Kawasaki W800: A Long Overdue Ode to My Dubya | Motourismo

Story and Photos by Toby Alberto

A stop-over at the upside-down house in Sagada.

It’s been over two years since I started seeing her. She’s been such a happiness provider and I always look forward to the moments I could be with her. We’ve been to so many places together and she still looks as good as the day that I saw her. She looks past my many shortcomings and our union is pretty much smooth-sailing. I may not have been her first (and I not hers), but I think I will be her last. I simply appreciate and adore you my… Dubya!

No. I am not smitten with some girl. Dubya is an oldskool, modern classic, 800cc, 2018 Kawasaki W800 motorcycle! And this is our “love” story. 

Dubya conquering the Philippines' highest motorable road in Tinoc.

Early Stirrings

I was pretty happy with my first “biggie” motorbike, a 2020 Royal Enfield Himalayan (https://www.motourismo.ph/2021/12/fulfilled-dreams-of-touring-on-two.html), who I called Hima. My Hima was a versatile bike – a real tractor of an offroad machine as well as Philippine expressway eligible (above 400cc engine displacement). It had loads of character and is a proven bulletproof bike! It may not be the speediest but it most certainly is rugged. But, I wasn’t completely taken by Hima. Sure it was pretty and it had a proven track-record despite its brief history (it was, at the time, the latest developed model by Royal Enfield, and their first attempt at producing a motorcycle in the adventure segment), something was still missing.

As much as I enjoyed our countryside treks, the Hima, to me, felt and looked a bit awkward in the urban setting. I love classic-looking bikes. And the Hima fit that bill, looks wise. But, at the risk of sounding pretentious, I figured it would also be nice to have a smidge of genuine heritage behind the bike. Enter the Kawasaki W800! The first W800 I saw was during a ride with friends. One of the guys, rode a W800 Black Edition. It was really eye-catching. I didn’t know much about the Kawasaki Ws back then, but I was already kinda drawn to it. I just thought that it looked a bit small, perhaps because of the full black colorway – from tank to tail. But that was the end of that.

The author with "Dubya," 'neath a tree at the former's beloved Alma Mater.

Thunderstruck!

Not soon after, Hima needed a battery change and the “Himalayan Whisperer” aka Dennis Chua (https://www.instagram.com/mechanicwithoutborders?igsh=MTV5dHVnNGpncjA2YQ==) – who at the time still made “house calls” before opening his shop, Reborn (https://www.instagram.com/rebornmotorhouse?igsh=YmZrcGp3Z3J0MWs1)  - carried Yuasa batteries and promptly rose to the occasion. When he arrived at my place, I spied that he was not on his RE Himalayan but on a classic-looking bike, which I wasn’t able to ID immediately. I was pretty drawn to it, with its green, metallic tank and chrome trims and pipes! It turns out, it was a 2019 model of the W800! I really liked how the bike looked in this shiny colorway. After installing the battery on my RE, I quizzed Dennis about his W. I paraphrase but he said something like “this is the REAL bulletproof bike!” or something to that effect. He regaled me with tales of his frequent adventures in the Cordilleras and Mountain Province, frequently taking the “standard” bike WAY off the beaten path. I was more entranced with it. What with the W800’s classic good looks and now proven (through the accounts of Dennis’ exploits) rugged reliability, I sort of wanted one. No. I pretty much really wanted one, and Dennis also kind of caught on to that.

So long, Hima! Hello, Dubya!

Not soon after, I spotted a W800 for sale on FB Marketplace and I messaged Dennis to ask what he thought about it.  As it would turn out, the seller/current owner at the time was a kindred gearhead friend of his who was disposing his W800 to get another bike. He sent me more pictures of the bike and ME LIKEY! Dennis also told me (in not so many words) that he pretty much vouched for the seller and I then seriously mulled getting it. Before contacting the W’s owner (who turned out to be an old schoolmate of a nephew of mine), I looked further into the background of the Kawasaki W800, and what I learned sealed the deal for me!

A Japanese Cult Classic

The Kawasaki W series is a line of vertical-twin standard motorcycles made by Kawasaki beginning in 1965. First sold as a 1966 model in the North American market, the initial Kawasaki W1 had the largest engine displacement of any model manufactured in Japan at the time.

The rented W800 cruising past Mt. Fuji in Japan

Based heavily on a licensed version of the post-war, pre-unit construction, 500cc vertical-twin BSA A7, the bikes were clearly aimed at the market then dominated by the classic British twins of the day. Production of the original series, which saw W2 and W3 models, ended in 1974. In 1999 the W650 made a “reappearance” and was produced through 2007. In 2011 Kawasaki announced another retro version of the “W” brand, the W800, which remained in production until 2016, then was re-introduced in 2019 and has been churning updated iterations of the model until present.

Adventures with Dubya!

I procured Dubya (and subsequently sold Hima) in January of 2023. Almost immediately thereafter, a plan was hatched by the “usual suspects” (my regular group of friends who ride) to go on a 5-day, “semi” Cordillera loop – Manila - La Union – Besang Pass – Sagada – Mt. Data – Tinoc – Baguio – Manila. The multi-day trip was a first for us and it was a bit of a daunting prospect – especially since I have not even gotten past the “getting-to-know” you stage of my relationship with Dubya! However, I thought what better way would there be to really get to know your ride than to go on a verrry long ride with it! But, first things first. I had to be absolutely sure that Dubya was roadworthy enough for the task that lay ahead. For that, I took her for a full inspection by the W800 “master” himself, Dennis! When I told him of my intentions with Dubya, Dennis fully “understood the assignment!” Dubya was given a thorough looksee from headlamp to rear fender! By the time he was done (oil was changed, chain adjusted, tires inspected, phone holder/charger installed, pannier rack assembled, etc), I was thereafter very confident about the adventure I was about to embark with Dubya! 

The Cordilleras in the backdrop

On the appointed day (mid February 2023), I had some apprehensions about the trip. While I was confident that Dubya could easily complete the “mission” that lay ahead, I was not as sure of my “worthiness” to guide her on it. While I admire the brass tacks simplicity of the 2018 W800, I was a bit skittish about the bare amenities it had – drum rear brakes, no anti-lock braking, no fuel gauge, no traction control, no fancy telemetry, etc, etc, etc! But then again, I thought about why I got into motorcycling in the first place. I was after the pure ride experience of what the riders of yore faced. And I wanted to do it on a bike that was representative of that bygone era. Besides, I don’t think I would really know what to do with all the gizmos and doohickeys on a bike had these been on it.

Mt. Arayat

Riding out entailed being on the Philippine north expressways (NLEX, SCTEX, and TPLEX) to get to La Union. Dubya impressed me with smooth gear transitioning from its 5-speed gearbox and a comfortable ride on the highway! Although it has 800ccs (rounded up from its actual 773cc) on the engine, it is listed to be endowed with 48 bhp (@6500 rpm) max power – one horse higher than one of its close rivals, the RE Interceptor 650. This power configuration on Dubya, although met with some consternation in certain quarters, is quite enough for me. Topped off with a guttural growl from its (slightly modified) peashooter pipes, I was grinning from ear to ear by the time we got to San Juan, Elyu! 

The first challenge of this leg was coping without a fuel gauge on the bike. Good thing Dennis got me covered there too. He advised me to reset the trip meter each time I filled the tank (14 liter capacity). He also said that the prudent assessment of Dubya’s consumption to be about 14 kilometers per liter of fuel. Given this, a trip meter reading of anywhere north of 190 kms, should already signal one to look for a gas station. This is the more conservative way. The more panic-inducing way is to wait for the “low fuel” indicator light to go on, which would mean there is about a liter and a half left in the tank’s reserve and that you have a MAXIMUM of 20 or so kilometers left to find gas! Opting to use the “prudent” way, I decided to refuel at every opportunity I got! 

The look of satisfaction.

Unli Twisties. Getting on the Besang Pass route to get to Sagada, I expected the terrain to be curve-filled and have plenty of switchbacks. I wasn’t wrong. As I did have this foresight, I opted to stay behind our pack of riders, which bikes were composed of ADVs – 3 BMW GSs for the majority and a Honda Africa Twin. Given the lack of tech and my early familiarity with Dubya, I chose not to be a potential cause of delay and allow the more modern-equipped riders to “ride their ride,” so to speak. 

To round out the group, a fellow Kawasaki modern classic (the 50th anniversary edition of the Z650RS, to be precise) rider offered to do alternating sweeping duties with me. Having been rid of the pressure of “keeping up” with the pack, riding Dubya at my pace was extremely enjoyable. The upright riding position was very comfortable through the long stretches of road between stops, being a sciatica sufferer notwithstanding. It took the curves with relative aplomb despite my neophyte riding ways. The steep climbs weren’t an issue as the parallel twin engines churned out more than ample torque (listed at 60nm @ 2,500 rpm, if you wish to get technical). 

All this combined with the relaxing roster of contemporary jazz songs playing in the background on my helmet comms and the breathtaking views of our route provided the ride experience I once only dreamed of! The descent from the Cordilleras was just as pleasant. However, we caught a pretty big jam on the NLEX homestretch (we did not factor in the Baguio Pinagbenga Flower Festival that weekend!). But, traffic notwithstanding, Dubya was able to pass the stagnant vehicles with ease – she was slender enough to fit through the lanes between the cars, buses and trucks! Throughout this slow riding and periodic ‘stop and go’ traffic sifting, Dubya never felt hot – even though its engine is air-cooled. At the end of that long ride, I was definitely brought back in one piece. MORE even! I was AT peace! Thanks, Dubya!

Even More Adventures with Dubya! 

After my Cordilleras sojourn with Dubya, I gained a lot of confidence in taking her just about anywhere! I have since taken her on numerous out-of-town breakfast runs, several long weekend rides, which took me to destinations such as Batangas, Pangasinan and to many others (including the occasional bike-to-work trips)! Last year saw me embarking on a major ride adventure in Japan (https://www.motourismo.ph/2024/12/the-grand-jafun-motorcycle-ride.html?m=1),  and while I did not bring Dubya with me, my motorcycle rental of choice was still the W800! How’s that for loyalty?? What’s in store for me and Dubya in the future? I’m not really sure. But I think she’s a keeper.

The unique bevel drive - a prominent fixture on the W800

Post Script

I couldn’t leave this article without saying something about the unique bevel drive on the W800. Bevel gears, by definition, are used to connect shafts whose axes lie at an angle to each other, although in most applications the shafts are at right angles. 

On the W800, it is positioned prominently on the right side of the bike engine, Outside of the aesthetics, I could not locate a solid rationale as to why the bevel gear is present as an external feature on a motorcycle engine. As to the origin of the W-series engine design, all I could gather was that it inherited the “look” from its “ancestors” from Meguro and BSA. 

From also what I know (and heard) very few motorcycle brands incorporate the use of external bevel drives on some of their bikes. I scoured the internet and only two contemporary bike makers come up on the search – Ducati and Kawasaki.  We could have a protracted back-and-forth about the hows and whys of the bevel drive on the Ws. But one thing is for sure. For me, it makes the Dubya “one of a kind” and I think it really looks good! 

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Toby Alberto is a career bank officer with The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, but his real job is driver and cook for Mesdames Catherine and Audrey at Chez Alberto.