2018 Yamaha Niken: the three-wheeler MT-09
Yamaha is shaking up the three-wheeler segment with its spectacular Niken, star of the Japanese stand at the EICMA fair in Milan (Italy). Far from the utilitarian image of MP3s and other Tricity, this machine only accessible to bikers is in a fun and sporty register thanks to the 3-cylinder of the MT-09 which drives it. !
Motorcycle production does not experience "real" revolutions every day. The Yamaha Niken ("two sabers" in Japanese) is one of these privileged few, since it is, according to its designers, nothing more than the "first reclining three-wheeled motorcycle". Because Iwata’s coat of arms is formal: its spectacular tripod is indeed a motorcycle, and not a scooter like its, the Peugeot Metropolis, the Quadro 3D and the essential Piaggio MP3.
- MNC special file :
- MNC special file :
- MNC of October 26, 2017 :
To convince the skeptics, the Japanese manufacturer recalls that its daring Niken is powered by a motorcycle engine, and not just any: the villainous three-cylinder "CP3" of the, a monument of character of 847 cc that develops 115 hp and 87.5 Nm on the roadster and its road () or Vintage () variants. Nothing of a "plan-plan" mill with a utility vocation !
Second characteristic which anchors it on the motorcycle side: its driving obligatorily requires the motorcycle license (A), a voluntary choice of Yamaha which did not envisage making it a competitor to MP3 LT (Large Tread, wide gauge).
These are in fact accessible with a simple car license (B) and a 7-hour training course – even in the 500 cc version – thanks to their spacing between the wheels greater than 460 mm, as authorized by the regulations. The Yamaha, for its part, displays 410 mm between its front wheels: in fact, it cannot enter the category of L5e tricycles, accessible without a motorcycle license..
A new type of vehicle reserved for bikers
"It’s a deliberate decision, if only for a matter of caution as the Niken has a high potential engine and takes an angle," confirms Alexandre Kowalski of Yamaha France. "It is not an urban utility vehicle, it is a new type of vehicle intended for motorcyclists eager for new sensations", he assures..
The only mechanical changes would be a reparameterization of the injection and a redesigned crankshaft to bring an extra touch of smoothness, especially at start-up. The transmission and the 6-speed gearbox, unchanged from the motorcycle, reinforce its special status: left-foot selector and chain, unlike the usual variators and belts in use in traditional scooters.
Unveiled in 2014 in Cologne under the name of then renamed the following year at the Tokyo Motor Show, this strange machine is distinguished above all by a very singular front axle, made up of two inverted forks. Four sleeves and plungers in all, adjustable in rebound and compression !
This bright blue "double" fork is only attached to the outside of each of the 120/70/15 front wheels, which are also tiltable. This unique device, called Leaning Multi Wheel (LMW), would allow angles of 45 ° while offering "a lot of fun and less stress", ensures Yamaha.
At the rear, the 17-inch rim is under the close supervision of an adjustable traction control on two levels and can be deactivated. Electronics are omnipresent, no real surprise given the futuristic character of the Niken: in addition to traction control, the new Yamaha 3-wheeler is equipped with an electronic accelerator, several injection mappings on the handlebars, a regulator speed and a shifter.
The frame mixes steel and aluminum, including the 552mm long aluminum swingarm. This beautiful part measures 15 mm more than on an MT-09 and serves as an anchor point for the mono-shock absorber adjustable in preload, compression and rebound. Enough to refine the reactions of this tripod probably significantly heavier than an MT-09 (193 kg): Yamaha has not yet specified its weight, but it must be around 250 kg.
The instrumentation is of digital type, without technological colors or "fuss". Surprisingly, Yamaha did not install the very beautiful TFT dashboard of the R1, from which, on the other hand, the turn signals integrated in the mirrors derive! All the lighting is also based on LEDs, while the weight distribution is announced at 50/50 between the front and the rear "with the pilot".
Available in the second half of 2018
(Re) presented at the last Tokyo Motor Show at the end of October in the state of, the Niken is now ready to go into production: Yamaha announces its arrival in Europe for "April 2018" tells us Yamaha Motor France. Asked by MNC, the French subsidiary specifies that its marketing will be done in a trickle way, as for, probably via an online reservation system. Despite our requests, it is impossible to obtain a more precise estimate as to its distribution (quantity, objectives) or its price…
In view of the originality of this reclining three-wheeled motorcycle, the quality of its equipment and the care taken in its design, we can expect a price of the "beefy" kind, although Yamaha France specifies that it will be "affordable"! A sum of between € 15,000 and € 18,000 seems possible for MNC, especially since this vehicle has no equivalent at present. If it is not perhaps – but in another register – the Quadro 4D and its tilting 4-wheels, with which it will compete for the title of concept badly crossed out !
Yamaha Niken 2018: the key points
- MT-09 847cc inline 3-cylinder
- Specific injection and crankshaft
- Front axle with double fork juxtaposed lengthwise
- 45 ° angle grip capacity
- Hybrid chassis in steel and aluminum, with aluminum swingarm extended by 15 mm compared to MT-09
- 6 speed gearbox and chain final drive, like MT
- LED lighting and indicators
- 15-inch front wheels 410 mm apart
- 17 inch rear wheel
- Fully adjustable single shock absorber, with offset preload wheel
- Electronic accelerator, three maps, regulator, anti-slip adjustable on two levels and can be deactivated, 12V socket
- Anti-dribble clutch (like MT-09)
- Shifter (like MT-09)
- 18 liter aluminum tank
- 298mm front discs, 282mm rear disc
- Availability in April 2018, in limited quantities
- Price: not communicated
Yamaha Niken 2018: video
Yamaha Niken 2018: photo gallery
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