W650

[clearviewx]

Buy it

[LongRanger_imp]

OMG, I think I know her.

[Houtman_imp]

We all know her !

[Guth_imp]

So what happened Hondahawkrider — did you end up with the W?

[cookiemech]

The suspense is killing me!

[Houtman_imp]

Just this week one of my friends sold one of his two W650 for $ 2000 with 75000 miles on it . He never had a problem with the bike.

[baxtercat_imp]

I had a 2000 W650 that I rode for several seasons. The styling and build quality of that bike is phenomenal--comparable to our CB1100s. Super reliable and easy to work on, great handling and wonderfully smooth parallel twin. I think this was one of those labor-of-love bikes for Kawasaki, an homage to both the early Bonnevilles and the W1 bikes that emulated them--and they did it more authentically than the resurrected Triumph company. Only brought here two years: sold some the first year (2000, blue and silver) but market was satisfied by 2001, and those ones (green) did not sell. The W800--which we never got in the US--updated the engineering with fuel injection, but when that bike was discontinued a couple years ago, the used W650s started climbing in value, esp. low mileage/good condition bikes. Yours seems like a good deal--hard to imagine anything major going wrong with it, so even if you had to put a bit of money into basics to get it roadworthy again, you'll still come out ahead of what they are now going for. They are collectible because they are great and there is a very limited supply; I don't see the values ever coming down. I sold mine for $1000 more than I paid for it, after two years.

[the Ferret]

it is indeed a pretty motorcycle

[Wisedrum]

My bigger sister of the W650 has today passed the technical observation service called TÜV for the next 2 years without any problem. After 55.000km and nearly 7,5 years it really runs well. I rode the W800 more the last days and like her very much. This year for the longer summer trip I will choose this bike for touring in Europe. The route is not yet fixed but I prefer after the last rain tour a warmer and dryer one starting in the mids of July.



Wisedrum

[Lord Popgun]

Really nice bike! I like it a lot.

So what is the deal with the TUV? It is a safety inspection? Emissions?

In Virginia we have to get annual inspections on our cars, motorcycles, and some trailers, but it is just a safety check. Brakes, tires, lights, etc.