I am a huge RE fan and don’t think any other bike gives such incredible value for money. But, and it’s a huge BUT, that Kawasaki is just beautiful and the engine is truly a work of art. I’m not a big fan of ‘blacked out’ bikes so side by side the Kawasaki wins the good looks contest today.

@stuartstibbs2069

2 ай бұрын

Yep. Hate black anywhere on bikes. The whole world is obsessed with it. In the flesh, the green and chrome W800, sitting in the sun, would have to be the most beautiful bike Ive ever seen, and Ive seen a few..😂

@JohnSmith-xw5qe

2 ай бұрын

Yep the blacked out RE against the W800 definitely comes 2nd & am a huge RE fan, but the W800 definitely needs a upgrade on the exhaust to make it sound a lot better Even the stock RE exhaust sounds better

@saltaireorangebicyclechopp8555

2 ай бұрын

Normally l'd agree with that but that RE is all black, like a John Player throwback, so l don't mind it. Love the Kawasaki though, only the higher bars like on the early 650 would improve it for me.

@abngraphics123

2 ай бұрын

Is royal Enfield reliable

@florme6494

2 ай бұрын

Chrome fills the space better and is more interesting to look at. Black is way more practical unless polishing is a big part of owning a bike. But then some don’t have ocd.

The newer W800 has disc brakes all around and the front disc is larger. The newer W800 also use a different Dunlop tire that is better but still not up to tubeless radials. The W800 makes its torque way down low in the rpm range. They are totally different bikes and the W is more true to the past and is not meant to compete with more modern retros. The W is more retro than modern and the RE is more modern than retro. It's all in what you are looking for. I chose to go with the time tested reliability of a Japanese manufactured W800 and have no regrets. (2022 red W800 standard). I agree with you about the slightly awkward seat to foot peg to handle bar relationship. I may install mild bar risers or replace the bars. i also would prefer that the foot pegs be slightly further forward. All that said I can't imagine a better engine for all around drivability in town, on the back roads and even occasional freeway driving. Bags of low end torque that makes it almost impossible to stall. I routinely pull way from a stop without even touching the throttle. Comparing an older W800 to a newer modified Interceptor isn't really fair in my opinion but I understand the problem with getting your hands on a newer W800. Cheers to all: Bob in Canada.

2 ай бұрын

Bob, can you verify one thing for me? on the W650 the right footpeg is like one or two inches more forward than on the left side... is this still valid on your w800?

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

The foot pegs on my W800 are even left to right fore and aft. I wood be surprised if the W650 pegs were any different from the factory. Is it possible that someone installed a different foot peg and bracket on one side?

2 ай бұрын

Nah... I think it might be repositioned as w800 does not need the space for Kickstarter to flow. I remember noticing this assymetry when I had mine stock

Bought my Kawasaki w800 cafe for £5495 pre reg 22 plate with 0 miles brand new in February this year

@kelvinjolley6264

2 ай бұрын

Definitely bargain of the century.

@leeinwis

2 ай бұрын

Wow, you got a deal !

I got my W800 on Friday. First time I saw one online I fell in love but once I saw one in real life I was smitten....most beautiful bike I have ever seen. When I bought it the seller said I hope you like attention and talking to people as people love this bike and he was right. On my first ride out I stopped for petrol and two police officers parked up in a car came over and started asking me about it 😊 The low down torque is superb for lazy weekend riding you hardly have to change gear as it can pull in any and the engine breaking noise make you grin ear to ear, it could be louder but it is easy to remove the dB killers from the pipes and makes a big difference ( search on KZread). Buying the W800 was possible one of the best decisions I've ever made 🥰

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Great to hear 👍🏼

I own a '15 model W800 and I agree with the assessment of this bike as presented here. I haven't ridden the RE, so I'm in no position to compare the two, however. A couple of things to note with the W800. They respond very well to a change of tyres. I'm running Bridgestone radials on mine. If you do purchase one of these, price that in, they need it. Once fitted with decent rubber, that big long wheel base and good rubber come together to make a bike that tracks exceptionally well and it will hold a line like it's on rails. It's worth noting also that the W comes with a 19" front wheel as standard. If you ride on rough roads like I do, you'll see why. It is easy to modify the exhaust on this bike to bring out a bit more "character". A 35 mm hole saw up the pipes will remove the baffles to reveal a more authentic sound without it being over the top, loud. One thing that I will say is that it takes a bit of time to get familiar with how to ride the W800. They just aren't like any other bike on the market, these days. They're geared quite low and they have oodles of power in the low to mid range. It's easy to ride these around town at quite a brisk pace and never go over 3k RPM. On the back roads, it's easy to never exceed 5k RPM. And the engine breaking higher in the rev range is pretty impressive. Once you get used to where and when to shift in order to make use of both the power and the engine breaking, you can really hustle these things along, but in a relative lazy way, if that makes sense. And that makes them a whole lot of fun to ride, and it makes them a very practical bike for "real world" riding. I wish that I'd known about these things, sooner.

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

Well said.

I’ve got an interceptor here in northern Utah, I take mine on the 70+mph highway all of the time. It does a very good job at those speeds. And the look of the bike draws a ton of attention.

for me i want the looks of the RE but the sound of the w800. i own an interceptor 650 and never fails to put a smile on my face, ive tried both bike and ended up going with the re

@drmachinewerke1

2 ай бұрын

Get some S&S slip on mufflers The sound is very nice better than any of my other bikes BSA Norton triumph harley Honda

@deltabluesdavidraye

7 күн бұрын

Im the opposite I put aew cans on my interceptor and the crazy snarling sound when you throttle off is better than my old Norton's and such.

The main reason Royal Enfield 650s handle and perform so well is because the frames were developed by Harris Performance. I find my Continental GT-650 very much up to task of navigating twisty roads and switchbacks with complete ease. Pound for pound they are hard to match, just my humble opinion. 🏁🏁 First on Race Day!!!

2 ай бұрын

not only that... more than half of the team that worked on the interceptor engineering came from triumph. That is no secret that both companies exist less than a mile from one another and there was some hard poaching when RE moved it's design and engineering to UK (i remember checking RE engineering Linked in profiles and there were mostly ex-triumph people). Expert move.

Fantastic editing - really appreciate the riding (SOUND😊) clips scattered throughout 👍🏻 Keep 'em coming!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thanks a ton!

As much as I love Royal Enfield, I'm riding the classic 350 myself, I gotta hand this one down to Kawasaki. The W800 (and the Meguro K3 variant) is just a top class bike.

@mattdog1982

2 ай бұрын

That meguro 👌lovely

Yes! 'Versus' videos are my favourite. It's a shame that more KZreadrs don't do them. I suppose it's not always easy to have two bikes available to review at the same time... plus some other 'influencers' are too scared to say anything critical which might risk them being blacklisted by the manufacturer!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Yes it is quite hard to get two bikes at the same time! But we have plans for many more comparisons this year! 😁

Oh, congratulations on reaching 100,000 subs! This father and son deserve it.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

The Kawasaki W650 and W800 were great bikes Maybe a bit too expensive for the UK 🇬🇧 market

Nice bikes! I see on the Kawasaki USA website that the W800 is available here with a 2024 model for $10,400 MSRP.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Both gorgeous! That’s interesting to hear, such a shame it’s no longer available here!

Great to see you testing a W800, a fabulous looking retro, if it was my money it would be the W800 over the Interceptor every time. I could never understand why Kawasaki dropped it from its range especially when just about every other manufacturer has introduced retro's in to their line up, all of which seem to sell extremely well.

@richardaraujo3492

2 ай бұрын

I've got a W800, the problem is Kawasaki did what everyone asked and took an honestly retro bike and updated it just enough for modern times. That means you get retro looks and handling. Most people actually want retro looks with modern handling, RE and Triumph seem to do that better overall. It's a compromise either way, though, I think. But I love my W800.

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

the W800, being built in Japan, cost more to build as they have higher labour rates than India. They had too price it higher so it wasn't selling well. I live in Ottawa, Canada and in the two seasons I have owned my W800 I have never seen another one on the street. They are not a big volume seller here either so perhaps its days are numbered here as well.

I bought my '11 W800 for 4300 just before the premiere of the Interceptor. 6 years and 20k miles later I still got it and I will probably keep it as the price is not worth selling it really. If I would have a choice - would I buy the RE? No, I wouldn't. I like the Interceptor but I prefer the look of the W. You can get it cheaper and I trust it much more when it comes to reliability. Within 20k miles I only adjusted the tappets. No other mechanical work needed. With RE I'm certain that wheel bearings, clutch and a few other things would require my attention. If the Enfield would be cheaper though, I would probably lean towards it I guess.

I'm with you I dislike blacked out bikes, it's chrome all the way for me. The W800 has Kawasaki build quality and legendary reliability everything about it shouts quality. Its the only bike I'd swop my GoldStar for, but obviously a more recent model although that green is very tasty indeed.

2 ай бұрын

Yup... and that w engine with that side bevel drive is soooo sweet... don't understand how companies want to make that a black blob.

My closest Kawi dealer (Rapid City) has a brand new (2023) W800 on their showroom floor. Price is near $11,000 U.S. They have jumped up considerably in the past couple of years (Bidenomics) so the Interceptor is several thousand $$ less expensive. Also, and you did not mention this, the W has the fabulous Bevel Drive to actuate the lifters. This was a feature on early W bikes and some Brit classics. I prefer the sound and vibes of the 360 degree firing order and the W, I believe, is currently the only bike tuned that way. The Triumph and RE twins, with their 270 degree timing are designed to sound more V Twin like. If I wanted a V Twin I would buy a V Twin. ( I own several, now) 🙂 I would put some mini apes on the Kawasaki and a nice mellow set of reverse cone slip ons and make beautiful music in these wonderful Black Hills in which I ride.

Gonna buy W800 in the near future, currently i'm sticking with my W250 till i finished college.

The W800 has a unique charm, the newer ones are marvelous. You can also find the "old" air-cooled Bonneville/Thruxton (360°) and Scrambler (270°) to compare to the Interceptor, it's a great bike if well looked after.

Love my Kawasaki w800 2012, same green like yours.Beautiful ride!!!❤

The W800 looks more retro and distinguished, but there's a huge price difference here in Ireland. W800 is ~12k€ and RE is ~9500€ both new. Great comparison! Cheers!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

I love the stealth , every man and his dog goes for shiny bling

I had a W650, loved that bike! Sadly my garage got too small when my son needed a 125 for his motorcycle licence training.

This was a great comparison of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Kawasaki W800! It sounds like you had a lot of fun riding these bikes

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! It was super fun 😁

@AjaySingh-228

2 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan ya 😃

Both great bikes ! My choice goes for the W800 😉

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Fair enough!

After weeks of researching, I narrowed down my search to the Interceptor 650 and the W800 Classic, with the preference towards the W800 because of it's beautiful styling and engine. However, after a test drive, I unfortunately realized that the W800 was a lot less comfortable than the Interceptor at my height (6'3). The Interceptor's seat height provides more room, it is easier to move around and get comfortable on the bench style saddle, and it's easier to adjust the pegs downwards (as the break lever of W800 runs below the peg, adjustment optionality is limited). Now I've got an awesome Interceptor 650 and added an aftermarket peashooter exhaust similar to the W800's stock one. Unbelievable how much this changes the style of the bike, truly believe it is best of both worlds like this :)

As for the ‘blacked out’ look, I personally would prefer a combination of a black powder coated block and fins with brushed or polished engine casings and valve cover. I thought RE missed a trick by not doing that with the Super Meteor. Having a degree of shiny bits to break up all that black would be much handsomer in my view. Perhaps they’ll do it for future models. Or maybe I’ll just have to do it myself!

After reviewing so many great bikes I was going for the Cali green interceptor but that blacked out engine looks beautiful.

Glad you finally got to ride that beautiful W800 work of art, even though new ones are not sold in the UK now. Interestingly, you can buy a brand new 2024 W800 here in the USA today with a list price of $10,399. However, Royal Enfield's pricing is considerably lower. The blacked out ("Black Ray") ENT 650 you reviewed is $6,849. And a 2024 "Orange Crush" ENT 650 with brushed alloy engine, chrome exhaust and spoked wheels can be had for just $6,149. Meanwhile, over at the Guzzi dealer, the V7 Special is $9,590 and the blacked out V7 Stone is $9,190. Go figure!

@kwood1112

2 ай бұрын

Yes, I noticed that a few weeks back when purchasing my Shotgun 650 - AWESOME bike, btw - that the W800 was considerably more expensive. It's a great looking bike for sure, but I have to think that $3-4K price difference is going to put it at a disadvantage versus the REs.

I’d take the RE all day long and especially in the black it looks awesome .

I’m a cheap bastard so went for the interceptor, but the finishing on that Quacker is gorgeous.

I don't know if you remember that I commented on you last video on the W800 and I said that it was between the W800 and the Interceptor and I went out and bought the Interceptor. I am so happy with my Interceptor 650 but boy the W800 looks amazing also. One of the things I really like about the interceptor is the way you can really make it your own with customization. It truly is a great bike and I don't see me ever selling it. Great review as usual and congratulation on 100k subscribers. Thanks ride safe!!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, yes the Royal Enfields are very customisable!

Great comparison of these fantastic bikes. Your VDO is a great guideline for those looking for a good retro, Darcy.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

Current w800 are disc front and rear with ABS Agree with you about the bar height I just bought a W800 the fit and finish is better than the RE The stock w800 seat is soft but I didn’t like it after very few miles, I put a Corbin seat on it and made it way better W800 valve adjustment if far simpler I’m 6’4” 260lbs I fit on it your dad would be ok I think Good video thanks

I bought a green 2012 W800 brand new in 2012 for £6000 and it was my daily all year round commuter and did a few long distance tours as well for about 5 years and I put about 20K miles on it, then work location changed and I sold it on. My quick fire opinions on it. It was comfortable. It was too quiet would have been nicer it it had a bit of rumble. It was a bit vibrationy at certain rpms. It wasnt fast but it was fast enough. The battery was a pain to access but how often do you need to do that. The tank had to come off to get to the plugs and valves which was a pain. Oil filter was easy to replace. Its was thirsty for oil though, mine needed topping up every few weeks. The exhausts chrome rusted. The inside of the tank rusted and rusted through creating a leak which need a repair. The ally forks and engine discoloured. Lots of other bits rusted as well, rear springs etc. It had good enough brakes. It lived outside at night and it always started up and never broke down once. The bevel drive cover on right was a good hand warmer in winter waiting at traffic lights. I never worried too much about it getting robbed cause to me anyway, just seemed not worth robbing as no market for its parts and its not a racer. Would I buy another one?, yes I would. But, do they sell new ones in the UK anymore? Doesn’t look like it? Anyone know have they pulled them from the UK market temporarily or permanently or ?

If money wasn't a problem I would definitely get the w800, that 360 deg crank soumd is a joy to my ears, it properly retro and I could be wrong but I think these are still made in Japan.

@besenwieslersepp1011

2 ай бұрын

The W800 since 2019 sound even better, than the models till 2016

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

Yes. They are made in Japan and are quite popular there. Like Japanese cars they are more expensive than other brands and have a very high quality reputation like Toyota cars. They also sell a W400 twin in Japan that looks and sounds pretty good. I think they were originally intended for the domestic Japanese market. The original Meguro (predecessor to the W1) back in the sixties was used as a police motorcycle. I don't know when they started selling them to the general public.

A steel braided brakeline helps a bit with the sponginess. I do miss a 6th gear though just to drop the revs at around 100Kp/h below the buzzy range.

Matte black engines cost less to manufacture than polished cases. So they take the cheap way out, but sell it as a feature, ie, "wow, look , blacked out." LOL. Also , chrome stays a lot cleaner for longer than black does! Every bit of black shows every speck of dirt!

The blacked out Interceptor makes sense for the rainy UK I think..... 👍👍

As a W800 cafe owner, I can tell you that it's an amazing bike. But I also enjoy the look of RE Int here in the states. But I could have gone either way, it was the cowl on the W and the black out of the engine.

Absolutely adore both of them, though I'd have to give it to the Kawasaki for looks. Would maybe be different with the metal/spoked wheels Interceptor! Either way, they're bikes that you turn back to once you've parked to get a second glance, and that'd what it is about!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Totally agree!

Love ❤ your videos mate because you explain everything in very detail with fun rides . Good job man 👏

a new W800 will be arriving to my house later this month. i’ve never ridden one and didn’t have to. it’s perfection.

@IPlayTerribleGames

Ай бұрын

How are you liking it?

@operamatthew

Ай бұрын

@@IPlayTerribleGames absolutely perfect out of the box. it’s quite alot quicker than i was expecting as well. it’s the only motorcycle i have no desire to modify.

Beautiful indeed. Enjoyed the review as always.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly!

Enjoy the content! Would love to see your review of a newer W800. Best to you and Ol’ man.

Really good videos and reviews. One advice to help everyone, like me, show the conversions on the video to the Metric system. When you say i'm this tall or this bike does miles per gallon show some texto with that info. Thanks and keep the good bikes coming.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tips!

Great comparison there Mr Darcy. Also, good to hear you giving us some of the stats which save me, for one, shlepping round the manufactuers crappy websites. Cheers.

Great comparison and review. I have an interceptor and really like it. It has a few minor things that I will change, such as foot rests but nothing small money can't fix!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@michaelmclarney1994

2 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan I think, for me, either the T120 or Speed Twin is the best option but a lot more money. The Interceptor is definitely the most bang for your buck in the segment

Couple of weeks ago I’ve asked for w800 test done by you - since I appreciate your “modern bloke” approach to bikes with classic appeal. I thanked for the test from few days ago. But this is even better. Another thumb up….it’s a shame I can’t subscribe again. Anyway wish you 1000000 subs. Can’t wait for the old man’s come back.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

He is coming back very soon 👍🏼

I hope they still make Interceptors with the spoked wheels and chrome. The blacked out look just doesn’t look right to me personally.

I'd say this was a pretty fair comparison. Even though Kawasaki is still selling the W800 new in the United States, they haven't changed it very much since the earlier EU versions. The engine is mostly unchanged, but if you look at dyno information, the new (2019+) W800 doesn't produce peak torque until ~4500 RPM now. I'm not sure what changes Kawasaki have made to the engine to produce this result. The engine, with it's lazy, long-stroke, very undersquare design, still produces a ton of torque from idle on up and pulls smoothly but there is a bit of a more pronounced bump in "power" feel around 4K on the tach. I do know the new engine has a different oxygen sensor arrangement too, using two sensors with one in each header instead of a single one below the engine in the crossover tube. The other changes are that the new W800s have ABS now, and a rear disc brake. Unfortunately the ABS pump occupies the empty space directly in front of the engine, inside the frame cradle, and it's not great to look at and kind of spoils some of the look of the engine area. I own a 2019 Cafe version of the W800, which has a small bullet fairing and an 18" front wheel, with low clubman bars. Great to look at, but is definitely a committed riding position. I've had it since it 2020 and it's been basically flawless during that time. I will say some people find the vibrations between 3-4k RPM to be borderline excessive. What is annoying is that cruising in top gear at 60mph (100km/h) puts the engine right in the worst of those vibes and it does become uncomfortable. I wish the engine were a bit smoother in this range. Thew new W800s are a bit expensive for what they are -- MSRP in the states is about $10,400 USD, while the RE twins are roughly 60 percent of that! To be fair, the W800 is one of a few Japanese bikes that is actually still built in Japan, so make of that what you will.

I agree with your comments re power and speed. Specs don't tell you anything much about the character of the machine. In my youth back in the 80s and 90s showrooms were full of bikes that had HP well beyond their braking and handling capabilities in my opinion.

14:06 Hahaha! 😂 The W800 is really nice. Also, I agree that the polished alloy cases look better than blacked out ones because the engine is a styling element too. But, RE provided the choice for those who prefer the stealth look and that is good.

Ive got a 2020 W800 Cafe w/ ABS ,Disks , front and rear. Excellent performance! Seating similar to the continental GT. Still a 5 speed in 2020. Looks like it will be out in Japan, Australia and the U.S. ..MSRP 2024 $7999. Three models available in Japan, Classic, Cafe and Street. Classic only USA. W800 sounds Awsome w/ Delkevic or Khan Moto exhaust. Cafe and Street models have black engines w/ polished fin edges! Love mine!

I see you have learnt how to ride both bikes at the same time. Good Job! 👍

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Hahah thank you! Lucky this was about 50 metres from the dealership 😁

The old W800 with spokewheels and without ABS vs brandnew Interceptor with alu rims? 😳

@danielkerr4100

2 ай бұрын

spoked wheels all day long, cast wheels on a retro look bike are disgusting imo

I do love the look of the W800 👍🏼

nice background on this one, ( the dumpsters ) great review !!!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Love the w800 thanks so much for a superb head to head review So many people have forgotten what a review should be fantastic I really think the w800 would suit me for an every day ride to work bike thanks so much

Fantastic and very insightful comparison. Thank you for posting this. I've had a 2020 W800 since that fateful year and have been using it mostly on city streets where it has been great. Now I want to find "bumpy country lanes" like these and try her out there! Yes, the newer models have disc brakes in the rear (and ABS), and I feel like maybe a slightly louder exhaust note? The stock Dunlop K300 tires do look incredible but I changed them out for Continentals right away because the stock tires were giving me wobble on highway rain grooves. (I got a Continental Trail Attack 3 in the front and Road Attack 3 in the rear and they have been excellent with no wobble.) I appreciate all of Mr. Darcy's notes on the differences with the Interceptor and I find the most notable one is probably the higher-revving engine. Also it looks like there is liquid-cooling on the RE vs. air cooling on the Kawi? Mr. Darcy if you are reading these comments it would be great to see a review of the Interceptor and the Hunter 350 - from a handling perspective and all-around comparison like this one was. Great stuff!

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

The rain groove issue is some what reduced by running the proper tire pressure. 28psi front and 32psi rear (36 with a pillion). The rear will follow groves is over inflated as most dealers do before delivery.

@TheInterloafer

2 ай бұрын

@@Bob-xc2us Ah, interesting. Thanks for mentioning this.

I prefer the lines snd looks of the kawasaki

Royal Enfield should focus more on their dial design because that is what a rider would be looking throughout his journey.

I think the Powerage Exhausts are the same as the Enfield Precision ones from Hitchcocks and I also think Tec Bike Parts have a similar or offer the same set as well for the Interceptor 650. I have the Enfield Precision and they sound exactly the same and do give improved performance and fuel economy.

Gud job guys .... keep going upper direction..make a video on royal Enfield gurila

@MrDarcy-OlMan

25 күн бұрын

Darcy was on the launch the video is available to watch this Saturday so don't miss it 👍🏼

Friggin love your channel guys and your passion for all things classic! I'm looking at the SCR950 but I havent seen many in depth good reviews like you guys do. Think you could get your hands on one? Cheers

I would also like to see RE switch to belt drive, chain drive requires so much more maintenance and is not even needed. On that class of bike, belt drive is so much easier to keep maintained.

A nice review, yeah 2 different but equally great bikes I'm a little biases towards the W as I've owned the W650 and just love that trip back to yesteryear and like you think they are the perfect country lane cruisers at 5'10" I found the W ok for my stature but possibly higher bars would be a little more comfortable, a friend at work has the RE so may ask him for a go on it.. cheers 🙂

I have an interceptor, but I’d have no problems having a w800 either. Lovely bike. It’s a shame Kawasaki don’t bring these to UK shores any,ore.

I’ve had a 99 W650 and the later W800. I always preferred the 650, felt more perky and alive than the 800.

W800 sounds awesome..... almost like the bmw boxer twins.....

@simoncaddick9085

2 ай бұрын

Or B.S.A. A7's..

@r.i.p2464

2 ай бұрын

Same firing order

Believe me... Black is the hardest colour to keep clean.... it's terrible 😊

Great content 👍

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙌

Love those analog meters on both bikes...

50hp is plenty in real world solo B roads. Motorway and with pillion etc then fine, have a bit more .

Excellent. Thanks for elaborating on the engine characteristics; that is so important. How would you rank a T100 against both?

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

I’m yet to ride the T100, should be riding one next month 🤞🏻😁

Chrome looks better on both of the bike, except its too hard to maintain the shine.. so black is more handy..❤

Resale value of the w800 will be way higher than the RE interceptor in 10-20-30 years. (and the new w800 has slipper clutch, traction, ABS, and injection kits are available to up the HP)

Nice review.

I love RE but c'mon w800 is way ahead in this battle

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Might have been if it was a newer version but when you ride them back to back the royal Enfield was slightly better in my opinion. But everyone has their own opinion 😊

@LowQualityPigeon

2 ай бұрын

​@@MrDarcy-OlManI see. That's great to know. Thanks for letting me know.

The biggest issue with the w800 as nice as it is that price. Here in the states over $10k!!!

mmm... get the facts right... W800 is still around new and it is way pricier than the interceptor... revised engine, disk brakes at back and that's pretty much it. Interceptor is one hell of a machine for the price it costs... it is unbeatable... but W800 aren't a dime a dozen, are more polished and exclusive. in the end... I too would be hard to choose. If I was to buy new, I would by interceptor... if I could opt for a second hand, I would go w800 or even w650 for the carbs and kickstarter on a 25 year motorcycle...so almost a classic.

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

The newer W800s have 270mm rear disc brake, larger 320mm front disc, anti lock brakes, a stiffer frame and 41mm forks in place of the older versions 39mm forks. They stop quite a bit better and handle a little better. The newer ones also get different Dunlop K300 tires to replace the old style harder compound Dunlop tires.

Very good review and comparison of two beautiful bikes. I also prefer more chrome on a classic style bike . I am a big RE fan and still lean toward the Int650 over the W800. Seeing them side by side I was wondering if it would be possible fit the W800 seat on the Int650. Could be an easy solution to an issue I had with seat comfort when test riding the Int650. Cheers, Dan ✌️🏍🇨🇦

I really dislike the blackout package on the Enfield and love the chrome on the w800. In this setup the Kawasaki is a true classic style.

CB400SS rider here would choose W800 over the Interceptor

The W800 looks nicer and has a better build quality. Not bad for a bike that was designed in 1999 when Kawasaki launched the W650.

@deltabluesdavidraye

2 ай бұрын

Does not have a better build quality by any means.The R.E. engine is far superior with its horizontally split cases 270 crank,Forged steel crank rods and forged pistons .

@deltabluesdavidraye

7 күн бұрын

The engine build quality of the RE is probably better.Horizontally split cases.The slipper clutch is incredibly smooth like the tranny and it's all way overbuilt.Really made to be a 865 when they come out with it.

For me, REs new colours of spoke wheel version look the best

Personally I like a Japanese bike . . I do like the interceptor too though . The w 800 engine does vibrate quite a bit with the 360 degree crank . Many people can't live with the vibes according to my Kawasaki dealer . Saying that I bought a new w800 in 2013 and I can't sell it

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

I am of the belief that Kawasaki left a little vibe in to make it more authentic. Who knows. My 2022 W800 has less vibration now that it is broken in. I now only notice it a bit in the foot pegs and not enough to be objectionable. When it was new I could feel it in the bars, the seat and the pegs. My first bike back in 1979 was a 1972 Honda CB350. That thing vibrated so bad you could not keep your feet from vibrating off the pegs. The W is no where like that. It is silky smooth at 4200rpm and above and 3200rpm and below. Your doing 4200rpm at 120kph so it does not need a 6th gear as some have complained about. It has such useable torque that close ratio gearing of a 6 speed is not needed. It will pull nicely from 50kph (30mph) in fifth gear so shifting is optional under a lot of driving conditions. Short shifting is fun, if you're not in hurry, and gives the exhaust a nice growl. It is a low compression high torque engine with a stroke that is longer than the bore. Very user friendly under normal driving conditions. I can pull away from a stop light without even touching the throttle and drive around on the two lanes all day without exceeding 3000rpm. It pulls like a diesel engine down low.

@glenncaukill1320

2 ай бұрын

@@Bob-xc2us I think you are right about Kawasaki building in a bit of vibration to make it feel more authentic. , I've only done 2300 miles on mine in over ten years and it's still like new . Still on the original battery and has never refused to start . Of course I do top up the battery occasionally with an optimate

@stewartnorton6386

2 ай бұрын

I just use the vibes as an indication it's time to change up 🤣

@Bob-xc2us

2 ай бұрын

@@stewartnorton6386 Sounds about right for every day riding.

My w650 is 22 years old and in great condition and still worth £3500. Will a RE? Resale values aren't too good either. And wait for the corrosion to get under those black engine cases, triumph suffer the same problem.!!

W800 for looks and Interceptor for sound.

I like the cast wheels much better.

Wales to Scotland - Approx 409mi (645km). Jump on the INTERCEPTOR and Away we go! [CA: Los Angeles to San Francisco or th Reno] No problem.

Other than the air cooled Harleys and Indians, the Kawi, the Norton and the Moto Guzzi are the only real retro bikes out there. The rest have car radiators on them. The RE's oil cooler is unfortunately too large and conspicuous for me to swallow. Shame they didn't do as good a job on their oil cooler as Harley.

Great video! I have to say both bikes look amazing. The only question I have is, would either/both of them have "enough" power for e.g. an uphill overtake on a motorway at 70mph?

@MrDarcy-OlMan

2 ай бұрын

Yes they’ll definitely do it, not as fast as something with say 60+hp but they can still overtake and go on to 90+mph (on a private test track of course 😉)

Both good bikes but for me the RE purely because, and it's my preference, I'd want to spend time riding and not polishing

9:03 This I can't agree with. Drum brakes are a breeze to maintain in the field. Mainly, there's no brake pads to be pushed back when reinserting the wheel. They also fully disengage when not pressed, so you can take the wheel off easily. They can be fully disconnected without anything vital leaking out, and you can carry a spare wire with you on a long trip. You can carry lots of them in the space of a bottle of brake fluid. Drum brakes have more robust parts, less oil and lubrication requirements and no seals to be kept absolutely clean. You can basically rebuild them during a sand storm. Disc brakes have better performance and cooling, and are perhaps easier to adjust as you can do so while they're fully mounted, while adjusting brake shoes are a bit of a pain in the rear, but for a puncture way out in the woods, I'm much rather taking off and remounting a wheel with a drum brake, any time.

When I first saw the new paint schemes for the Interceptor I thought, come on, what is this? And cast wheels, and "blacked out", -that is not funny anymore! I have to admit though, the "Black Ray" looks quite nice with the tank graphics matching the rear suspensions gold. The bike looks a little "bad ass". 😊 I am not so sure I like the "Barcelona Blue" version, probably not. I am not so keen on the later "blacked out" Kawasaki W800:s either. This one is beautiful! 👌

A nice comparison. While following the evolution of the W800 I have no experience with one. But I had a W650 and regrettably sold it over 10 years ago. I know that the W800 had a very nominal increase in horsepower but a greater torque and no carbs.The w650 though was totally reliable had a decent suspension and power. Of note, it was supposedly based on a BSA model Kawasaki produced in the 60s under licence. It certainly looked British. Fellow riders seeing it for the first time scratched their heads convinced they were looking at Brit bike that somebody had simply put a Kawai medallion on and would dismiss it as a Japanese knock off. What would they say today about Royal Enfields? Finally two things, where is the kick starter (w650 had one) and was it not dangerous standing in front of what is clearly a Zombie containment facility?

The Interceptor is the better motorcycle. Not taking anything away from the W800 it is a great motorcycle but the INT650 is just better. I rode a newer used 2020 W800, and I think the INT650 with its 6 speed, power delivery, and its frame is just a more spirited motorcycle to ride. My INT650 is the Canyon Red and not blacked out everywhere. Ride it every day, love it.

i like the blacked out interceptor