Everyone’s been crying out for the likes of Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Triumph to release more accessible, entry-level retro classics in the West, but much of it has been in vain. Well, Kawasaki is reportedly ready to answer that call with its W175 LTD.
This scoop is thanks to Motorcycle.com, which reports that Kawasaki has received certification from the California Air Resources Board and the US Environmental Protection Agency for the W175 LTD as a 2026 model.
We’re still awaiting an official confirmation from the manufacturer, but the approval from CARB and certification from the EPA are more or less a precursor to a new motorcycle entering the American market. The W175 is manufactured by Kawasaki’s India subsidiary, thus effectively becomes the Japanese bikemaker’s first moto to be made in India and exported to the US. Make what you will of that.
At first glance, it’ll remind you of the W230, which is still sold in a few markets around the world, and the bigger, better-known W800. Back in the 1960s, a Japanese firm called Meguro was cloning BSAs. Kawasaki ended up buying Meguro in 1963, and thus was born its ‘W’ range of motorcycles. Call it a clone of a clone, if you will.
All the bikes in the W lineup feature the classic round headlamp, round analog speedometer instrument cluster, round mirrors, a teardrop tank, dual rear suspension, and peashooter exhaust pipes. All that is also carried over to the W175 LTD.
It also features a one-piece stepped seat with passenger grab handles, plus elevated handlebars. But where it differs from the rest of the W models is its engine.
It’s an air-cooled, fuel-injected 177cc single-cylinder thumper, as opposed to a twin on the rest of the W-badged motorcycles. It comes mated to a five- (not six) speed gearbox and produces a meager 13 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and a peak torque of 9.6 lb.ft (13 Nm) at 6,000 rpm.
That motor sits on a steel frame with a semi-double cradle. For suspension, you get a 30-mm telescopic fork with 4.3 in (109.2 mm) of travel and two rear shocks with adjustable preload and 2.5 in (63.5 mm) of travel.
ABS comes as standard, but it’s only on the front wheel, which features a single two-piston caliper paired with a 245-mm disc. The rear, meanwhile, is a 110-mm mechanical drum brake. Both wheels are 17-inch cast-type.
The seat height is listed at 30.9 (784.8 mm) inches, while the curb weight comes in at 297.7 lb (135 kg) – pretty light for a small-sized ICE moto. The teardrop fuel tank has around 3.2 gallons (12 liters) of capacity. That’s as far as the specs go ay the moment.
And in case you were wondering, all photos are courtesy Kawasaki Mexico, which recently introduced the bike in two beautiful colorways – Ebony or Candy Emerald Green.
But here’s my two cents: Most US motorcycle riders tend to lean toward heavier, higher-displacement bikes, owing to long-distance riding and highway commuting. The W175’s output may feel underwhelming for most American riders, essentially restricting its market appeal to commuters or moped-class buyers.
Then, if you take into account that the W175 is manufactured in India and will be exported to the US, spare parts supply, dealer servicing, warranty support, and long-term reliability may be uncertain, at least initially. But all these potential issues can be left for when the bike finally arrives.
Since the bigger W230 ABS starts at US$5,699, you can easily expect the 175 to come with a sub-$5,000 price tag when it finally makes its way to the States – where it will face stiff competition from the likes of the $4,799 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and the even cheaper, $4,299 Hunter 350. Then, there’s also the likes of $4,799 Yamaha V Star 250, which it’ll likely compete directly with.
With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kawasaki went even more aggressive on W175 LTD’s pricing. Anywhere around the $4,000 - $4,500 price point looks like a real possibility. And if that turns out to be the case, it might well become America's cheapest retro motorcycle.
