Kawasaki W175TR Launched In Indonesia

It is the trail-friendly version of the W175 retro-modern roadster

• The Kawasaki W175TR is around Rs 2,000 more affordable than the standard model.
• It features long-travel suspension, raised exhaust, braced handlebars and off-road fenders.
• The W175TR is the smallest and the most affordable model under Kawasaki’s W family.

Kawasaki has launched the W175TR in Indonesia. This variant is essentially a trail-friendly version of the standard W175 roadster. Interestingly, Kawasaki has priced the bike at IDR 29,900,000 (around Rs 1.52 lakh) whereas the standard model costs IDR 30,300,000 (Rs 1.54 lakh), on road, Jakarta. The Japanese brand also introduced the W175TR SE, which is priced at IDR 32,300,000 (about Rs 1.64 lakh).

Kawasaki launched the W175 in the Indonesian market back in November 2017. And now with the launch of the W175TR, the brand intends to lure riders who are into classic-looking motorcycles that are capable of doing a little bit of off-roading. It is clear that the platform is made to spawn different bikes catering to different genres. 

The tracker motorcycle is likely to use the same engine as the standard bike. The W175 is powered by a 177cc single-cylinder carburetted air-cooled engine, which is good for 13PS at 7500rpm and 13.2Nm at 6000rpm. The engine works in tandem with a 5-speed gearbox.

The W175TR’s front and rear suspension offer 35mm and 27mm longer travel than the standard bike. Thanks to this, the ground clearance is up by 30mm, at 195mm. Brakes include a disc up front and a drum at the rear. There is no ABS, even as an option.

It also features dual-purpose tyres, raised fenders and an upswept exhaust to suit its demeanour. Apart from these, the W175’s stock handlebar has been replaced with a 30mm taller braced unit, and the fuel tank gets a narrower profile. Consequently, the fuel tank capacity is down from 13.5 litres in the standard model to 7.5 litres in the tracker motorcycle. As a result of these changes, the kerb weight is also down by 5kg, at 121kg.

The W175TR SE, on the other hand, features chrome highlights on the instrument cluster and exhaust heat shield. It also gets a metal bash plate, premium ribbed seat, retro graphics on the fuel tank and knee grips.

Kawasaki is unlikely to launch these motorcycles in India as the brand has positioned itself to be more of a premium bike manufacturer here. Interestingly, the Indian market did have a similar 100cc off-road themed motorcycle in the form of the Bajaj SX Enduro back in the ‘90s. It was a scrambler version of the Kawasaki Bajaj KB100 RTZ, complete with a tuned engine with more emphasis on low-end torque.

Also Read: Kawasaki ZX-14R To Be Discontinued Soon

This was then followed by the Hero Passion Pro TR almost two decades later. It featured a headlamp grille, beak-like front fender, hand guards and block pattern tyres. Unfortunately, poor sales forced Hero MotoCorp to discontinue the bike in 2017. There have been no commuter motorcycles with an offroad theme ever since.