Yamaha calls the Niken a “sport touring motorcycle,” and sells the bike in standard trim for $15,999 and a GT version for $17,299. In fact, it was at times more comfortable than on a conventional motorcycle, because the space between the two front wheels allowed me to straddle the center line and the Botts Dots that sometimes make lane splitting bumpy. Soon I was splitting lanes as comfortably as I do on anything made by Harley-Davidson or Indian Motorcycle - cautiously, but comfortably. But I quickly realized that the front tires do not sit wider than the handlebars.
I assumed at first, sitting over the wide front end, that the multiwheel construction would compromise its ability to lane-share on the freeway. I could feel every wrinkle in the road and the Niken absorbing the rough stuff beautifully. The dual front end offered tremendous grip and feedback. The Niken felt instantly comfortable, cruised the highway like a Honda Gold Wing and tackled the twisties like a Ducati Monster. The result is the most fun I’ve had on three wheels since I got my first tricycle. The bike features a 32.3-inch seat height.Īdventure bikes are the liveliest segment of a stale motorcycle market » Front and rear suspension - four shocks in front, one mono-shock in back - are fully adjustable. Stopping power comes from three large discs, two in front, one in back, and ABS is standard. The bike offers several riding modes, and clutchless “quick shift” gear changes. It features a six-speed transmission, with a chain drive. The Niken weighs in at 580 pounds, which is more than 100 pounds heavier than the Tracer 900 GT.
It is an in-line three-cylinder engine that revs up fast and is said to produce 115 horsepower.Īnd, since I had recently ridden a three-wheeled Can-Am Ryker, and had been impressed by a Harley-Davidson customized by Seattle’s Tilting Motorcycle Works, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t find the twin-front-end construction too awkward. The two motorcycles share the same 847cc powerplant. Since I had recently ridden Yamaha’s Tracer 900 GT sport touring bike, the Niken engine was familiar to me. To determine who would want such a machine, and why, I borrowed a Niken from Yamaha and spent a couple of weeks testing it. Unlike the three-wheeled auto-cycles such as Can-Am’s Spyder, Polaris’ Slingshot and Vanderhall’s Venice, or three-wheeled scooters such as the Piaggio MP3, the Niken has to be ridden like a regular motorcycle and parked using a traditional kickstand. What it would not do, Yamaha said, was stand up on its own.
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