Japan – motorcycle – 800cc
Perfection epitomized...except, um...that it's not available in the US and there's no kickstart. Kawasaki Corporate please fix asap.
For two short years, about a decade ago, Kawasaki sold the little 650cc sister of this bike in the US. Not many people bought it and it was pulled off the shelf. Now they are so collectible you pay the same price (and often more) that they were sold for new in 1999. The W800 is not sold in the USA and no one can understand why. It has to be a conspiracy of some sort though I'll be damned if I know what it is. The W’s boast the most gorgeous set of lungs ever implanted in a motorcycle (my opinion only folks, no hate mail please), the most comfortable riding position, the maximum possible vintage panache on any retro-modern scoot and, last but not least, pure thoroughbred Kawasaki reliability. The only mistake Kawa made was excluding the kickstart: I’m a fan of kickers not simply because they complete the old-school visage, but having taken some seriously longhaul rides in far flung places there have been times when my life has (probably quite literally) been saved by being able to get the motor running even with a flat battery. I hope they put it on next years model. And import that improved model here. Other than that, this is the new love of my life (or week) and I would fly to the UK to buy one and ride it around the world to the US if necessary, just to own her.
