Kawasaki is the latest manufacturer to join the small retro set with the surprise introduction of the W230 for 2026.
The 18bhp, £4654, modern classic is styled in the vein of Kawasaki’s W800, which in turn took its inspiration from the company’s early models from the 1960s.
While it’s no speedster, the W230 enters a hugely popular niche in the British motorcycle market, which includes a number of popular alternatives, including the BSA Bantam 350, Honda’s best-selling GB350S and a number of variations of Royal Enfield’s J-Series 350cc platform, including the HNTR and Bullet.
It’s an authentic looking number which is powered by a modified version of the air-cooled 233cc single-cylinder engine found in Kawasaki’s lightweight off-roader, the KLX230. It’s been retuned to give a character more suitable for a ‘classic’ bike and contributes to a W230 which promises to be a very easy to ride and accessible machine. With a 745mm seat height and a ‘wet’ weight of just 145kg, it is one of the lightest machines on sale today.
It really does capture the spirit of simple 1960s lightweights like the Triumph Tiger Cub and looks the part with touches like the period styled silencers, teardrop fuel tank, wire wheels and rubber fork gaiters. It gets simple analogue instruments with a small LCD insert, LED lighting and one-piece seat unit.
Kawasaki are bringing in a small batch in January, with the bike currently being shown for the first time at Motorcycle Live, which is taking place at Birmingham’s NEC until Sunday November 23.
As well as debuting the W230, Kawasaki is also using Motorcycle Live to give UK debuts to several other new and updated models. Pricing for the new-for-2026 KLE500 has been announced, with the base model sneaking in under the six grand mark, at £5999, with the SE version coming in at £600 more.
That undercuts key rivals, like the Honda NX500 and BMW’s new F 450 GS, in the very competitive A2 licence adventure bike sector. The updated Z900RS, which gets more tech and a few more horsepower for 2026, will cost between £11,499 and £12,949 depending on spec level, while the facelifted ZX-10R Ninja will retail at £15,999 – with the upspecced ZX-10RR £24,799.
