Manky Monkey Motors

Technical Section => Bike Tech => Topic started by: Tony oily bike on November 19, 2010, 10:30:30 PM



Title: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Tony oily bike on November 19, 2010, 10:30:30 PM
Kawasaki have brought out a new Bonnie-look-a-like for 2011.

800cc and fuel injected, the W800 is the replacement for the twin carb'd W650.

Its even got fork gaiters, a rear drum and TT100 style tyres!! I reckon the barrels resemble XS650. Aesthetic 'improvements' in my view over the 650 are that the front and rear hubs along with fork legs are no longer black. (sometimes I think I'm too sad even for me!)

Saw a for sale price of £6,500 on auto trader

So, what do think......................... and wonder how long till we see one chopped or modded???

http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/W800

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm9LUaFj3Qc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM49-q5kSZ4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkyS43BtSSg&feature=related

http://bikerholic.com/2010/11/03/2011-kawasaki-w800-the-latest-installment-in-the-iconic-retro-w-series/

The sales blurb refers back to a previous age, and the W1, so the last pic is of a W1 (or W2) Kawasaki made back in the late 1960's - and if you're thinking its more than a tad like a certain BSA of the period, then you get a gold star (yeah, I wish!). See the wiki link about how that happened (as the rumour mill sometimes suggests that they 'simply copied' the dear old A7).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_W_series


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Manky Monkey on November 19, 2010, 10:58:28 PM
Very nice. The W650s are getting quite a following now. Good to see big manufacturers returning to "proper" bikes.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: BikerGran on November 20, 2010, 12:33:27 PM
Love that, they've really got the look!  Now I really need to win the lottery - one of those with a spangly new Watsonian sidecar.........   well anyone can dream............


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Tony oily bike on August 31, 2019, 09:44:34 AM
... and 9 years later from the first (and last) post........

Spotted this W800 on a certain internet auction site, and it has what appears to be a very neat and tidy four-leading-shoe front brake conversion (the first I’ve seen), which, in my humble opinion, sets the bike off a treat.

Interesting to see what fellow Monkeys think.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Tony oily bike on August 31, 2019, 09:46:35 AM
Close up piccie from the other side.

Advert for the bike doesn't say where the brake was from, so answers on a postcard please.

My best guess is Suzuki GT750 ketttle or eqv.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Manky Monkey on August 31, 2019, 10:14:28 AM
I was going to say 70s Honda or Suzuki as I remember a few similar in my youth.
They're a nice looking modern "classic" aren't they.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: the coppersmith on August 31, 2019, 11:42:40 AM
I remember many years back, late 60's, someone doing this in a motorcycle mag. my racing friend Chunky Ellis copied it, I silver soldered two halves together in HM Dockyard.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: BikerGran on August 31, 2019, 12:04:48 PM
I was going to say 70s Honda or Suzuki as I remember a few similar in my youth.
They're a nice looking modern "classic" aren't they.

Yes I thought Honda, can't remember which though.

W800 - good looking yes but I'm reliably informed they have a seat like a plank!


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Manky Monkey on August 31, 2019, 04:29:56 PM
  ;D I had a Honda 400/4 for a little while years ago. Most uncomfortable saddle I've ever experienced.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Tony oily bike on August 31, 2019, 05:37:27 PM
I was going to say 70s Honda or Suzuki as I remember a few similar in my youth.
They're a nice looking modern "classic" aren't they.

mmmmm..... Did Honda do a four leading shoe............?


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Manky Monkey on August 31, 2019, 05:41:11 PM
A very good question :)


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: stinkey on August 31, 2019, 07:32:28 PM
Sod knows, BUT it's got HOLES  so I like it 👍😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: morrag on August 31, 2019, 08:10:44 PM
I put a Honda TLS front brake on my T100 back in 1977,still got it and it still works very well, and far better than the original Trumpet brake, Morrag.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Olds on September 01, 2019, 05:07:19 AM
Yep. Tony is right. From a Suzuki GT750 early 1970's.
Had similar fitted to a Yamaha prod racer. Damned good when set up correctly.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: minimutly on September 01, 2019, 11:06:58 AM
Would it be four leading if one side was reversed (can't quite picture it in my mind). Neat anyway, and problably stopped quite well once or twice.


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Tony oily bike on September 02, 2019, 07:21:00 AM
Would it be four leading if one side was reversed (can't quite picture it in my mind). Neat anyway, and problably stopped quite well once or twice.

Me thinks not (I had to get my head around this too....)

Here's a pic of a Suzuki twin-leading-shoe backplate from a T250/350 or similar (LHS of bike), so guess it fair to assume the set up would be 'same' on the LHS of the GT750.
Wheel rotation would be clockwise.

As each shoe acts iindependently, the set up (with clockwise wheel rotation) would have two shoes each with a leading edge.

Reversing would be the same as changing the wheel rotation to anti-clockwise, which would mean the previously leading edges now become trailing edges.

(I think..... ::)


Title: Re: Kawasaki's Bonnie-like now 800cc. Good project material in a year or three??
Post by: Olds on September 02, 2019, 11:48:56 AM
Each shoe has one pivot and one cam One side of a 4 leading shoe setup the relative positions of the pivots and cams are reversed.