New OLD Guy with Questions

[Old Fat Guy]

I just joined today because I very interested in the Niken.  I'm a 77 year old experience road and dirt rider that is looking to downsize from my GL1800A and the Niken look INTERESTING!   

I'm in fairly good shape for an OLD guy but struggle to pick up the GL1800 if I drop it.  One question I haven't seen seen asked or answered is: 

Is the Niken harder/easier/same difficulty to pick up once dropped compared to a "standard" sport tourning bike of the same size/weight?

Thanks for any help :>)

[texscottyd]

Hi @Old Fat Guy - I don’t have any personal experience with the Niken, and fortunately my 2015 FJ has never gone horizontal, so I don’t know the effort in picking it up from a drop.   That said, a huge part of the appeal of the FJ/Tracer line has been the lighter weight than most other sport touring bikes.  It’s a fairly spacious bike for full sized riders (I’m 6’1”, 230 pounds), but weighs less than 500 pounds ready-to-ride.  The Niken front end certainly adds weight, but I doubt the overall package could be much over 550 pounds...  maybe someone here knows an actual value.  

If you’re ok with the GL1800, I have to believe the weight of a Niken would be a non-issue.  My gut instinct is that a Niken would be less likely to drop in the first place, and much easier to pick up if you did.   

[Heli ATP]

Stock Niken weighs in at 580 lbs (263 kg) where as the GL1800 is 787lbs (357kg).

[Old Fat Guy]

I appreciate both of your responses.  The Niken seems to be quite a bike!

I uderstand that it is MUCH lighter than my wing and thus much easier to pick up.

The thing I'm curious about is whether the double front forks/wheels act or are configured in such a way that they make lifting it MORE difficult or LESS difficult than a similar bike of the same total weight with a conventional front end.  I'm thinking that, depending on how the forks are place on a dropped bike could help or hinder lifting it.  IF the down side for is compressed it would seem that @ 45 degrees and higher it MIGHT be less difficult???   OR IF the down side is extended if would be harder to lift???   OR maybe the system somehow assists in the lifting process???

THANKS!

[betoney]

5 hours ago, Old Fat Guy said:

The thing I'm curious about is whether the double front forks/wheels act or are configured in such a way that they make lifting it MORE difficult or LESS difficult than a similar bike of the same total weight with a conventional front end.

With all of these questions about ease of lifting vs the Goldwing, I am SOOO curious... how often do you drop the Goldwing and how often do you anticipate dropping the Niken?  Is that a normal thing?

Usually when riders have a question about a new bike they ask questions about reliability, comfort, fuel range etc., ease of lifting it up every time you drop it doesn't seem to ever enter the conversation. 🤷‍♀️  The question really took me by surprise.

[Heli ATP]

14 hours ago, betoney said:

..... and how often do you anticipate dropping the Niken?  Is that a normal thing?

 

The weight of the FJ was a big attraction to me. Having not ridden in many years till recently, my balance skills and short legs were a concern.

[Old Fat Guy]

3 hours ago, betoney said:

With all of these questions about ease of lifting vs the Goldwing, I am SOOO curious... how often do you drop the Goldwing and how often do you anticipate dropping the Niken?  Is that a normal thing?

Usually when riders have a question about a new bike they ask questions about reliability, comfort, fuel range etc., ease of lifting it up every time you drop it doesn't seem to ever enter the conversation. 🤷‍♀️  The question really took me by surprise.

In the 20 years and 200K miles I had the GL1800 I'd GUESS I've dropped it ~ a dozen times? for a variety of reasons ranging from rider error when making a tight parking lot turn to finding the dirt road I'm on deteriorating into baby head stones heading uphill (this was riding 2 up with luggage on a mountain pass in Switzerland) to making a panic stop and swerve to avoid a car that ran a STOP sign. And sometimes we do some "dual sport" type backroads or tow our tandem MTB behind.  The GL1800 also is about 1.5" higher than stock because it has Tranxxion Dynamics Racing suspension which, amoung other things, raise the bike so it has more ground clearance for corning - but this makes it a little harder to get your foot down and to pick it up after tipping over.

 

[betoney]

9 hours ago, Old Fat Guy said:

In the 20 years and 200K miles I had the GL1800 I'd GUESS I've dropped it ~ a dozen times? for a variety of reasons ranging from rider error when making a tight parking lot turn to finding the dirt road I'm on deteriorating into baby head stones heading uphill (this was riding 2 up with luggage on a mountain pass in Switzerland) to making a panic stop and swerve to avoid a car that ran a STOP sign. And sometimes we do some "dual sport" type backroads or tow our tandem MTB behind.  The GL1800 also is about 1.5" higher than stock because it has Tranxxion Dynamics Racing suspension which, amoung other things, raise the bike so it has more ground clearance for corning - but this makes it a little harder to get your foot down and to pick it up after tipping over.

 

Fair enough, this photo gives you justification to drop it now and again. 👍

Have you ridden the Niken or ever seen one?  It won't be the luxurious ride that you have with the Goldwing, but it is an impressive machine.  

[wanderer]

I can't help with any new info, but I love towing the tandem mountain bike!

[koth442]

You are an inspiration putting that GL through a water crossing. My hat off to you sir!

[knyte]

Love it, that's an impressive setup there.

I also can't offer much except to say the FJ-09 is fairly easy to lift.  So I've been told...

[mikerbiker]

ok, maybe im not as old as OP but I'm not young either:  How do you "drop" a Niken.  It's a trike, right?  but with 2 wheels in the front, so a reverse trike.  Don't they NOT "drop"?  Unless you mean like if I roll my car can i get it back on all 4 wheels?

😧

[betoney]

14 minutes ago, mikerbiker said:

ok, maybe im not as old as OP but I'm not young either:  How do you "drop" a Niken.  It's a trike, right?  but with 2 wheels in the front, so a reverse trike.  Don't they NOT "drop"?  Unless you mean like if I roll my car can i get it back on all 4 wheels?

😧

Yes, the Niken will fall over, it does NOT lock upright when stopped.

[Heli ATP]

3 hours ago, mikerbiker said:

ok, maybe im not as old as OP but I'm not young either:  How do you "drop" a Niken.  It's a trike, right?  but with 2 wheels in the front, so a reverse trike.  Don't they NOT "drop"?  Unless you mean like if I roll my car can i get it back on all 4 wheels?

😧

 

[mikerbiker]

Thanks! I'm a little more knowledgeable than when I woke up this am...