slow speed capability of the W is appreciated in local riding and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Even in fourth or fifth gear, the W650 lets you slow to 2,500 rpm or less, revving back up without complaining or lumbering.

On the other hand, the W is old-fashioned slow to wake in the cool morning, taking its own time to properly warm up. The 'choke' is a simple in-out lever with little subtlety. You learn not to rush it, to be patient, and allow it the necessary time - although it takes less time to reach its operating prime than my Harley Sportster ever did.

I am reminded of my former Enfield Bullet. Both share common styling characteristics, although the Bullet may be said to be more authentic: it's been stuck in a time warp in India since 1955. Bullet and W have similar riding positions and handlebars, but the similarity stops there. The W is much peppier, handles itself well in corners, accelerates more and brakes better. It's also better made in every detail - this is a thoroughly modern motorcycle if not the most modern cylinder layout.

The knee pads are overdone and grossly thick (slimmer for 2001). They make the gas tank appear bulky and ugly. The gas-tank badges are similarly too wide. Both could use an application of more stylish lines to lose some of their bulk. Perhaps they can be replaced with more appropriate aftermarket items. And maybe the horn can be replaced with something that blares, not bleats.

As with the Drifter, the W is soft spoken. Kawasaki engineers seem unable or unwilling to come to terms with the aural pleasure afforded by motorcycles, or the demands of North American motorcyclists for bikes that can be heard. The little peashooter mufflers dampen the output to a quiet burble that, while not unpleasant, begs to be released to sing its tune. Cobra has announced three different aftermarket pipes, plus a jet kit to be available in fall, 2000.

In fact, there are very few accessories offered for the W650 in North America, not even a windshield. I couldn't even fit a stock throttle-lock onto the bars. It's as if Kawasaki grudgingly brought the bike over and left its new owners to make their own way into the murk of customizing. In Europe and Japan there are, at least, some Kawasaki and third party products available (engine guards, grip rails, luggage racks, new lights, handlebar kits and more). To date only Corbin (alternate seat), and Cobra (new exhausts) have reacted to the W650. I hope others will wake up to this new market soon.

But overall? I am as delighted with it now as as I was when I first set eyes on it. The W is a charming throwback of a bike with a reliable, easy ride. it suits me perfectly. To quote Mark Tuttle Jr, in the May 2000 issue of Rider Magazine, "If you like the bike's gorgeous retro styling and your expectations aren't too high, you may just find the W650 to be one of the most satisfying machines you've ever ridden."* Amen, Mark.

*Unfortunately, while an excellent magazine, Rider did not seem to have an online presence at the time of this writing. 

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