Duel Yamaha Niken GT Vs Tracer 900 GT: the good three (wheels) plan ?

A motorcycle is two wheels, a handlebar and a motor. The proof, we have "always done like that" … With its additional wheel at the front, the Yamaha Niken would therefore be excluded from this definition ?! MNC wanted to be clear about it by opposing the GT version of this confusing tripod to the Tracer 900 GT. Duel.

Duel Niken GT Vs Tracer 900 GT page 2: Details in captioned photos

The MT-09 vein. Take an MT-09, graft it a fairing and suitcases and you have the Tracer 900 GT. Take an MT-09, add an extra front wheel and luggage to it, and it gives… the Niken GT. You just had to think about it !

A sword blow, not in the water. "Ni Ken", literally means in Japanese "two swords" and would represent according to Yamaha the two front wheels cutting the road like two sabers. A little "perched" as an image, but we must admit that the three-wheeler throws !

Lean over. The front end of the Niken, called Leaning Multi Wheels (LMW) is reclining Multi-wheels, uses the principle known as Akerman. It is made up of two tilting wheels, 410 mm apart, which are suspended by a Kayaba inverted double fork. MNC culture sequence: Rudolph Akerman is a German inventor who was responsible for the first steering systems for cars around 1820 !

GT on the road. The Niken GT differs from the standard version by its comfort saddle, its semi-rigid 22-liter saddlebags, its grab handles integrated into the luggage racks, its luggage rack, its heated handles, its second 12V socket under the saddle and its central stand. It is announced at 267 kg, or 4 kg more than the Niken "short".

More consensual. The Tracer 900 GT unveils in its second generation a softened and less angular front end. The reduction in the width of its handlebars (- 16.5 mm) and its hand guards (- 100 mm between each end!) Gives it more elegance … and ease between lines of cars !

Yamaha does not bubble. Adjusting the screen of the Tracer 900 GT is done via a kind of clamp on its lower part. Childish. That of the Niken GT is non-adjustable. Both offer good protection, although not enough for open helmet riding above 70 km / h. These are not "real" roads, with veranda-style windshields !

State-of-the-art equipment. The Tracer 900 GT and the Niken GT receive traction control that can be configured on two levels (1 or 2) when driving, throttle off. This disengageable system when stationary intervenes with finesse and gentleness. Three maps are also available: A, B and Standard on the motorcycle, 1,2 and 3 on the tricycle. Intermediate mode is preferable to soften the rough injection of both vehicles.

It shifts, or ? A shifter which works only when upshifting is fitted as standard on both Yamaha. It is rather reluctant at low revs, especially on the Niken: impossible to use it under 4000 rpm! Possibly due to its reinforced box gears compared to the Tracer ?

Disc change. The Niken and Tracer share the same front brake system (298mm rotors and 4-piston radial calipers). Unsurprisingly, the bike has superior bite thanks to its lower weight. Both brake very well from the rear and benefit from good engine braking. The tripod takes the advantage in "trapper" mode, thanks to the grip provided by its 2nd front wheel. Its ABS also manages each wheel independently.

A less steep "Tracer" … Let it be said: the Tracer 900 is an excellent road bike. But by lengthening its swingarm by 6 cm (!) To channel its volatile temperament, Yamaha has calmed it down a little too much in 2018. Its shock absorber has more tendency to sag, requiring to strengthen preload and hydraulic. Uninformative original tires – Dunlop D222 – don’t help deal with some directional blur in bumpy sections.

Shorter, really? Yamaha claims to have on the Niken "reduced final drive compared to MT-09 and Tracer". However, the two engines run at exactly the same speed, whatever the gear: at 3000 rpm in 6th at 80 km / h, at 4000 rpm in 6th at 100 km / h and at 3000 rpm in 3rd at 50 km / h. The two vibrate unpleasantly between 4000 and 5500 rpm, especially the 3-wheeler which nevertheless has rubbers on its footrests (absent on Tracer).

Don’t be sissy … The tripod also presents a reworked injection and a crankshaft heavier of "18%", to offer him "a greater pleasure of conduct and smooth starts". The differences do not jump to the helmet: the bike is simply more responsive under 4000 rpm thanks to its 40 kg less and lower friction resistance !

Charge ! The luggage of the Tracer GT is much more qualitative and better integrated (supports in the buckle). The suitcases of the motorcycle, rigid, can also be closed with the ignition key, while the semi-rigid bags of the tricycle are zipped. A code padlock is provided to hang your zips! In both, a full face helmet does not fit: too bad.

It’s not a bit finished … A 16 299 €, the Niken GT should be flawless in terms of finish: this is not the case, evidenced by the jumble of cables and ducts near the engine and other pieces of blue tape. The Tracer 900 GT, much cheaper (€ 12,199), performs flawlessly in this area.

Finish (bis). The presentation of the Tracer 900 GT also benefits from the bronze-like treatment of its housings and its cylinder head (black on Niken). Its perimeter aluminum frame surrounds the three-legged with more fluidity than the hybrid element in – large – steel and aluminum tubes developed specifically for the Niken..

Fashionable. The bike also offers superb color TFT matrix instrumentation, readable, complete and fully controlled from the handlebars. In view of its price, salty, the Niken GT should also benefit from it: its monochrome dashboard taken from the MT-09, certainly very informative, lacks cachet on such a vehicle. !

It goes wide … The Niken GT is quite efficient in town, despite its larger footprint than the Tracer 900 GT. Going up the lines is perfectly achievable and its excellent turning radius facilitates maneuvers. Only problem: its mirrors far apart bring its total width to 103 cm (89 cm for the Tracer), which requires a precise glance !

The 3-wheeler drinks like a donkey … To contain its weight, the Niken uses an aluminum tank and not steel as on the MT-09 / Tracer 900. The volume is the same (18 liters), but the range is in favor of the bike thanks to its lower consumption. : MNC recorded between 5.12 to 5.71 l / 100 km on the Tracer and from 5.52 to 6.90 l / 100 km on the tripod. Logical given its additional weight and wheel !

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