For 2023 Kawasaki Brings Back Into Service its Z650RS, Vaquero, and W800 (Video Reviews included)

Kawasaki has surprised us in 2023 by bringing back three models that should please all of its fans which include the "retro look" W800, the more modern Z650RS, and the sleek Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS cruiser.

There were a few noticeable omissions from Kawasaki's cruiser and retro lines when the company revealed its initial fall release for 2023 in August. However ,the brand's additional returning models for the 2023 model year, include the Kawasaki Vaquero, W800, and Z650RS bikes, which all return to the lineup with few, if any, mechanical alterations. 

The Kawasaki W800 is a throwback classic that wonderfully captures the essence of British motorcycling's golden age in the 1960s. If there is one bike that almost out-Brits the British at their own game, it is this one. The W800 manages to include contemporary technology and features like an assist and slipper clutch, disc brakes with ABS, and 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels despite having a 773cc air cooled vertical-twin engine and paying homage to Kawi's own 1960s-era W1 model. However, the fact that it has traditional features like peashooter exhausts, steel fenders, circular turn signals, spoke wheels, and a tuck-and-roll seat will always bring back memories of a simpler time. The W800 will no longer be offered in the eye-catching Candy Fire Red color scheme from last year and will only be offered in Metallic Slate Blue/Metallic Diablo Black with an MSRP of $9,999 (an increase of $800). 

(video credits: INFO MOTO)

Kawasaki Z650RS 2023-Again, there won't be any technical modifications this year for this model either, but the elegant, small, and agile middleweight joins its larger Z900RS brother in returning to the retro sport lineup for 2023. The only difference is that there is only one color option available for the 2023 Z650RS: the Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony finish that was marketed as a "special color" the previous year. With the same 649cc parallel-twin engine, which is housed in a small steel trellis frame and produces 67 horsepower and 47 lb.-ft of torque, this classic sport will still be simple to ride but exciting. You get an agile ride with a comfortable riding posture and enough of power when you combine it with a short 55.3-inch wheelbase and a steepish 24-degree rake. The latest additions, such as an LED headlight, spoke-style cast wheels, disc brakes with ABS, an assist and slipper clutch, continue to support the vehicle's retro-inspired attractive looks. The MSRP of the Z650RS in that drab gray hue for this year is $9,099, an increase of just $99 from the previous year. 

(video credits: AUTO CAR)

In 2023 Kawasaki is bringing back its Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS cruiser into the portfolio for 2023 in order to acknowledge the continued popularity of long and low V-twin baggers in the touring market. The 1,700cc liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin engine, a six-speed transmission, triple disc brakes with advanced ABS, and a number of other amenities geared toward touring are all still present because the model hasn't altered much in the more than ten years that it's been around. The Vaquero stands out from the competition thanks to its distinctive bodywork, which surrounds the blacked-out engine and has a frame-mounted fairing, sealed saddlebags, and an integrated audio system. The Vulcan 1700 Vaquero for 2023 features the same ABS feature as last year, as well as the same Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Gray color scheme. There have been no alterations from 2022 at all. However, the MSRP does increase by $1,000 to $18,599.

(video credits: Mainland Cycle Center)