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Tour de France Nikens


maximNikenGT

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Fascinating angle on the Yamaha Niken being tapped for bike race support and live action camera roles at endurance events like the Tour de France. Previously this used to be dominated by the BMW R1200/1250 RTs which was what most cameramen preferred since there is a niche industry for rear facing camera seating and mounts for the tv/movie industry. 

 

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2019 Niken GT
"Motorcycles - the brand is not important, the fact that you ride is."

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54 minutes ago, Heli ATP said:

I wonder if the number of Niken's will increase for the tour year after year or if it is just a fad?

And how do you say it   Nike N or Nick N?

The Japanese pronounce it Nee-ken (nee=The number two in Japanese, ken=sword). It helped me to think of the first half of the word  "kendo" and that's the way of the sword). 

I did run across a Yamaha of Europe article indicating the Nai-ken pronunciation was equally acceptable with the understanding that this would be a probable westernized pronunciation of Nee-ken.

Only thing to consider is that in Japanese, Nai is the Japanese word for "absent". So in Japanese if you say Nai-ken, that translates to "absent swords/no swords/potentially implying unarmed".

Of course you can always anglicize Niken however you want. As the Japanese say, "Okyakusama wa kamisama desu = Customer is god."

In an unrelated note, I believe your spelling above E.g. what you're referencing above with Nike N = Nai-ken. My only hesitation being that I knew some kids back in school who pronounced the shoe brand Nike =Nai-kee. 

 

 

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2019 Niken GT
"Motorcycles - the brand is not important, the fact that you ride is."

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not Niken specific but showed up in my feed after watching the French Tour Nikens. Apparently the moto journalists are flogging three wheel cycles on race and dirt tracks. I'm very amused at the motocross style riding with foot planted in the mud at the latter part of the video. If anyone ever off roaded their Niken I suspect this is what it would look like. 

Looks bonkers and fun. 

 

2019 Niken GT
"Motorcycles - the brand is not important, the fact that you ride is."

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