Yamaha Niken test: trying the three-wheeled motorcycle is taming it !
For more than ten years, Yamaha engineers have been racking their brains to offer a motorcycle with unprecedented cornering performance. Their solution? Add a wheel to the front of course! Site went to the Alps, in Austria, to test this unique three-wheel machine called Niken. Test.
Yamaha Niken test page 3: Technical point
Part-cycle
Once is not customary, Site begins its technical point with the chassis and not the engine. On the Niken, in fact, the centerpiece is at the front: the imposing parallelogram and its double forks responsible for placing the two wheels in the right direction (s) hold all the attention….
Similar to that of the Tricity, the front axle of the Niken is however more sophisticated: "we had to develop a new system capable of withstanding much higher stresses, which could offer the rider a feeling identical to that of a motorcycle", explains at MNC the motorcycle product manager of Yamaha Motor Europe, Leon Oosterof.
In the interesting subject of the "Design Cafe" devoted to Niken – an essential subject for Site readers who, as everyone knows, are a little more curious than others – the project manager Takahiro Suzuki specifies that his team applied " Ackermann’s sketch ", logically unknown to motorcyclists, but also to motorists. And yet.
"It is an established principle in automotive architecture: the inside wheel describes a curve tighter than that of the outside. Consequently, the inside wheel must have a greater deflection than that of the outside wheel. Apply this formula to a vehicle. Tilting is complex, in that the wheel not only steers and thrusts vertically, but it also tilts ", explains Suzuki San.
"By making the steering and tilt pivots independent by means of a specific offset joint, we were able to solve this problem for the benefit of very natural steering sensations. This technology is the key to the Niken’s cornering skills," reveals the Japanese engineer.
This two-axle Ackermann steering mechanism is combined with a "cantilever suspension system mounted on the outside of the wheels": the famous pair of inverted forks, original Kayaba. Slightly wider (43 mm), the one behind takes care of the damping. Hydraulic compression and rebound as well as spring preload are adjustable.
In front, the 41 mm fork provides a guiding function: unlike a conventional motorcycle wheel which turns around its axis, the two front wheels of the Niken are obviously not fixed to each other! "A single tube / sleeve combination per rim would not have been enough to keep the tire and the disc in the axis", describes Oosterof San..
According to our interlocutor, the exceptional rigidity of the front axle explains the original design of the frame, distinct from the aluminum frames of the MT-09 and Tracer. On the Niken, the steering column is cast steel, the area around the swingarm axis is cast aluminum, and the two are connected by a tubular steel frame..
"Responding to levels of strength, rigidity and flexibility precisely where they are needed, this hybrid design ensures natural stability, sporty agility and excellent handling", guarantee the Japanese, decidedly full of resources and ideas..
The size of the front rims is not common either, and was determined based on feedback from test pilots: they felt 15-inch wheels offered the best compromise between agility and stability. Ditto for their spacing of 410 mm elsewhere, or for the very acute frame angle (20 °) "but incomparable to conventional dimensions", says Yamaha.
The two front tires (120 / 70R15 V) were specially designed in collaboration with Bridgestone. For the moment, these are the only ones available on the market: the competition will probably wait a few months before launching into this – tiny, interesting, juicy ?! – niche.
Despite the reduced size of the front rims, the Niken receives the same pair of disc brakes as the MT-09 (298mm, 4-piston calipers). Very good point for the Niken: ABS intervenes independently on the two wheels. If the pilot "loses" only one wheel on gravel, he can count on the other to continue to brake. At the rear, the braking of the 263 kg animal is reinforced (282 mm, 2-piston caliper).
Behind always, the damping is entrusted to fully adjustable mono shock absorber (preload with thumbwheel, compression and rebound). The aluminum swingarm is 552mm long, "15mm longer than that of the MT-09", promoting traction and stability..
According to the learned calculations of the Blues of Iwata finally, their three-wheeler can lean at 45 °: a respectable angle and rarely reached by two-wheelers on the road. In any case, by those crossed or doubled by the Journal moto du Net during these tests, duels and comparisons !
Engine
Well known and widely appreciated by owners of MT-09, XSR900 and Tracer 900, the 847 cc 3-cylinder now equips the Niken. The maximum values are unchanged: 115 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 87.5 Nm 1,500 rpm lower. But Yamaha has reworked its "CP3"…
"To meet the requirements of the Niken and the mountain roads which constitute its favorite playground, the fuel injection parameters have been modified", reveal the engine manufacturers who have naturally complied with the Euro4 emission standards in force since 2017.
"We have increased its torque by making the crankshaft masses heavier (+ 18%) because the weight of the bike is a little higher," adds project manager Takahiro Suzuki. According to him, "a new crankshaft design offers superior driveability and smooth starts..
In order to provide its three-wheeler with acceleration worthy of a "real" motorcycle, Yamaha has also reduced the final reduction compared to the MT-09 and Tracer. More solicited on the "big" novelty Yamaha 2018, the gears of the gearbox have been reinforced. Like his brothers on the other hand, the engine of the Niken is equipped with an assisted anti-slip clutch (A&S).
Finally, the 18-liter tank that supplies the mill – with water – is made of aluminum, "like those of the YZF-R1 and R6, the Japanese point out. In addition to the weight gain, it is the balance of the machine that is improved: "50/50 distribution between the front and the rear taking into account the rider, as on the M1 of MotoGP", they boast.
Electronic
Like the other "900" Yams, the Niken receives its share of electronic aids. In addition to the mandatory ABS for all motorcycles over 125 cc, the TCS (Traction Control System) watches over the loss of grip of the single rear wheel.
Thanks to the YCC-T electronic accelerator, the traction control makes it possible to finely control the beginnings of sliding from the rear. The TCS has – always – two levels (1 rather permissive, 2 much more interventionist) and can be disconnected, when stationary only via the button … placed under the dashboard and not on the handlebars.
Ride-by-wire also allows the adoption of three driving modes: from the softest (3) to the more sporty (1) via a medium setting (2). Unlike the TCS, the settings of this D-mode are made directly on the handlebars (right) and when driving, gas cut.
Throttle open this time, full or low but not below 4000 rpm, the pilot benefits from the services of a quickshifter which is responsible for mounting the gears. For lowering gears, the use of the left lever is always required..
Also standard, the Niken incorporates a cruise control: more confident in the curves thanks to its third wheel, the pilot is reassured in the straights by this gadget … which is no longer one, given the multiplications and diversification of speed cameras !
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