Kawasaki W 800 CAFE reviews

I went intent on buying a Honda Shadow, but after rode off the lot with my 05 Vulcan 800 Classic. This is a great motorcycle. Plenty of power for a mid-sized bike, but the handling and the feel of the motorcycle are unbelievable. Show less

best bike I have ever owned!I LOVE this bike! From its appearance to its performance and reliability, it has been an excellent experience. I spent years wanting one since early 1999 when reports first surfaced of this bike. It took years to finally make a decision. In fact, it was my learning that the 1500 had been retired in 2005 and the fact that it appeared the 800 would follow that finally got me to buy, and I have not looked back since. Who could not fall for those beautiful lines! The bike has really proven to be very comfortable on short and long rides. Overall quality is excellent with no mechanical issues to date. I love the attention she gets! I have taken her on a couple of longer trips and, although she is only an 800CC, I find she can keep up with just about any other cruiser out there. The chain maintenance is something to keep in mind, however it is not that bad and I much prefer the look of the 800s concealed suspension and hard tail look. I would highly recommend the bike and hope to enjoy it for years to come. Show less

Found this one for sale, PAY OFF. Had 1230 miles and a GREAT champange color with Buffalo saddle bags. Rides VERY nice, handles great and with myself and my wife, NOT A PROBLEM. Plenty of power. No maintenance. Feels like it will run forever. Have been driving it back and forth to work,(100 Miles round trip) and still want to ride when I get home. Show less

My Vulcan 800 Clsssic was a really nice bike when I bought it, but after doing some upgrades it's one of my favorite bkes of the last 30 years. I have made the fit and comfort better by adding forward coontrols and a Mustang seat. The performance was enhanced by adding a Hypercharger, Vance & Hines unbaffled pipes, and rejetting to a size #180 main. Reliability and 'cool factor' enhanced by adding a Wide Drive belt drive conversion. This bike will now outrun most any Harley you'll come up on, and will hang with a Mean Streak or a 1400 Intruder in a straight line race. It handles and corners better than either. All while getting over 50mpg. Coolness defined. Show less

I bought my bike new in 1999. I loved it the first time I rode it. I've riden it all over Ohio and Michigan. I'm getting it ready for this riding season, looking forward to many miles and hours of fun. If all goes right, I will be riding it to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit my best friend this summer. Show less

Had a 1998 that I bought used. Put 14,000 miles on it pretty quick. Engine came apart, but not Kawasaki problem. Looks like prior owner was messing with it inside. Bought 2004 with 2200 miles. Now have 16,000 + miles on it. This bike is great. My wife and I ride two-up and put a weeks worth of gear in my dresser mounted to the sissybar. We both are not small people but the bike handles it well. Pipes and a hyper charger changed the bike to the point where we can keep up with the big boys in the mountains of New York with no problem. One caution! The bike when loaded with two people and 60 lbs of gear on the back will not hesitate to lift the front wheel off in an aggresive start, such as pulling out into heavy traffic or just showing off. Love my Vulcan! Show less

This was the first bike that I ever rode and owned. I could not have asked for a better starter bike than this one. It is easy to ride and has nice power and performance. Anyone can ride this bike. It is so easy to control and ride. Another quality Kawasaki product. Show less

Great bike! As a matter of fact, I like the bike so much, I went out and bought another one for my wife. Now she loves hers too! I ride most everyday to work, since I work 10 different counties in my state. After riding all day long, I will come home and she's ready to go riding...I'll be tired and will usually say, Not tonight honey, I have a headache... Show less

This is a bike I've wanted since 2001. Now that I finally have the 2001 and it's 2006, I'm loving it. This has got to be one of the best inexpensive cruiser looking bikes one could buy. I've done a few changes to mine but I'm not done. When it is done I want it to look the same, yet totally different. Plus it's easy to find good parts for. P.S. Make your own FWD Controls... Show less

This was my first bike, and still is (obviously). I looked around at all the dealers and couldn't find a nicer looking cruiser for the price, and honestly, with no regard to price, this was my favorite looking bike anyway. It has nice metallic paint and a nice pin stripe to accent it. There is no end to chrome on this thing, it has a nice big chrome headlight, and really has that old school look. Very nice looking spoked wheels too. It is most definitely a knock off of a Harley Softtail, but I like it. I like it's styling more than the Harley. And there is no comparison on price. I got a great deal because it was last years model they still had in the showroom and wanted to clear it out, it was discounter, and had no frieght or pdi. The bike is nice to ride, smooth, easy to handle, and has lots of power. I've rode through the mountains with it about 3 times now, and it was great. The seat gets a little hard after too many hours, but I'm sure sitting on most bike seats would yeild the same results on long trips. It also has an easy to use steering lock and helmet lock (my new bike I got (enduro) has the steering lock in an awkward spot). Anyways, I am very happy with my bike, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a stylish cruiser... And this 800cc v-twin definetly has lots of power... Show less