A New Variant Of Kawasaki’s W800 Is Coming At EICMA

It could be a scrambler model

Rumours surrounding Kawasaki are coming hard and fast at the moment, and the latest in this long line is that a new retro motorcycle will be unveiled by Team Green at EICMA. This rumour has now been substantiated, having been confirmed by Sergio Vicarelli, Director of Sales and Marketing at Kawasaki Italy.

Vicarelli stated that Kawasaki is working on a new addition to the W800 retro range and this will be unveiled at EICMA next month. The W800 range currently has two models: the Cafe, which comes with a small headlight cowl, and the Street, which doesn’t. A logical addition to this lineup would be a scrambler variant.

In India, the W800 Street directly takes on Triumph’s Bonneville T100, but the British manufacturer has a far more diverse portfolio that also includes the 900cc-engined Street Scrambler. Kawasaki currently has no answer to this bike, and they could be looking to change that with a new W800 scrambler.

If we’re correct, we can expect Kawasaki’s scrambler to be taller and feature more upright ergos than the existing W800s and be kitted with slightly longer travel suspension as well. Its wire-spoke wheels  could also be wrapped in dual-purpose tyres. If Kawasaki goes all out, this variant could also get scrambler-style high-mounted exhaust pipes as seen on the Street Scrambler.

While all this sounds very exciting, there are a couple of things that we need to keep in mind. Firstly, Kawasaki hasn’t officially confirmed that it is indeed a scrambler. The only confirmation is that a new retro model will be unveiled at EICMA. So, we need to hold our breath for a few weeks and brace ourselves for what’s coming. Secondly, Kawasaki only offers the Street variant of the W800 in India, while the Cafe gets a miss. Hence, it seems unlikely that this third variant would arrive at our shores, scrambler or not.

For those of you who are keen on adding a scrambler to your garage, check out the aforementioned Street Scrambler. If you are a little more hardcore about your off-roading and do not worry about shelling out a bit more moolah, you could also take a look at the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled and Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC.