Keeway SR125 vs Kawasaki W175: Compared in 13 Images

Battle of the most retro looking newly launched motorcycles

Have you got retro bike fever? Well, to cure your itch Keeway and Kawasaki have launched their most affordable and old-school bikes, the SR125 and W175, respectively in the Indian market. So here’s how these retros compare against each other in images. 

Talking about the W175 first, it gets a sleek and old-school styling with a 12-litre teardrop-shaped fuel tank, circular headlight, rearview mirrors, and a vintage-style, single-piece plain seat – full retro.

The Keeway SR125, on the other hand, adopts a more scrambler-esque approach. It features a simple yet sporty 14.5-litre fuel tank with knee recesses and an old-school fuel filler cap. Even the bits like the headlight, single-piece ribbed saddle, and grab rail follow the retro-scrambler theme.

As you can guess, both bikes are entry-level offerings and feature rather small displacement, air-cooled engines. The W175 gets a 177cc mill making 13PS and 13.3Nm, whereas the SR125 gets a much smaller 125cc heart producing 9.83PS and 8.2Nm. That said, the output figures from both the engines are not all that impressive, however, the reasonably light weight nature of the bikes should make them  fun and peppy to go for everyday commutes.

Both bikes feature similar underpinnings with a telescopic fork and dual shock absorber suspension setup. Both bikes get five-step preload adjustability at the rear. The retros roll on spoke wheels; however, the SR125 gets dual purpose tyres capable of a little offroad-friendly riding, whereas the W175 features road-biased tyres.

Braking is where there is a stark difference between the bikes. While the W175 gets a 270mm disc up front and a drum at the rear, the SR125 features a 300mm disc up front and a 210mm unit at the rear. Such big discs on a 125cc bike? We believe It is an overkill. The Team Green bike gets single-channel ABS but the Keeway gets CBS.

The SR125 gets a seat height of 780mm, whereas the W175 gets a seat height of 790mm. Both will be pretty accessible for all kinds of riders, especially, for shorter riders.

In terms of features, the W175 goes old-school and comes equipped with a semi-digital analogue cluster, whereas the SR125 gets a fully digital console, side-stand engine cut off and a hazard switch.

Going back in time will cost you a lot as the Keeway SR125 is priced at 1,19,000 whereas the Kawasaki W175 bears an even more absurd price tag of Rs 1,47,000 (both ex-showroom India). While both bikes look cool, they offer performance compared to bikes that are much more affordable.