Kawasaki reveal ‘Final Edition’ W800

Fifty years since the Kawasaki W-series was first launched the firm has announced that it will be sent out of production with a special ‘Final Edition’ model to mark the end of an era.

The W800 Final Edition will be available in limited number across the UK and Europe but the decision to axe the bike has been forced upon Kawasaki by new Euro4 regulations which the bike will not be able to pass without significant mechanical upgrades.

The bike will be made available in Candy Brown and Candy Sunset Orange paint schemes which echo those of previous decades.

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Kawasaki claim this last-in-line ‘Final Edition’ will highlight the heritage of the W800 and prove a fitting end to the W series. Corporate Planning Director for Kawasaki Motors Europe, Morihiro Ikoma said: “It’s never easy to say good bye to an old friend, especially one as iconic as the W800. Paying homage to the W series with this Final Edition is therefore a truly fitting end to a long and successful line of machines.”

Kawasaki say that “the family tree of the W800 and the W series itself can be traced back to 1966 when Kawasaki introduced its ‘great grandfather’; the W1. Equipped with a robust and reliable 650cc engine and 50hp, the W1 was the very first large capacity high performance four-stroke under the Kawasaki banner and turned out to be a true manufacturing milestone – especially in the American market where it helped set the foundations for the brand in a huge motorcycle hungry market.

“Echoing the lines and the engineering essence of the original W1, Kawasaki later introduced the W650 in 1998 which was enthusiastically embraced by a new legion of fans both young and old, proving that true style never really goes out of fashion.

“Kawasaki then introduced the current W800 in 2011, extending the W family line further still. Now, sadly, the line must end as the current machine will not meet future European motorcycle regulations,” referring to the Euro 4 emissions regulations that will see many current models from all manufacturers replaced or culled for 2017.

 

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