Kawasaki W175: More than what meets the eye

Right from its chrome-trimmed halogen headlight, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, boxy side panel, curved fenders and simple tail-light, this one seems like a perfect blend of beauty and simplicity

Of late, it seems like everything is going retro — from fashion to music, there seems to be a sense of nostalgia. This has extended to motorcycles as well, with the latest case being the Kawasaki W175 — a motorcycle from the 2020s featuring a small-capacity air-cooled engine, a rear drum brake and a simple halogen headlamp. Fret not, there is more to the W175 than what meets the eye.

The new W175 is the smaller sibling of Kawasaki’s W800 retro motorcycle. While the W800 is lovely to ride and look at, its rather high asking price put off many potential customers. This is exactly what the W175 is meant to do, be a more pocket-friendly option with the same charming retro experience of the W800.

And to that end, the W175 nearly gets all of it right. The round, chrome-trimmed halogen headlight, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, boxy side panel, curved fenders and simple tail-light are all reminiscent of the classy W800. The only qualms are that it appears a bit too small and bare-bones, and in lack, it looks too simple as well. I am sure the Candy Persimmon red paint option with its gold detailing would do this motorcycle more justice. Still, you can not fault Kawasaki as there is a certain beauty in the W175’s simplicity.

In keeping with the retro theme, the smaller W sibling gets a simple analogue instrument cluster with a small digital readout that displays the fuel level, odometer, trip meter and clock. The cluster has a nice, old-school font with the W logo in the centre and is flanked by warning lights as well as buttons to control the digital screen. The switchgear meanwhile, is nice to operate and of good quality too.

Now features is an area where the W175 falls short. It makes do with a single disc brake with single-channel ABS, a halogen headlamp and a single-pod cluster. While some may argue that it is not necessary for a retro motorcycle to have fancy features, you can not help but think that Kawasaki could have thrown in a few more things, considering you have to shell out ₹2 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) for the W175. A rear disc brake, dual-channel ABS, tachometer and a USB port would all have been welcome additions at this price.

Nevertheless, hop on to the W175’s approachable 790mm throne, and you are seated in a very commuter-ish position. You are sat nice and upright with an easy reach to the handlebar and the foot pegs are front-set, which makes the overall riding position comfortable. The seat though is narrow and the padding shallow, so it can get uncomfortable after riding for a while. Given its compact dimensions, it can get cramped for taller riders.

Powering the W175 is a tiny 177cc, two-valve, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that puts out a modest 13hp and 13.2Nm. Now, while those figures are considerably down on its competition, the Kawasaki makes up for its lack of grunt by being a featherweight. Tipping the scales at just 135kg, the W175 weighs a whole 40kg less than the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. That really does reflect in its performance numbers. Despite having a 7hp and nearly 14Nm disadvantage to the Hunter, the W175 gets to 60kph from a standstill in 5.26sec, which is just shy of the RE’s 4.95sec.