Riding a motorcycle can be one of the best ways to spice up an otherwise boring commute or summer drive. But the new market can seem daunting if you’re not flush with cash, as far too many bikes have price tags starting in the high four figures or even higher. There has been a movement of affordable steeds spreading across America, and now a new cheap motorcycle has entered the ring. Meet the 2026 Kawasaki W175 LTD. This motorcycle looks absolutely stunning, has usable performance, and the best part? It’s only $2,999 before fees.
I first wrote about the Kawasaki W175 LTD back in November. At the time, the little bike had just received approval from the California Air Resources Board and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Usually, this means that sales are impending, but Kawasaki was quiet about the W175 LTD. The company did not respond to my request for comment, which sought to confirm whether the baby Kawi was coming to America or not.
While CARB and EPA filings and approvals are a good sign that a company is moving to sell a new product in America, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes, subject vehicles never go on sale, or they come here, but aren’t sold to the public. That was the case with the Harley-Davidson X350RA. Harley cleared a restricted and derestricted version through the EPA, but has since only used the restricted version within the confines of its training courses.
I was beginning to think that the W175 LTD was going to be another one to fall through the cracks, but Kawasaki just delivered. The W175 LTD went on sale in America just yesterday, in time for summer. Somehow, Kawasaki even hit a price so low that this motorcycle could be one of the best deals on two wheels of the year.
A Global Sensation
While America is just now getting the W175 LTD, much of the rest of the world has seen it since 2017. As I wrote back in November, the W175 is a member of Kawasaki’s famous W Series family. The W story started in the 1960s with lots of fanfare.
From Kawasaki:
It was an era when all but a few Japanese motorcycles were small-displacement machines. Kawasaki was one of the first to introduce a big bike, powered by a 496 cm3 OHV Parallel Twin, the world standard of the time. The engine’s roots could be found in the Twin engine of the same displacement produced by Meguro Manufacturing Co. Motorcycle Works, a well-known bike manufacturer established in 1927. Kawasaki absorbed Meguro in the 1960s, inheriting the motorcycle technology they had been developing since before World War II. The 1965 K2 was based on the Meguro’s K Series models and redesigned by Kawasaki Aircraft Co. Ltd. to increase its durability and top-speed performance. A prototype model based on the K2 evolved into the W1 released the following year.
Of all the export markets, America was of particular importance. Kawasaki had already broken into the US market with its 125B8, but to tackle America’s big-bike market they began to prepare a larger-displacement version of the K2. The 496 cm3 engine’s bore was increased by 8 mm, bringing displacement to 624 cm3. A prototype model with the larger displacement was displayed at the 12th Tokyo Motor Show in 1965. Meanwhile in Kawasaki’s Akashi Factory, mass production of the new W1 was already underway, with new units rolled off the line and arranged neatly, ready for sale. Compared to the K2’s 165 km/h top speed, the W1 could exceed 180 km/h, and in the 0-400m, it recorded a time of 13.8s. Selected with the American market in mind, the fuel tank – often considered the centrepiece of a motorcycle – was coloured a brilliant candy red and complemented by high-quality chrome pieces. The novel design was a bold statement, in stark contrast to the subdued tones of other Japanese motorcycles. It was unveiled to great acclaim at events all across America in February 1966, with orders pouring in before sales even began. With the W1, Kawasaki gained worldwide recognition as a big-bike manufacturer.
Today, the most recognizable member of the W Series is the W800 (above). Riders can’t get enough of the W800’s beautiful pairing of classic British lines with modern Japanese engineering. Unfortunately, at a price of $11,384 (including destination), it’s a motorcycle that many riders, especially younger ones and those living in developing countries, cannot afford. Kawasaki’s solution was to scale the beauty of the W800 down and put it into a package that many more riders can afford.
In 2017, the W175 launched in Jakarta. The motorcycle, which is built in India, has since spread across the world, reaching Thailand, the Philippines, Uruguay, Bolivia, and more. The W175 has a cult following in Indonesia, where custom bike builders chop them up to create something new.
It has even reached North America by way of Mexico. Selling the W175 in the United States makes a ton of sense, given the popularity of small-bore motorcycles right now. Younger buyers just getting into motorcycles might not be able to afford a Harley-Davidson, but they could produce the coin for a Honda MiniMoto, a CFMoto, a Royal Enfield, or maybe this Kawasaki.
So, now it’s here. What are American riders getting?
Delightfully Simple
The W175 starts as a platform that seems to have been ripped right out of the 1980s. The machine rides on a tubular steel semi-double cradle frame, sports a simple swingarm in the rear, and uses dual rear shocks. There’s a 30mm conventional fork up front, a 3.2-gallon fuel tank, and a wet weight of 297.7 pounds. There’s nothing amazing here, just proven technology that has worked for decades.
The engine is a 177cc air-cooled short-stroke two-valve single, which sips from a Mikuni VM24 carburetor in its international version. Stopping power is properly vintage, with a 220mm rotor up front and a 110mm drum in the rear. The W175 didn’t even get a tachometer or fuel gauge at launch, but did have 17-inch cast wheels.
The version that launched in Mexico in 2025 was modernized with fuel injection, anti-lock brakes, a digital fuel gauge, and a larger 245mm front brake disc. Indeed, that’s the version we’re getting in America. Our W175 LTD spits out 13 horsepower and 9.7 lb-ft of torque, which reaches the rear wheel through a five-speed transmission. That’s good for 0-60 mph in about 16 seconds and a top speed of about 68mph. That makes the W175 LTD a little faster than the slightly more expensive 9.7 HP Honda Grom, but slower than a still more expensive 20.2 HP Royal Enfield 350.
The W175 has been sold globally as a cafe version, a dual-sport, a standard, and a mini sport-tourer. The LTD model throws in some classic style like a slightly reclined seating position, a thick stepped seat, a teardrop tank, a sweptback handlebar, a round headlight, and a peashooter exhaust. Really, it looks like a Kawasaki LTD from the 1980s, only scaled down.
The W175 LTD should be a great little machine for the urban commuter, the small-bore bike fan, and the beginner. It has an accessible 30.7-inch seat height, not too much power, and should be relatively agile. The biggest selling points, I think, will be how much style you get for the price.
Something Actually Affordable In 2026
I didn’t anticipate Kawasaki pricing the W175 LTD as low as it has. Here’s what I said in November:
The current smallest W Series for sale in America is the Kawasaki W230, which comes in at $5,699. Kawasaki’s minibike, the Z125 Pro, is $3,799 in America. It would only be logical to conclude that, if the W175 were to sell here, it would be cheaper than the W230. I think the baby W175 will have to land at well below $5,000 before fees to even have a chance against the might of the $4,299 Royal Enfield Hunter 350 or other beginner bikes like the Yamaha V Star 250.
The W175’s current pricing, which is $2,999 plus a destination fee of $435, makes it cheaper than every Honda MiniMoto save the slower and smaller $2,199 Navi. It’s also cheaper than a CFMoto Papio SS and every new Royal Enfield for sale in America. Honda Navi aside, the only way you’re buying a cheaper road-legal bike is to buy a no-name Chinese bike from Amazon or something.
Yet, the W175 LTD benefits from having Kawasaki’s dealer network, nearly a decade of production, and comes from a reputable brand. Add in the spectacular looks, and I think Kawasaki has a winner here. The Kawasaki W175 LTD should be hitting dealers right now in two colors, Ebony and Candy Emerald Green.
Of course, this isn’t a bike that you will take touring. You also won’t win any races on it. Also, $2,999 can get you some cool vintage full-size motorcycles that’ll go much faster than the W175. But if you’re shopping for a new bike, don’t have a lot of cash, but don’t want to give up on looks, I could see this being a pick. I might have to waltz down to a Kawasaki dealer and take a spin on one for myself.
Top graphic image: Kawasaki
Rural West Virginia, there are enough “back roads” still existing prior to highway or interstate systems.
I could commute to work on this, if I did a quarter mile stint on a 65mph RtXX highway and still be at work only a few minutes later than usual.
Want, but of course this would lead me to want a w600 with green tank.
PS – Has Kyree been posting here since Jalop drop?
That really is a remarkable MSRP. And they did a nice job on the styling and mechanical spec.
After years of riding a succession of bikes, ranging up to an 1800 cc Gold Wing, I now run errands around town and short jaunts out into the country on a Honda ADV160.
It’s remarkable how close this and the Honda are in specs. Virtually the same weight, power and top speed, but two completely different vehicles. (I have seen 69 mph on the Honda.) And Kawi certainly undercuts the Honda on price. But I like being able to park my scooter on virtually any sidewalk and the under-seat storage holds two bags of groceries. Which makes it pretty ideal for running those errands and not bothering to fire up the car.
Rode my 13hp dr200 all over the midatlantic and up in to the Great Lakes and the Chicago area. An exhausting way to get from Raleigh to Rochester and back for a weekend trip. But small bikes can do surprisingly well with sensible route planning. Still plenty of farm to market roads out there to ride.
We can always do with more cheap bikes!
Hell to the yes!!!
Follow-up article:
What 2 or 3 year old motorcycles can you buy for the same $3400.
Is this a moped that requires a license, tags and insurance?
Anything 125cc and bigger is classified as a motorcycle requiring an endorsement, license, tags and insurance.
13 hp, 10 ft-lb and 0-60 of 16s??? So now you have a vehicle with no passive safety that now has zero active safety as well? No, thank you. I rode motorcycles for over 20 years and the biggest safety feature I had (yes, I was ATGATT) was the ability to avoid a crash in the first place. Not with this bike.
I think people would ride this thing more like a fast scooter, rather than a slow motorcycle.
People all over the world are riding this bike and others like it. There are a lot more small displacement bikes and scooters out there than big ones. In lower speed situations like in town riding this is more than enough. 50cc scooters are super popular and people are not dying everywhere from lack of available horsepower. Not everyone needs a freeway machine, that’s why they make so many different kinds. It might not be for you, but there are plenty of people for whom this is enough.
I replaced a 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 (the sports tourer one) with 135hp with a Yamaha Nmax with 14hp. In terms of getting out of other traffics way, easier or better even. 3secs to 100kph vs 18 counting it out. I think this Kawasaki looks cheap garbage however you don’t need much power at all to get zip away from other traffic in my experience. Now I have a 40hp Duke 390 for what its worth cause I’d done the scooter thing and missed at least feeling cool
More small bores are always better!
Looks like it has a variation of the KLX150’s engine. Hopefully we’ll get the EFI one and not the carb.
Buyers also need to set expectations in line with the low price. The US market will probably get the Indonesia-built bikes.
I have a KLX230 that was also made there, it’s a good bike, but the materials and build quality is definitely not as good as a Japanese-built bike, or even a Thai-built one. Cheap plastics, ugly wiring, threads that strip, rusts very easily, etc.
Still a tier above a cheap Chinese bike, but just barely.
This is so freaking cool. Now the car companies need to do something similar and make simple cheap cars for ALL the folks who want a simple cheap car.
And then no one will buy them because everyone thinks they deserve a luxury brand with all the bells and whistles.
This is a slightly larger version of ubiquitous Indian/Japanese partnership bikes that came into the Indian market way back. They were all 100 cc, and made around 7HP. Good for tooling around town, efficient, and amazingly reliable compared to the old domestics like RE and Rajdoot. Examples include bikes from Hero Honda (the CD100) and TVS Suzuki. If you saw the “Feed the World” episode of TGT, you’ll recall that Hammond rode a TVS he bought new at a supermarket.
I had a 1998 Kawasaki Vulcan 800A that I put 30k+ miles on riding from New Orleans to AK and Panama (not the city) and back plus so many other amazing long rides. Did 11k to Alaska and back and got home 5 days prior to hurricane Katrina only for the completely untouched bike to get stolen 2 months after the storm.
All those miles, all those countries and adventures, and the only extra maintenance asked of me other than oil changes and a couple of chains was a voltage regulator that thankfully bit the dust at the beginning of a long journey rather than the middle of a desert. It was easy to get service and parts in tiny towns in every country in North and South America, even though at the time the 800 was bigger than 99% of bikes you’d encounter south of the USA border.
Will always love me a Kawasaki and while this W175 costs more than what I paid for my old Vulcan (because I too am old) I’m gonna put it on the list of “maybe my next fool-around bike”.
All this and Emerald Green too? Nice job! It looks exactly like the LTDs of yore.