Yamaha Niken

Stichill_imp said:
I'm all for this concept. When the day comes that I struggle physically to manage a two-wheeler, I'd be on this bike in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...
When those days come, I think the Can-Am will be my solution :banana:
 
Hey Ack! Good to hear from you as its been a while. Funny, I was thinking of you last weekend wondering how that R9T was doing.
 
Hey Ack... I was thinking about you the other day too. Your name came up in an old thread, and I wondered if you were still about and riding. Glad you dropped in.

Yea a lot of the old gang are gone but a few of us are still around. Miss your CB? (just curious)
 
you are sure that you get too such kind tires for the frontweehls ? so far i know, the rims have a little bit a special dimension

niken
 
A while back, when there were rumblings about this bike coming, I managed to see one in a parking lot. I live fairly close to Yamaha's southern California HQ, and it took a while to realize what I was staring at. At first I thought it was somebody's home-built modification on an MT-09, but when I guy walked up and asked me not to take pictures of it, it dawned on me that I was looking at a Niken - probably an early production machine, or the guy was riding an early press bike.

All I could think of as I examined it was "Man, that is a whole lot of moving parts in there." Looked very complicated. As expected, I asked a few general questions, and the guy politely declined each of them, saying that he couldn't talk about it.

We both rode out, and as I was coincidentally going in the same direction as this guy, I ended up following him on the freeway until he peeled off somewhat near Yamaha's HQ. It was very weird from behind - the silhouette looked like a normal motorcycle if the rider was dragging both legs on the ground.

I started thinking along the lines of Stichell. I rarely think about "future me" in terms of getting older, or getting personally damaged, except where it concerns how I'll either drive a car or ride a bike. Seeing wide Slingshots and Can Ams plodding along in traffic with the cars doesn't look any fun. But the Niken might be the answer - if they are building something like this when I'm at the point that I'd need it.
 
"future me"

gets here quicker than you think

The only issue with the Niken is, unlike the Piaggio scooter of the same ilk, the Yamaha will not stand on it's own. Even parked or at a light, you have to hold it up if it's not on the side stand. So in that regard I see no advantage over a similarly sized motorcycle. There may be some extra traction in a greasy corner, but the weight, cost and complexity may or may not make up for that depending on your point of view. I doubt if it's "impossible" to fall down on the thing, so for me, I doubt that it would be of much value.
 
Hmm... doesn't stand up on its own, eh. Well, by the time Future Me needs one, I'll be they will.
 
Wow, great to hear from people.
The R9T is gone, only rode the cr500 last summer. Multiple diebetic related surgeries over the winter have left me off the dirt for good.
Yup, a Niken. An odd duck, much like myself.
It seems like a wierd set-up. The extra 120 pounds, mostly high on the front end, is a concern. Every corner out here is covered with sand, the 2 front wheels I'm hoping for less wash out up front. The extra weight could make it worse??
A member on the Niken forum bought a GT and wanted the purple wheels off the reg model to sort of match the blue body color.
I bought his black wheels for a set of island tires. The TKC in the back and a couple of maxi-scooter mud and snow on the front. Heidenau K66 or Michelin City Grips maybe.
I glad it's based on the MT09, simple and easy to work on, from the handlebars back. The Honda NeoWing coming out is a lot more complcated and a different front-end setup.
Yamaha said they didn't offer a lock-out front becuase it would look geared toward older trike riders? I wish the did do it.

I do miss the Whitehouse CB, that was a looker! I see the newest CB's are prime candidates for the conversion now with the spokes and twin exhaust pipes.
Would look even better than mine.

Keep it on 3 wheels..................
 
m in sc_imp said:
i have zero desire to add 100 lbs to any bike unless its a passenger. they are neat, but i think its just a design exercise oddity they are able to somewhat market to recoup cost. I was intrigued to see them being used on the tour de france as support vehicles though. the lack of the ability for them to hold upright to me seems like a huge oversight on Yamahas behalf. didn't the old piaggio scooters with the 2 front wheels upright themselves at stops? If they did that, i could def see a market for older riders, super short people, or folks with disabilities. .02
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You had to flip a lever which locked the front end, but it would automatically kick off if you gave it gas.
 
you worry too much about the slightly heavier front .... you will be amazed by the stoic calm and the grip safety she give convey and also has

you drove rode ever something like a heavy sport touring bike like the pan european ? somehow in specal kind way is the weight/ dynamic feeling somehow like this......combinatet with a feeling like on rails...smile.....and of cours the trust and safety feeling of grip in every situation...
 
alprider_imp said:
you worry too much about the slightly heavier front .... you will be amazed by the stoic calm and the grip safety she give convey and also has

you drove rode ever something like a heavy sport touring bike like the pan european ? somehow in specal kind way is the weight/ dynamic feeling somehow like this......combinatet with a feeling like on rails...smile.....and of cours the trust and safety feeling of grip in every situation...
Click to expand...
That's what Im counting on.............
 
i could it test round 1h over a pretty curvy pass street here in my place....( extra yahama niken event, look my link in my post befor)

and just bcos you have absolut normaly bike forks is the drivefeeling exaktly on that way like a normal bike...after any minutes you forgett that you have 2 frontweehls........i drove never the steering concept like of a neowing but i am sure the feeling is very different
 
Hey Ack! Good to see you. Sorry to hear you’ve been crook (Australian for sick). Enjoy the new bike.
 
I've watched a couple reviews of the bike on Youtube (all in Britain) and to a man - the ones that actually rode it liked it. A couple had serious misgivings - until they rode it.

I'm not a fan of the four fork tube design and I think something simpler and lighter could have been done (not knowing the budget and time constraints the engineers had). Say something along the lines of a girder and mono-shock affair.

But the three wheels and tilting design is brilliant.
 
monoshock ? forget it

the one fork tube (front) for the suspension the other more to the wheel stability .... and with 2 forks, bumps are super well ironed away in combination with this balance...and again: bcos / with this forks you have the ultimate bikefeeling


with the concept from a " neowing" i guess nomore
 
Wild looking thing I must say.
 
I’d like to ride one. Especially on Nantucket with those beautiful mountains. Who knew? :P
 
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