W650/ W800 - expensive?

Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

I have been thinking about getting a bigger bike and this sort of tickles my fancy. However, good bikes start from £3.5k and that's for a 16 year old bike.

I could easily get a newer and faster fazer 1000 or even a leggly street triple.

Am I missing something, or do these just command a premium price?

Matt B · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 May 2012 Karma :

Hipster tax pushes the price up.
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Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

Yes they do. Probably even more so now they aren't made anymore.

Consensus seems to be better looking (better retro styling) than the Bonny but not as nice to ride if you are used to modern machinery.
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Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

The asking prices are ludicrous. You're paying for exclusivity, literally.

I asked a local eBay seller why his bike was worth so much and he went full autie-rage. So based on that sample set, I'd suggest that 100% of them are in the hands of Tefloons now and best avoided.
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Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

While they are nice just too far out of budget especially as they are not especially great to ride.

Anyway I cant bike shop till July, as its just costs too much to change to a multibike policy

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

I am fortunate not to need a commuter (have that) but fancy a bigger bike to ride for fun. With a budget of £2k these looked good, especially from a pride of ownership perspective.

I am not sure anything else really tickles me that much to be honest. That is not quite true, there are other bikes but there is not enough money in the piggybank!

The Shaggy D.A. · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

I looked at a local W650 when shopping after the Electra was stolen - nice, would have one, don't want to pay the hipster tax.
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Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

The Shaggy D.A. · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

MATTT · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 20 Dec 2015 Karma :

Well I like mine,I'm no hipster ,no beard !
I bought it quite a few years ago a bit b4 the hype
I actually think they handle well,nice torque and easy to ride
Front springs are a bit soft ,and the seat has a slight hump in just the wrong place if your tall
As mentioned , a lot seem to be up for a lot of money and not selling,although the dealers do seem to shift them during the summer

tadge · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 26 Aug 2013 Karma :

Hmmmm maybe some overpriced out there case of supply and demand bought mine three years ago for 2.600 4.000 miles and immaculate look about and you will find reasonably priced machines avoid the eBay look at Gumtree and be prepared to travel they are very very reliable and easy to maintain

Heard they are now being imported from Japan along with z900 kwacks and the likes

Samsbike · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Karma :

Tadge if I can get a good one for that kind of money I would. I think I should keep an eye out and see what happens

Shaft · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Karma :

stevo as b4 · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Karma :

Maybe it's time for Yamaha to bring out a new XS650 using a finned dressed up MT07 engine?

Just out of interest if someone liked the looks of these W800's/ Bonnie's but not the hipster tax, how much cheaper could they buy a tidy XJR1300 etc, and how much better or worse a bike to ride would one be in terms of character and style?

Shaft · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Karma :

ScaredyCat · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 May 2012 Karma :

£4,595.00, 2011, 4,528 MILES

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAWASAKI-W800-EJ800-ABF-2011-4-528-MILES-FSH-A-STUNNING-EXAMPLE-/232257391995?hash=item36139e8d7b:g:Y8wAAOSwTM5Ytz2F

https://i.imgur.com/lELuEuw.jpg
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stevo as b4 · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Karma :

You're surely joking though?

The big Yam is also an air cooled historic retro bike that's very traditionally styled and is quite chintzy with plenty of chrome and shiny bits to polish and shine.

I wasn't seriously saying the W800 and XJR are exact closely matched rivals, but I was just thinking if you wanted a shiny chrome laden retro but didn't want to spunk over 3k on the fake Bonnie, something like the Yamaha might be a much cheaper option for a nice retro bike that still looks good?

Shaft · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Karma :

tadge · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 26 Aug 2013 Karma :

All said the Bonny is a little better handling, bit quicker, and got the Triumph name but it's not that noticeable when you ride them back to back if anyone chooses the like of these for handling/speed they shall find something like an sv650 blowing them away.
The w650 is far easier to work on taking the rear wheel off or checking the valves for example, and the w can easily return 70 plus mpg.
2001 Bonny still fetching over 3.000 and they are a plenty, costs more to maintain and in the long run more on fuel, a personal choice. The w is not a fake Bonny research Meguru who got the rights to build from BSA and produced the w1 when bought out buy Kawasaki.
I had thought Hinckley Bonny s would drop in value with the new Trimph range but they still hold strong money maybe because they are truly built in England unlike the new models with few English parts hence missing the built in England badge.