64 / CYCLE WORLD
But, underestimating the Indian marque with a storied
British name would be a mistake. These twins not only
come from two different countries but also have differ-
ing goals and philosophies—despite being so closely
matched in character, construction, and specifications.
The Continental GT 650 is a machine meant to grow
Royal Enfield’s business in the United States, whereas
the Kawasaki is a niche-targeted exercise in nostalgia.
We contemplated this opposed pair of parallel twins
parked inside our open-plan office and pondered
which example might better represent what a retro
café should be like. Could a 648cc, $6,249 machine
manufactured in India compete with a $9,799, 773cc
Japanese-built twin, even if the latter was purposely
crafted with low-tech design? We geared up and head-
ed south to San Diego, California in search of sunshine
and answers.I
It wouldn’t be out of the question to think that the
Kawasaki W800 Café would trounce the Royal Enfield
Continental GT 650 in a head-to-head retro-bike com-
parison. The manufacturing giant from Kobe has, after
all, built rockets, helicopters, bullet trains, and some
of the fastest motorcycles the world has ever seen.