Kawasaki W650 Service Manual (1999-2006)

Kawasaki introduced the W650 in 1999, reviving the W name after an absence of roughly a quarter-century. The model drew its identity from Kawasaki's earlier W-series motorcycles while using a completely new engine and chassis rather than recreating the original mechanically. Kawasaki describes the W650 as the rebirth of the W family and says its styling and engineering were intended to preserve the character of a traditional large-displacement motorcycle.

At the heart of the W650 was an air-cooled 675 cm³ vertical twin with a 360-degree crankshaft. Instead of using a conventional cam chain, Kawasaki drove the single overhead camshaft through an exposed-looking bevel-gear shaft system. The arrangement became one of the W650's most recognizable mechanical features and allowed Kawasaki to give the cylinder head a particularly clean, traditional appearance. The engine used eight valves and twin carburetors, producing up to 50 PS in the standard specification.

The W650 paired its traditional appearance with comparatively modern engineering. It used electronic ignition, an electric starter alongside a kick starter, a five-speed gearbox and chain final drive. A tubular double-cradle frame, conventional telescopic fork, twin-shock rear layout, wire-spoke wheels, single front disc and rear drum brake reinforced the classic roadster design.

Kawasaki continued developing the W family during the 2000s. In 2006 it introduced the smaller W400 for the Japanese market, using the same basic design philosophy in a motorcycle aimed at a different licensing class.

The W650 ultimately became the bridge between Kawasaki's original 1960s and 1970s W motorcycles and the modern W family. Kawasaki later developed the W800, which arrived in 2011 with displacement increased to 773 cm³ while retaining the vertical-twin layout, bevel-gear camshaft drive and much of the visual character established by the W650.