Kawasaki W230 (2026) – Technical Review

Small, affordable, retro bikes are having a renaissance at the moment as machines like Honda’s GB350S, Triumph’s Speed 400 and BSA’s new Bantam are flying out of showrooms. Now Kawasaki wants a piece of the action and has a readymade contender in the form of the W230 – launched a year ago in other countries and finally coming to the UK market in January 2026.

Does the fact it’s smaller than its main rivals pose a problem? Not necessarily: this part of the market is more about style, ease of use and affordability, and the Kawasaki already has plenty of fans in the markets where it’s already available.

Pros & Cons

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Price & PCP Deals

At £4,654 the W230 is the cheapest bike over 125cc in Kawasaki’s 2026 range and sits alone in the ‘Classic’ segment of the brand’s lineup – perhaps hinting there may be additional models with a similar throwback look joining the lineup in the future if it’s a success.

In other markets Kawasaki already has further models with a similar style. There’s the parallel twin W800, descended from the earlier W650 and sold in the UK until a handful of years ago as a Bonneville rival, and two Meguro-branded machines harking back to the brand Kawasaki merged with back in the early 60s. Kawasaki revived Meguro in 2020, offering the K3 as an upmarket version of the W800, and adding the S1 as a pricier version of the W230 last year. In some countries Kawasaki also offers a smaller W175 retro single-cylinder and a W175TR scrambler. Notably, these ‘Classic’ models are a separate range to the ‘Retro Sport’ line – made up of the Z900RS and Z650RS – that offer a more modern interpretation of Kawasaki’s heritage.

The W230 is due to reach UK dealers in January, and the company says that it will be available in ‘limited numbers’ without specifying exactly how many will reach these shores. While other countries get a choice of colour options, we’re restricted to the metallic green variant with silver flashes on the tank that mimic a chrome section found on the original Meguro SG, chrome mudguards and a white-edged seat.

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Engine & Performance

The heart of the W320 is an air-cooled single that’s developed from the 233cc motor in the KLX230, a model not currently sold here, but with some substantial changes to suit its new, retro home.

Much of the effort has gone into the visuals. The covers on both sides are redesigned with curvaceous castings to hark back to Kawasaki’s earliest bikes and the fuel injection system, needed to meet modern emissions rules, hides its 32mm throttle body behind shiny shields to hide the fact it isn’t a carburettor. The exhaust cleverly hides its mandatory catalytic converter transversely ahead of the rear wheel, with a chrome heatshield that’s designed to fool the eye into believing the header pipe runs straight into the traditionally-styled silencer slung low on the righthand side.

The air-cooling fins on the outside contribute to the engine’s old-school style, and inside there’s a similarly retro theme with a single overhead camshaft operating two valves, a nearly-square bore/stroke ratio of 67mm x 66mm – borrowed straight from the KLX230 – and a modest 9:1 compression ratio. If you want performance, Kawasaki has plenty of other models it can direct you towards: that’s not what the W230 is about.

The figures come out as 17.3hp (18PS or 12.9kW) at 7,000rpm and  13.7lb-ft (18.6Nm) at 5,800rpm. The former is actually pretty close to two of its key rivals – the Honda GB350S puts out 20.8bhp, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 makes 20.2hp, despite the fact each of them have more than 100cc capacity advantage over the Kawasaki. Torque, which is more closely linked to engine size, is where the W230 inevitably drops further behind, giving away around 7lbft to its 350cc rivals.

To make up for that shortfall, the W230 gets a six-speed transmission where both the Honda and Royal Enfield 350s make do with five ratios, with a chain taking drive to the rear wheel.

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Simplicity rules here, with a semi-double cradle steel tube chassis that looks like it could have been made any time in the last 70 years or so: anything more sophisticated simply wouldn’t work for the bike’s retro looks and would be overkill for its performance level anyway.

It’s the same story with the suspension, made up of spindly 37mm telescopic forks complete with gaiters over the legs at the front, paired to dual shocks at the rear acting on a simple, steel swingarm. Adjustability is limited to simple spring preload at the back, and there’s no means to tweak the front suspension. There’s 117mm of front wheel travel and 95mm of rear wheel movement, and those wheels are a classic wire-spoked design measuring 18-inches at the front and 17 at the rear, with ultra-narrow tyres that match the 1960s styling: 90/90-18 and 110/90-17 respectively.

The rake is a mild 27 degrees, with 99mm of trail and a 1415mm wheelbase.

A kerb weight of only 143kg is the W230’s secret weapon – a Bullet 350 comes in at 195kg, while the GB350S is 178kg in the same state – so the Kawasaki is a small pillion passenger lighter than its main rivals. That means the brakes have less to worry about, so the single 265mm front disc and two-piston caliper along with the 220mm disc and single-piston rear stopper should be more than up to the task, abetted by mandatory ABS.

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Comfort & Economy

The fact that the W230 has a smaller engine than the norm in this class is mirrored in a lower seat height, coming in at just 745mm. That’s 55mm less than a GB350S and 60mm below a Bullet 350, and means when it comes to riders of a smaller stature – Kawasaki’s promotional images clearly put the emphasis on female owners – it has key selling point. Allied to the substantially lower kerb weight, the low seat could make the W230 a machine of choice for small riders who want a retro look.

The riding position itself is the sort of sit-up-and-beg stance you’d expect in the class, and since this style of bike isn’t likely to be chosen for continent-crossing, high-speed treks, the lack of wind protection is a key part of the classic motorcycling experience rather than a disadvantage.

With its soft state of tune, the W230 sips fuel at a miserly rate, with a claimed 113mpg (identical to the GB350S’s claim) to give a theoretical maximum range just shy of 300 miles from each 12-litre fill-up.

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Equipment

The W230 takes a bare-bones approach to motorcycling so you’re not going to find vast arrays of kit, just as you wouldn’t on the 1960s bikes it aims to imitate.

The instruments are a welcome respite from the onslaught of multicoloured TFT displays: just two, circular dials, resolutely analogue, to show speed and revs. A spread of warning lights fills the lower segment of the rev counter – indicators, charging, low fuel warning, neutral light and high-beam light are joined by a couple of concessions to the 21st century in the form of an engine management light and an ABS warning – while a little LCD in the speedo gives odometer and trip readouts plus, luxury of luxuries, a clock.

The bar controls are similarly simple and would be familiar to anyone riding decades ago, with no sign of multifunction D-pads or joysticks to be found. Want tech? This probably isn’t the bike for you.

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Rivals

Small, single-cylinder retro bikes have been big sellers recently – no doubt why Kawasaki has opted to bring the W230 to the UK market. Last year Honda dealers could barely keep up with demand for the GB350S, and Royal Enfield’s array of 350cc singles also proved strong sellers. This year, BSA’s new Bantam 350 – offering more performance thanks to a liquid-cooled engine, but a lower price than most rivals – has occasionally topped the modern classics sales charts as well.

BSA Bantam 350 | Price: £3,499

Read more

Power/Torque

29bhp / 21.8lb-ft

Weight

185kg

Honda GB350S | Price: £3,999

Read more

Power/Torque

20.8bhp / 21.4lb-ft

Weight

178kg

Royal Enfield Bullet 350 | Price: £4,629

Read more

Power/Torque

20.2bhp / 19.9lb-ft

Weight

195kg

2026 Kawasaki W230 - Verdict

This is motorcycling done different. The usual metrics like performance and cornering aplomb are mere footers here, with style and the essential experience of riding taking centre stage instead. Removing the ability to go fast can sometimes be liberating in its own way; you’re relieved of any urge to be the quickest from the lights or fastest round the corners, and can simply settle back to enjoy the more zen side of riding. That appeal, as well as the W230’s clear benefits for smaller riders in terms of its low seat and light weight, could mean the limited numbers reaching showrooms in 2026 disappear quickly.

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2026 Kawasaki W230 - Technical Specification

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