Niken-it does wheelie!-the newest video review...

[funcat]

...and finally we have it:

 

 

[BBJ]

Erm, I'm not sure what to say about this concoction.  Whatever floats I suppose!

Edited May 30, 2018 by BBJ

[MekkOne]

this one is cheaper, it does wheelies and got also a water bottle...

 

[mark131v]

Good review and while it aint my cup of tea it answers a few questions and I don't think it is quite as ridiculous as I did before, another option and it certainly seems a capable tool and good on Yamaha for pushing the envelope....

[canthai55]

Anyone who would buy this bike - or its little brother the Tri City - has lost the plot on what a motorcycle is ...

If they ever had the plot, which is debatable.

[Familyonthemove]

Perhaps it would be good to make an adventure bike version?  Maybe on a large/heavy bike used off road, the added front end ability would make more sense?

 

I kind of get the Tricity - added front end grip on poor roads, better braking - makes sense to tempt car commuters onto a scooter - but would someone looking for an 850 triple road bike really consider one with all that extra weight up front?  Hasn't stability and traction control plus abs kind of covered these bases for large bikes without adding another wheel?

[canthai55]

They are a solution looking for a problem.

ADV bikes more of the same.

And the extra traction with 2 front tires is a myth.

[mark131v]

2 hours ago, canthai55 said:

They are a solution looking for a problem.

ADV bikes more of the same.

And the extra traction with 2 front tires is a myth.

Why???

 

Yamaha have obviously spent a fortune on this, I don't understand the reasoning but I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, I have no idea why they have gone this way but I get it, they have rewritten the market, MT03 O7, 09....

 

Maybe the Japanese market is different, no idea but if you look at Yamaha you would be an idiot to think they are not right on the money, never would ride a 3 wheel bike though.....

[MekkOne]

9 hours ago, mark131v said:

12 hours ago, canthai55 said:

They are a solution looking for a problem.

ADV bikes more of the same.

And the extra traction with 2 front tires is a myth.

Why???

 

Because the lean angle is limited on this bike so you don't have any benefit from the double wheels on the front on high speeds, it is a good solution if you driving a scooter in a town like Milan or Rome where tram railways and stones paved roads are everywhere and you can actually have a more comfortable and safe drive (Piaggio was the first developer of this technology Yamaha just bought the patent from them so not much investment, at this point I think you didn't watch the video with much attention). I will add that the heavy front (the guy says it in the review) make the bike pretty slow in the weight transfer during cornering so again a motorbike got better handling of this tricycle, I can make sideways on the gravel and downhill with an Honda Dream and with the same bike it's not difficult to make wheelies when you're going uphill. I make my point as I genuinely think this tricycle is a hoax, Some 'Jay Leno' guy that want to have it in the garage to show it in some TV show in 15/20 years gonna probably buy it, but it belong in a technical museum not on an alpine road. Cheers.

[mark131v]

32 minutes ago, MekkOne said:

 

Because the lean angle is limited on this bike so you don't have any benefit from the double wheels on the front on high speeds, it is a good solution if you driving a scooter in a town like Milan or Rome where tram railways and stones paved roads are everywhere and you can actually have a more comfortable and safe drive (Piaggio was the first developer of this technology Yamaha just bought the patent from them so not much investment, at this point I think you didn't watch the video with much attention). I will add that the heavy front (the guy says it in the review) make the bike pretty slow in the weight transfer during cornering so again a motorbike got better handling of this tricycle, I can make sideways on the gravel and downhill with an Honda Dream and with the same bike it's not difficult to make wheelies when you're going uphill. I make my point as I genuinely think this tricycle is a hoax, Some 'Jay Leno' guy that want to have it in the garage to show it in some TV show in 15/20 years gonna probably buy it, but it belong in a technical museum not on an alpine road. Cheers.

Yeah I watched it....

 

I had never really thought too much about this contraption, the little I had thought was it was the bastard offspring of a songtaew and a proper bike now I am re appraising that somewhat

 

It's not my cup of tea but anything that pushes evolution is alright with me, personally I cannot stand Harleys and the whole cruiser/chopper thing but it has a place same as this does, your probably right I don't think it will be popular but it certainly aint a tame castrated toy

 

I reckon somebody will have really good fun on this but like I said it wont be me...

[eisfeld]

3 hours ago, mark131v said:

It's not my cup of tea but anything that pushes evolution is alright with me

I fully agree with you. It might not appeal to a big audience but I applaud any manufacturer who takes risks and tries something new. I imagine if three-wheelers were the norm and Yamaha just introduced a two-wheeler, we would have the same dismissive thoughts floating around. Don't get me wrong, I am also sceptical but I'd love to try and ride one just to experience it. Maybe it does give some folks the necessary boost in confidence to push them over the limit and get into motorcycles and that's a good thing.

[jackdd]

4 hours ago, MekkOne said:

Because the lean angle is limited on this bike so you don't have any benefit from the double wheels on the front on high speeds

According to the Yamaha website the maximum lean angle is 45 degrees and according to reviews it's possible to scrape the foot pegs, so i wouldn't call the lean angle "limited". Obviously it's not a motoGP bike, but the average rider will probably never reach the maximum lean angle.

Edited June 1, 2018 by jackdd

[MekkOne]

11 hours ago, jackdd said:

According to the Yamaha website the maximum lean angle is 45 degrees and according to reviews it's possible to scrape the foot pegs, so i wouldn't call the lean angle "limited". Obviously it's not a motoGP bike, but the average rider will probably never reach the maximum lean angle.

at 45 degrees my knee is at 12-13cm from the ground, my elbow at 25... I don't consider that lean...

[funcat]

On 6/1/2018 at 12:05 AM, canthai55 said:

Anyone who would buy this bike - or its little brother the Tri City - has lost the plot on what a motorcycle is ...

If they ever had the plot, which is debatable.

Maybe you got the plot...but definitely you don't have a clue...  ?

 

[canthai55]

36 minutes ago, funcat said:

Maybe you got the plot...but definitely you don't have a clue...  ?

 

Maybe - but this will not be me riding either one ...

 

[funcat]

6 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Maybe - but this will not be me riding either one ...

 

555...nice selfie.... ?

 

[Familyonthemove]

My 'bike-ego' is not so delicate that I would dismiss a new development just because you'd look like a plonker riding a tricycle, and I'd consider a Tricity for the potential benefits on poor quality, wet Bangkok roads whilst I do my daily commute in auto-pilot mode (but may need a dark tinted visor in case someone sees me) - but the Niken looks like too many compromises for too little gain.

[canthai55]

To me - a motorcycle needs to look like a motorcycle.

Not something from the Power Rangers.

Not something a Syphilitic Crackhead designed on his livingroom wall during a Psychotic break

But that' s just me. Ride what you like. Comment how you like.

And I shall do likewise

[funcat]

44 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

To me - a motorcycle needs to look like a motorcycle.

Not something from the Power Rangers.

Not something a Syphilitic Crackhead designed on his livingroom wall during a Psychotic break

But that' s just me. Ride what you like. Comment how you like.

And I shall do likewise

Absolutely...you have the right to be wrong...

[Familyonthemove]

2 hours ago, canthai55 said:

To me - a motorcycle needs to look like a motorcycle.

Not something from the Power Rangers.

Not something a Syphilitic Crackhead designed on his livingroom wall during a Psychotic break

But that' s just me. Ride what you like. Comment how you like.

And I shall do likewise

Harsh - but it does look like an accident.   But without the fairing it looks cool in a Transformers sort of way.  A naked version would have a whiff of Confederate Wraith about it.  Drop the blue anodized touches, remove the plastic, give it a steampunk black, silver and gold treatment - and it would look very cool. 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Familyonthemove

[funcat]

...and just to put some of you in even more depressing mode,here is something quite more extreme...

 

http://www.quadrovehicles.com/

Edited June 2, 2018 by funcat

[funcat]

nice...enough for me  ?

[DILLIGAD]

Wonder what they are like on uneven surfaces/pot-holes??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[eisfeld]

funcat: the lean in your last picture is misleading because the whole picture is tilted. Check the tilt of the background.

[MekkOne]

2 hours ago, funcat said:

nice...enough for me  ?

in this picture where 17 degrees more... this is the real deal... a file namex MAX LEAN should be real not a fake...

[jackdd]

So we can conclude that for somebody who is looking for a bike for track racing the niken is not the right bike ?

Other than that it's not suited for track racing what do you think are the advantages or disadvantages especially compared with for example the mt09?

Edited June 4, 2018 by jackdd

[funcat]

5 hours ago, MekkOne said:

in this picture where 17 degrees more... this is the real deal... a file namex MAX LEAN should be real not a fake...

(555-not my photo,but)...thanks for fixing it up...going beyond scraping pegs is probably not advisable on any (street) bike anyway...but I'm sure you(!) can go farther and even lift the outer wheel and...I want to see you do it... just why?!  ?

[funcat]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

So we can conclude that for somebody who is looking for a bike for track racing the niken is not the right bike ?

Other than that it's not suited for track racing what do you think are the advantages or disadvantages especially compared with for example the mt09?

It is basically the MT-09 with different front end...Why?...for added safety of the ride,of course...watch the video,read the review,it's all there.

 

I think,that anybody with a little common sense and will to ride for long time and live,can see the benefits ... ?

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by funcat

[Familyonthemove]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

So we can conclude that for somebody who is looking for a bike for track racing the niken is not the right bike ?

Other than that it's not suited for track racing what do you think are the advantages or disadvantages especially compared with for example the mt09?

I guess in theory two contact patches, each with their own forks and brakes, should give more grip on poor surfaces.

 

But how often are accidents caused by the front wheel washing out due to lack of grip, AND the cause of the slide is so limited it would impact on one wheel, but not two?  A wet leaf?  A very small oil patch?  A tiny bit of black ice?  A narrow drain cover?  A tram rail?.

 

All possible on a city commute, so the Tricity may make more sense - where inexperienced rider meets poor road surfaces.  But an MT09 should have an experienced rider on board, so a low side slide should be unlikely?

 

But off road these grip issues will be common - so an adventure bike version makes more sense to me.

[funcat]

I got to say,that I'm surprised with some of the comments...who will actually complain for having to much,or just simply more  grip on the motorbike...? ?

In any situation,having more traction should be beneficial...at least to most of the bikers,IMHO.