Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
The retro classic W800 model returns to the Kawasaki lineup for 2023 unchanged. (Kawasaki/)When Kawasaki announced its first fall release for 2023 in August, there were a few conspicuous absences in its cruiser and retro lines. That situation has been remedied with Team Green’s latest news bulletin, which was released very subtly last week. Flying under our radar came word of the brand’s additional returning models for the 2023 model year, which include the Z650RS, W800, and Vaquero bikes, all of which roll back into the lineup without any significant changes, at least mechanically.For 2023 you can have the W800 in Metallic Slate Blue/Black, at an MSRP of $9,999. (Kawasaki/)2023 Kawasaki W800If there’s one bike that nearly out-Brits the Brits at their own game, it’s Kawasaki’s W800, a retro classic that perfectly exudes the spirit of British motorcycling’s 1960s heyday. Even though it features a 773cc air cooled vertical-twin engine and is a homage to Kawi’s own ‘60s-era W1 model, the W800 still manages to incorporate modern technology and features like an assist and slipper clutch, disc brakes with ABS and 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel. That said, its classic peashooter exhausts, steel fenders, round turn signals, spoke wheels, and a tuck-and-roll seat will always remind you of a simpler time, and that’s not a bad thing.For the 2023 model year, the W800 drops last year’s vibrant Candy Fire Red scheme and will be available only in Metallic Slate Blue/Metallic Diablo Black with an MSRP of $9,999 (an increase of $800).Related: Kawasaki Releases 2023 Tourers, Cruisers, and Standard MotorcyclesThe returning Z650RS keeps its approachable demeanor (and everything else) the same, but also gets just one color and a price increase for 2023. (Kawasaki/)2023 Kawasaki Z650RSThe stylish, compact, and agile middleweight joins its bigger Z900RS brother in returning to the retro sport lineup for 2023, but again, we won’t see any mechanical changes this year. Even your color options remain the same, except for the fact that there’s just one: The Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony treatment that was touted as a “special color” last year is the sole scheme available for the 2023 Z650RS.For 2023, the Z650RS will be available in Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony and cost $9,099. (Kawasaki/)But that won’t affect this retro sport’s easy-riding yet lively nature, with the same 649cc parallel-twin engine tucked into a compact steel trellis frame making 67 hp and 47 lb.-ft. of torque. Combine it with a short 55.3-inch wheelbase and a steepish 24-degree rake and you get a nimble ride with a relaxed riding position and plenty of power to boot.The retro-influenced good looks are still bolstered by modern bits like an LED headlight, spoke-style cast wheels, disc brakes with ABS, and an assist and slipper clutch. This year you can get the Z650RS in that grayish colorway with an MSRP of $9,099—an increase of just $99 over last year.Cowboy up: The custom-looking V-twin bagger known as the Vaquero is back in Kawasaki’s Vulcan line for 2023. (Kawasaki/)2023 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 VaqueroLong and low V-twin baggers still command a hefty slice of the touring pie, and to acknowledge that, Kawasaki is wrangling back its Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS cruiser into the lineup for 2023. The model hasn’t changed much in the decade-plus it’s been around, so you’ll still see that familiar 1,700cc liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin engine along with a six-speed transmission and triple disc brakes with advanced ABS plus a host of other touring-biased features to ease your long miles on the road. The blacked-out engine is surrounded by distinct bodywork that includes a frame-mounted fairing, sealed saddlebags, and an integrated audio system, all which help the Vaquero stand out from the crowd.For 2023, the Vulcan 1700 Vaquero just keeps on keeping on with absolutely zero changes from last year, with the same ABS feature as standard and boasting the same Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Gray color scheme we saw in 2022. MSRP however, does go up a grand, to $18,599.The 2023 Kawasaki Vaquero hits the road in Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Gray. (Kawasaki/)
