Team Green has brought back three iconic machines to their 2023 lineup – and given their preparations to stun the world with their upcoming EV range, we’re looking closer than ever at the bikes that get to stay in Kawasaki’s fossil fuel ranges.
For the oldies and goodies, inflation takes her toll, leaving us with the remaining color schemes and those trusty, sturdy engines:
2023 Kawasaki Z650RS
Kawasaki’s 2023 Z650RS. Media sourced from Motorcycle Cruiser.
Retro style Meets Modern Sports – and all back for 2023.
Defined by many as ‘surprisingly competent, with great handling and a spirited engine,’ Kawasaki’s Z650RS sports the special edition Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony color – no other – with the usual parallel-twin showing off her usual 67 hp and 47 lb.-ft. of torque.
No mechanical changes here – she’s the same beauty you’ve come to know and love.
2023 Kawasaki W800
Kawasaki’s 2023 W800. Media sourced from Motorcycle Cruiser.
British Motorcycling at Her Best
Kawi’s homage to the W1 still carries 1960’s inspiration over from the year before; her 773cc air cooled vertical-twin heart engine comes accompanied by “assist and slipper clutch, disc brakes with ABS, and 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel” (via Motorcycle Cruiser).
Complete the package with the usual wire wheels, round lights and steel fenders, take away the Candy Fire Red color scheme, and you’re left with a Metallic Slate Blue/Metallic Diablo Black with an MSRP of $9,999 (up $800 from 2022’s model).
2023 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero
The 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero. Media sourced from Motorcycle Cruiser.
Long, Low and Ready for an Adventure
Tourers may be slowly adjusting to the industry’s demands for versatility, but this bad bagger still runs true to her roots.
Motorcycle Cruiser tells us that absolutely nothing has changed for the Vanquero for 2023, meaning that she still carries her typical, 1,700cc, liquid-cooled, 52-degree V-twin to complement the triple disc brakes, frame-mounted fairings and blacked-out aesthetic.
Expect to see this beauty in Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Gray, with the price raised a thousand dollars to $18,599 USD.
What do you think?
Comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.