SOLD. It is a great bike for beginners as well as experienced riders alike. The W650 was not just arguably the first of the modern ‘retro roadsters’ it remains one of the best. The W650’s parallel twin is soft and easy-going – with just 49 horsepower, it’s great rolling in the neighborhood, around town or for cruising the highway.

Despite a dry weight of 420 lbs the Kawasaki W650's small size belies the stats, feeling light and controllable.

The suspension is not particularly sophisticated and ground clearance is far from limitless, but this is no sports bike. When compared to a cruiser, it’s nimble and capable. It’s also one of the best.

One of your first impressions when climbing on board a W650 is how small it feels, and for easy-going, leisurely riding that’s a good thing. The bench seat is just 31” high; the bike is slim, and the relatively high bars give an upright riding position that is almost perfectly comfortable for its intended use around town or on short Sunday rides.

Although its performance is not frightening and the limits of its handling can be easily found, that misses the point, ignores the type of riding it’s been built for, and distracts from its brilliantly authentic style and quality. Many previous owners comment on the forums that they wish they had never sold their old W650’s and the bike continues to have a nearly cult-like following today. It is hard to find to find an unmolested example of this bike today as many have been chopped or modified to resemble a something else. A totally stock bike like this one is very rare. All that, is reflected in the appreciating values we see now.

The newer W800 may have more poke, but it’s not enough to make much of a difference and it lacks some of the quality touches of the original W650The very latest versions are also quite expensive.

But the original W650 retains the charm and character it always had and its rarity means it still stands out in a crowd. . This can be included in the sale if desired. This bike runs perfectly and even starts cold with the kick-starter, then runs like a sewing machine. Brand new battery too. It has the reinforced factory rear fender already installed for those familiar with the early problems with the original fenders cracking. Not with this one. No known issues. I have a beautiful Corbin Seat for this bike which I have found to be much more comfortable for me than the stock seat, so there is the option of buying that seat too if you wish.