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Niken About.............................


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#1 dandywarhol

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Posted 01 March 2019 - 11:21 pm

I recently took my KTM 690 Duke in for a manufacturer's recall and had a natter with one of the salesmen in Saltire Motorcycles in Edinburgh. A Yamaha Niken was lounging in the showroom and I had to ask Mark the question "Why would anyone buy one"?

 

I took up his offer of a demo ride the next free day I had and took their demo out for a few hours. Initially it felt like sitting on a quad but once the unfamiliar slow weave like overtight steering head bearings disappeared above 20 mph I soon forgot I was on 3 wheels! A bit heavyish (compared to a 150kg Duke) but it didn't really feel like 260kg! The stonking 850 triple from the MT09 is a peach but really had to be revved to shift the weight quickly - the stock MT09 felt miles quicker and my 690 single is much gruntier.

 

The temperature was around 5/6 deg C so I wasn't expecting the tyres to be super grippy but there was no hint of anything to worry about with the front especially giving me confidence to give the 'bars a twich to see how it would respond - instant response. The front suspension felt better than most non sports Yamahas I've ridden - really compliant and well damped and strange to have no "white lining or tramlining" on grooved surfaces or crossing damp white lines.

 

Back in town I then realised just how wide the Niken is - no chance of filtering. The advice given is to use the mirrors as a width guide, even though they are a good 100+ mm wider than the 'bars but they are also at car mirror height so best to avoid trying to filter. Although I loved the triple engine I didn't like the way the fuelling would raise the engine rpm from 1000 to 2000 as the clutch bit - presumably it's an anti stall device but it was a bit disconcerting when creeping in slow moving traffic! It even popped a little wheelie with an off/on throttle twist in mode 1, as for mode 3........... why? - unresponsive and flat feel to the initial throttle opening. Slick gearbox but thought the quickshifter was harsh and a smoother, as quick change could be achieved manually. Cruise control was interesting but I really needed heated grips more.

 

Back at the dealership I had to ask myself the same initial question - WHY? at £3500 more than an Ohlins spec MT09 SP, I could also have a used Duke for bimbling around town - Thanks for the ride Saltire.................BRRAAAAAP  :pimp:

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#2 Studley Ramrod

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Posted 02 March 2019 - 09:38 am

Great write up, thanks for sharing. :good: WHY indeed. lol Doesn't seem to have any benefit over a standard bike apart from the lack of white lining. And, there's a 50% increase in the chance of getting a puncture. :P


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#3 TKH

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Posted 02 March 2019 - 09:55 am

Good write up. Reports I've read say the extra wheel at the front gives much better grip at the front as you'd expect with twice as much rubber on the ground! I must agree, Why?

 

It looks ugly and cumbersome. At the end of the day it's a trike and not a bike. A bit like those ugly scooters with two wheels at the front.



#4 fixitsan

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Posted 02 March 2019 - 05:09 pm

Good write up. Reports I've read say the extra wheel at the front gives much better grip at the front as you'd expect with twice as much rubber on the ground! I must agree, Why?

 

It looks ugly and cumbersome. At the end of the day it's a trike and not a bike. A bit like those ugly scooters with two wheels at the front.

 

Some of those ugly scooters, Piaggio MP3 ? can be ridden on a car licence

 

I wonder about the Niken, can't help but think it's a stake in the ground for when all new bikes have to be electric (2025 apparently ?) and Yamaha will have ironed out any issues with the Niken front end and possibly scaled it down a bit, because for the foreseeable future electric bikes with a decent range are all quite heavy, and they can become a bit of a handful at speed on twisty roads.

 

I imagine there will be some 'business exec' types (if that even is a type nowadays)  who will see it as a safer offering than 2 wheels to make a congestion beater....if only it was easier to filter, but in Edinburgh at least bikes can always use bus lanes :)


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#5 dandywarhol

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Posted 02 March 2019 - 05:37 pm

 

Some of those ugly scooters, Piaggio MP3 ? can be ridden on a car licence

 

I wonder about the Niken, can't help but think it's a stake in the ground for when all new bikes have to be electric (2025 apparently ?) and Yamaha will have ironed out any issues with the Niken front end and possibly scaled it down a bit, because for the foreseeable future electric bikes with a decent range are all quite heavy, and they can become a bit of a handful at speed on twisty roads.

 

I imagine there will be some 'business exec' types (if that even is a type nowadays)  who will see it as a safer offering than 2 wheels to make a congestion beater....if only it was easier to filter, but in Edinburgh at least bikes can always use bus lanes :)

 

I read that the ones which can be used with a car licence have a facility to lock the frame so it remains upright.

 

There appear to be plans to introduce smaller models and it may fit in with the leccy town vehicle synopsis. S'pose a smaller one would fit in with the megaweight scoots on the street these days which only put out low horsepower through a CVT drive.


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#6 fixitsan

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Posted 03 March 2019 - 10:30 am

 

I read that the ones which can be used with a car licence have a facility to lock the frame so it remains upright.

 

 

Yes you never need to put your feet down, and once moving the lock disengages. Never tried one but my wife was curious about them

 

 

S'pose a smaller one would fit in with the megaweight scoots on the street these days which only put out low horsepower through a CVT drive.

 

 

I thought for a moment you had said megaweight scots  ;)


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