Ah, fall riding season. A time of brisk mornings, warm afternoon roads and watching every treeline for hormone-crazed deer. This is also the time of year when the world’s motorcycle manufacturers let us writers loose on their early-release new bikes, which is akin to Christmas and your birthday all rolled into a single crazy season. In Cafe Racer magazine’s next issue, we have a ball comparing one entirely new motorbike, Royal Enfield’s rapid and sexy Continental GT 650 with one of our all-time favorite retros, Kawasaki’s brilliant W650. Folks who happen by our editorial offices and garage often ask why we keep so many bikes around and part of the justification (besides the fun of owning a bunch of two-wheelers) is the opportunities that present themselves to test one bike against another. When the W650 was released in North America back in 2000, it was a groundbreaking machine as the global appreciation for classic-styled streetbikes was still a ways off. Here we are 18 years later, and I get the impression Kawasaki could sell a boat-load of these keen, good-looking bikes.
On the horizon for the coming issues are test rides aboard new metal from Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda and just about everyone else producing these sharp-handling, cool-looking machines. Write in and let us know your own opinions of these unbelievable motorcycles at rockersrule@caferacermag.com