All the Duels – Kawasaki W800 Vs Triumph Bonneville SE: grannies resist – Like a fish in water

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Kawasaki W800 Vs Triumph Bonneville SE: The Grannies Are Resisting

All the Duels - Kawasaki W800 Vs Triumph Bonneville SE: the grannies resist - Like a fish in water

Your ZXG-R cost you 6 license points? Madame no longer supports the passenger seat of your ugly roadster? You might be ripe for a neo-retro machine! Comparative test of two “ real fake ” old motorcycles well in their time !

Like a fish in water

With their natural driving position, our two retro roadsters are perfectly at home in the city. Apart from their very average turning radius – especially that of the Bonneville – they will play with traffic jams in complete relaxation..

The Triumph is as easy and light to take on the road as it is heavy when stationary. From the first turns of the wheel, it is incredibly accessible and manoeuvrable despite its 225 kg in running order. And thanks to the handlebars less curved than in the past, the rider really becomes one with the machine.

While one has the feeling of being truly seated "in" the Bonneville, one has the impression of being just posed "on" the W800. Its higher saddle and lower handlebars induce a position a little more forward, even if it remains far from the position of a sportswoman !

A Japanese girl for adults

On the other hand, the legs are much less bent on the Kawa, which will suit taller pilots better, while the point-cut saddle is quite thin at the crotch, which will reassure the little ones who will touch the ground without problem despite the height. 790 mm saddle height.

The first thing that strikes you when you start the W800 are the (good?) Vibrations that go up in the saddle, the footrests (rider and passenger) and the handlebars. But not the annoying little vibrations of a 4-cylinder, rather the palpitations of a big heart.

Vibrations = motor character ?

We even have the impression that it is voluntary, as if the Kawa engineers had wanted to compensate for the loss of character of the twin cylinder due to the switch to electronic injection. Will that be enough to give the W800 some real personality? No doubt, but not everyone will like it.

Those who do not want to lose their fillings or have ants in their feet can fall back on the Bonneville, totally devoid of the slightest "worth".

Despite their twin-cylinder cooled only by air, the Kawa and the Triumph do not get too hot in town, or at least not annoyingly. Especially since, given their narrowness, it is rare to find yourself completely stationary in traffic.

Their gearboxes have 5 gears, which is the only concession to retro – and that’s good because from a dynamic point of view, they show a nice approval. The Bonneville’s box is a bit dry but still fast and precise, while the W800’s box doesn’t suffer any criticism..

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