The Kawasaki W800 retro motorcycle is being recalled in the USA for a faulty horn. According to the NHTSA recall document, engine vibrations could damage the horn’s harness, causing it to become inoperable. Since this could be a potential safety issue, Kawasaki dealers will recall affected units and replace the horn, its mounting bracket, and its harness free of charge.
Approximately 1,660 motorcycles have been affected in the US, manufactured between 2019 and 2022. As far as India is concerned, the W800 is a model that the Japanese brand offers in our country – and is a bit of a hidden gem in the line-up. The units sold in India arrive as CKD kits from Thailand; we have reached out to Kawasaki asking whether any motorcycles sold in India have been affected, but it tells us it has no plans to recall the W800 here at the moment.
A modern-day reincarnation of Kawasaki’s W range of bikes that borrowed inspiration from old British twins, the W800 is a true-blue retro motorcycle with a 360-degree parallel-twin motor producing 47.5hp and 62.9Nm. While the numbers may not be impressive, this air-cooled engine with its bevel gear camshaft drive provides an authentic old-school riding experience that makes the W800 a rather endearing motorcycle. It is priced at Rs 7.33 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and competes primarily against Triumph’s modern classic line-up that starts with the Street Twin at Rs 7.99 lakh.