Niken roll-out is beginning, more info and soon, test rides

[Panther6834]

Already have my name on the list to test ride...can't wait (tho I have to).

[justplainbill]

The cat is out of the bag. MoreBikes preliminary test ride report of Niken's Austria launch is available here:  
 
https://www.morebikes.co.uk/47709/first-ride-yamahas-all-new-niken-three-wheeler/
 
Writer Ross Mowbray rode one 260km  on Friday and is pretty enthusiastic. Make that pants wetting enthusiastic. Make that premature ejac... uh, never mind enthusiastic.  I guess it really sticks to the road around corners and handles rough surfaces masterfully.  
 
Expect more enthusiastic reports in the days to come.  
 
 
 

[texscottyd]

“You need to ride one. It’ll surprise you.”
 
I’m even more intrigued now. I’m probably not their target buyer (and unsure who actually is), but am fascinated by the engineering and apparent execution. Anything that expands the footprint of the power sports market has to be a good thing.

[justplainbill]

I am really surprised that Yamaha isn't touting this machine as a grand tourer, but rather a canyon carving sport machine (not exactly a light, whip around kind of thing). Would like to see this thing fitted for touring, luggage and pillion etc.

Maybe canyon carvers need to be told what works for their purposes and touring guys can figure it out for themselves?    More likely, if the Niken base model costs $18K already, a touring equipped Niken could easily hit $20K (and 600+ pounds). Which would make the FJR1300 a bargain and put the Niken up against the 1260 Ducati Multistrada and BMW R1200RT (not to mention the S1000XR with bags).  I'm not seeing it... of course I'm not seeing a tricked out FJ (Niken) at $18K either.  
I would be surprised if Tracer (FJ) accessories like saddlebags, seats, trunks, etc. don't fit the Niken as well. It's possible that mounts could be different, but if you have a touring kitted FJ and are considering an upgrade , hang on to that luggage for your Niken. 

[betoney]

Traveling to Austria to test ride motorcycles in the mountains... what a job.
 
After the positive test review, I’m even more eager to test ride one now.

[justplainbill]

First report from Visordown's  Alan Dowds here:
 
http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/2018-yamaha-niken-first-impressions
 
None of that premature enthusiasm stuff going on here; Dowds is more restrained in his initial thoughts about the Niken.  He finds it "ponderous" in slow, tight corners - the extra weight of the front end being the problem but says that goes away when the road opens up.  He's not thrilled with the front brakes, rotor size being limited by 15" wheels either.  More reporting by Dowds at Visordown later, and more from other sources too.  

[justplainbill]

Article describing Niken technical features published March 19, 2018, by Visordown editor, the very restrained Alan Dowds, here: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/video-underneath-yamahas-niken-tech-updates To save trouble navigating through the ads, I lifted the text and posted it below. I didn’t copy the photos or video (already posted here). Facts I found particularly interesting are in bold face type.
 
 
“One thing we're really looking forward to this spring is a spin on Yamaha's new MT-09-based Niken three-wheeler. It's not often we get a whole new type of vehicle to lark about on, and the evidence suggests the Niken might be like nothing else out there.
 
We've spoken to some factory insiders, and Yamaha has also released a new tech video this week, giving some more detail on the ins and outs of the front suspension system. And we have to say, the more we find out, the more interested we get.
 
First up – this is not like the three-wheeled scooters some of us have ridden already. Yamaha's aimed the Niken at motorcyclists looking for something new, rather than commuters scared of falling over at traffic lights. Indeed, the Niken will fall over if you let go of it, without putting it on the sidestand. The front end is totally 'passive', which is to say, there are no hidden hydraulics or electrics governing how it moves. There's no switch to 'lock' the front end in an upright position.
 
If you lever the Niken up onto the sidestand, with the front end in the air, the two wheels will move up and down freely, with no friction. As one goes up, the other goes down, the parallelogram linkage under the steering head providing a natural motion. Cunning geometry in the Ackermann linkage setup keeps the two wheels in line, and the same distance apart, all the way through the bend, enhancing stability and steering feel.
 
We also got an insight into the dual fork suspension setup. The front fork tube doesn't have any springs or dampers inside – it's there just to keep the wheel pointing ahead. The rear tubes have all the suspension function inside them.
 
What's the point then? Well, apparently, the front end feel and grip in a corner is something else entirely. There's not quite double the amount of traction as you have on an MT-09, because the front wheels are 15-inch rims rather than 17-inchers, so the contact patch of each tyre is slightly smaller. But we're told there's about 80 per cent more front end grip…
 
The 15-inch rim size is important, since it's the same size as on the TMAX 500 super-scooter, and thatmeans there's a huge choice of rubber. The TMAX is so popular in Italy, there are even race tyres available in its 120/70 15 sizes – giving the possibility of *two* super-sticky hoops on the front end of a Niken, for trackday fun like nothing else. We're also led to believe that the Niken can wheelie, but once the front end is off the deck, the movement of the two wheels isn't totally predictable. Depending how the front comes up, the wheels might stay level, or one might stay down low and the other lift up even higher. Witchcraft man…
 
We don't even know what a stoppie could be like. Minds are blown.
 
So, we're sold. And we'll be riding the Niken in May, probably in the mountain roads of Austria. But we're not the only ones – once Yamaha has finished the press launch, it's loading all the Nikens onto an HGV, and taking them round Europe on a test ride roadshow. We've not got exact dates yet, but sometime in June, you'll be able to go to Niken roadshow events here in the UK, and check out this mad new beastie for yourself… “
 

[betoney]

First report from Visordown's  Alan Dowds here: 
http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/2018-yamaha-niken-first-impressions
 
None of that premature enthusiasm stuff going on here; Dowds is more restrained in his initial thoughts about the Niken.  He finds it "ponderous" in slow, tight corners - the extra weight of the front end being the problem but says that goes away when the road opens up.  He's not thrilled with the front brakes, rotor size being limited by 15" wheels either.  More reporting by Dowds at Visordown later, and more from other sources too.  

From the very beginning of his article, he doesn’t seem excited about this new “bike?”
 
“Well. This has to be one of the trickiest ‘bikes’ I've ever had to try and work out. It’s not even a ‘bike’, is it? Motorbike is short for ‘motor bicycle’, meaning two, not three, wheels. But it leans over, so isn’t a trike either. Terminology aside, the Niken looks like nothing else on the road.
 
“Now, while it doesn’t feel quite as weird as it looks, it’s definitely a bit strange. For the first few miles, I thought it felt like a big scooter, then a mega-tourer like a Gold Wing, and even a bit like an adventure bike, thanks to the wide bars.”
 
I wonder what his riding background is, is he more of a sport bike rider? His review seems quite the contradiction from others. 
 
“In short, it’s obvious a huge amount of brain power, care and effort has gone into perfecting the Niken – and after spending a day in the saddle, I can say with certainty that it’s all been worth it. In fact, I’ve never heard a group of journalists agree so wholeheartedly on something – which is surely a testament to just how good the Niken is. You need to ride one. It’ll surprise you.”

[wordsmith]

Cat, pigeons!   Is this the correct Forum for this vehicle?   True, it's by Yamaha, true it has some components from the FJ-09/MT-09, but it has three wheels and is not a motorcycle.
 
Discuss....

[koth442]

Cat, pigeons!   Is this the correct Forum for this vehicle?   True, it's by Yamaha, true it has some components from the FJ-09/MT-09, but it has three wheels and is not a motorcycle. 
Discuss....

Cruizin made a sub-category for Nikken posts so.. yea. Maybe if / when it takes off and gains lots of popularity it might branch into its own forum. But in the mean time, it can live here in its own sub-category. 

[justplainbill]

Cat, pigeons!   Is this the correct Forum for this vehicle?   True, it's by Yamaha, true it has some components from the FJ-09/MT-09, but it has three wheels and is not a motorcycle. 
Discuss....

Hair splitting, not wordsmithing Wordsmith. I thought better of you than that.  Would you deny that someone with six fingers or toes is human?  So too, a motorcycle with three wheels has not left the species, it's just a little odd and we try to accept it without openly sneering at it's abnormality.   
 
Historically, in the U.S. anyway, we have accepted motorcycle based "trikes" whether factory motor maid Harleys,  three wheel conversions of Goldwings, Harleys and other large motorcycles, bikes with sidecars,  homemade contraptions with three wheels as "motorcycles".   When a vehicle is based on a snowmobile (Spyder) or is an automobile lacking a rear wheel (Slingshot) to get around government safety and equipment requirements,  I have trouble accepting them as motorcycles.  I may be suffering from a new type of "ist" that they haven't found the right suffix for...yet.   I'm sure academia is working on it. 

[justplainbill]

Meanwhile, back at Visordown, editor Alan Dowds has wrapped up his review and comments on the Niken in Austria.  http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/full-launch-test-2018-yamaha-niken   He remains unconvinced about this iteration of Yamaha's three wheeler, but still open to the notion that it can be improved on and turned into something very special. It's hard to know if he's a natural skeptic or was just annoyed by having to get on skis for the first time before he was permitted to ride the Niken as a way of understanding his reaction.  
 
Because Google hasn't coughed up any other Niken ride reviews than Visordown and Morebikes so far,  and we know there were many other journalist test riders at the event, I'm looking forward to impressions from the others.  And even more so, impressions from non-professional riders who get to ride the Niken over the next few months. 

[justplainbill]

MCN review of the  Niken by Senior Editor Matt Wildee,  https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2018/march/niken-yamaha-motorcycle/ 
 
Seems to be a bit more neutral review than either of the other two; Wildee reports on steering problems in tight turns and difficulty quickly changing directions in "S" curves. And he's high on the excellent high speed stability on highways (A roads) and curves. My takeaway is that a buyer would be wise to analyze his riding environment when considering a Niken buy. Of course that goes without saying for any motorcycle purchase.   

[duhs10]

MCN review of the  Niken by Senior Editor Matt Wildee,  https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2018/march/niken-yamaha-motorcycle/  
Seems to be a bit more neutral review than either of the other two; Wildee reports on steering problems in tight turns and difficulty quickly changing directions in "S" curves. And he's high on the excellent high speed stability on highways (A roads) and curves. My takeaway is that a buyer would be wise to analyze his riding environment when considering a Niken buy. Of course that goes without saying for any motorcycle purchase.   

 
Link to article doesn't work for me...
 
I Googled the article and... it's pretty much what I expected the handling characteristics to be. Slow and heavy in the tight corners stable in a straight line or long sweeping turns. I'm sure there is a market for it and it is a cool design but not for me...
 
Also, this is the 2nd person who mentioned the terrible choice for a rear tire?? Why did Yamaha choose that tire? Do they need the rear tire to slide a little for some reason?
 

[wordsmith]

Cat, pigeons!   Is this the correct Forum for this vehicle?   True, it's by Yamaha, true it has some components from the FJ-09/MT-09, but it has three wheels and is not a motorcycle. 
Discuss....

Hair splitting, not wordsmithing Wordsmith. I thought better of you than that.  Would you deny that someone with six fingers or toes is human?  So too, a motorcycle with three wheels has not left the species, it's just a little odd and we try to accept it without openly sneering at it's abnormality.   
You misread me, bill - quite possibly deliberately to make your point!   There is not the slightest evidence, trace, or intention to sneer in my post.   It is not a motorcycle - tho' it may be described as a variant of a motorcycle, just like some of those others you quoted.