what the hell is this

[tanken2]

I applaude the engineering , and apparently it rides any surface like a dream . But is it a bike ?? sorry but I think its butt ugly . what do you think ?340014

[MD]

Ride one and you will know - it is a bike and a bloody good one at that.

[rustys]

Spoted one of these on track at Mike Pero Southern Classic recently, i was very impressed with the performance and handling of it , the guy was certainly having some fun on it, and keeping up with some other high performance machinery circulating, its very trick engineering in the front end i must add. But i would have no use for one myself.

[Oakie]

Ride one and you will know - it is a bike and a bloody good one at that.

A trike surely!

A very clever piece of engineering but ugly in my humble opinion. If others think it's beautiful, that's just fine.

EDIT: Does have a certain 'predator about pounce' feel about it though.

[AllanB]

It is interesting that they aimed it at the sporty side of riding.

I could see fat Americans using a front end like this on a Goldwing.

[EJK]

Really interesting to ride for sure.

https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/186263-Yamaha-Niken

[george formby]

Watched a UK youtube review over the last couple of days, Bennetts I think. The "tester" lost the front, he claimed it happened 2 or 3 times.

This is pretty typical for country roads in the UK during the winter so I did not take that as a negative.

What really interested me was his comment that when the bike slid, the front did not tuck. That is a very cool trick!

Here it is (https://youtu.be/n9q44wxMMXU)

[AllanB]

Watched a UK youtube review over the last couple of days, Bennetts I think. The "tester" lost the front, he claimed it happened 2 or 3 times.

This is pretty typical for country roads in the UK during the winter so I did not take that as a negative.

What really interested me was his comment that when the bike slid, the front did not tuck. That is a very cool trick!

Here it is (https://youtu.be/n9q44wxMMXU)


Bah - bit of a pointless statement from the rider about the front slid three times on damp roads. To give any context he needed another rider on a two wheel MT doing the same corner speed behind him. Then we could see who made it around the corner in one piece :yes:

I don't see how it could 'tuck' it's limited to a 45 degree corner angle so the worst would be a front slide, bike tip, but lock at 45 degrees then keep sliding. What happens if it regains grip, could it high-side you over?

We really need someone to get out on a track and crash the thing a few times - I bet Yamaha did. Must be some secret video at Yammy HQ.

[tanken2]

apparently you can use it on car licence , the three wheels mean in NZ it is not a bike ( a motorcycle has two wheels by nzta definition). agree with the predator look.

[AllanB]

Car license? Presumably only if it is registered as a car, otherwise surely you require a motorcycle license.

Last thing we need is people with a car license crashing on bikes :weep:


And look you can still fall off one, so it must be a motorcycle :rolleyes:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woxz_aF2OWk

[AllanB]

Also - I was thinking this could be the ideal police 'motorcycle'

[george formby]

Bah - bit of a pointless statement from the rider about the front slid three times on damp roads. To give any context he needed another rider on a two wheel MT doing the same corner speed behind him. Then we could see who made it around the corner in one piece :yes:

I don't see how it could 'tuck' it's limited to a 45 degree corner angle so the worst would be a front slide, bike tip, but lock at 45 degrees then keep sliding. What happens if it regains grip, could it high-side you over?

We really need someone to get out on a track and crash the thing a few times - I bet Yamaha did. Must be some secret video at Yammy HQ.

No offence to Bennetts or the rider but I found the whole vid a bit pointless. As you say, it lacked context.

I just wanted to contribute.:weep:

Would be a spectacular high side!:corn:

Was the dude in the crash vid playing skiddies?

[AllanB]

Was the dude in the crash vid playing skiddies?

Watching his throttle hand he was being a dick and I suspect trying to do rear wheel drifts. It looked like he started one, panicked and closed the throttle which threw him.

Which also makes me wonder - how about a Yamaha drift category - surely this is the ideal bike to be powering up the rear wheel like a drift car. Oh the possibilities............

[george formby]

Watching his throttle hand he was being a dick and I suspect trying to do rear wheel drifts. It looked like he started one, panicked and closed the throttle which threw him.

Which also makes me wonder - how about a Yamaha drift category - surely this is the ideal bike to be powering up the rear wheel like a drift car. Oh the possibilities............

MT10 motor... That would be silly.

[WALRUS]

I mean, I'm a fan of these things anyway and I'm still waiting for my local Yammie dealer to get one in (if they will) but while I will admit that the cosmetics wouldn't be to everyone's taste.. It still looks better than a modern Kawasaki ;)

[george formby]

I mean, I'm a fan of these things anyway and I'm still waiting for my local Yammie dealer to get one in (if they will) but while I will admit that the cosmetics wouldn't be to everyone's taste.. It still looks better than a modern Kawasaki ;)

Oof.

You do have a point, much like modern Kawasakis.

[Moi]

apparently you can use it on car licence , the three wheels mean in NZ it is not a bike ( a motorcycle has two wheels by nzta definition). agree with the predator look.


Car license? Presumably only if it is registered as a car, otherwise surely you require a motorcycle license.

Last thing we need is people with a car license crashing on bikes :weep:


And look you can still fall off one, so it must be a motorcycle :rolleyes:


Review of the Niken in KiwiRider (http://www.kiwirider.co.nz/) - scroll down for the 12-2018 Vol1 issue.

According to the review, the answer to "is it a car registration?" is 'No'.

[WALRUS]

Oof.

You do have a point, much like modern Kawasakis.

Holy shit, I'm so glad that was the response I got!

I love the ZX7R, I quite like the J series ZX6R and ZX9R, even some of the early to mid 2000's 10's but yeah.. Modern stuff doesn't jolly my roger one iota!

[MD]

Yeah I bought that Kiwirider mag and it said the Yamaha NZ CEO persuaded NZTA to NOT approve it as a trike/car because it was too powerful for the type of [idiots] car drivers that would buy one to see if they can ride a bike.

That rider in the vid. that crashes is a good example of the idiots that would be let loose on a Niken with no real motorcycle know-how and experience. That crash was ridiculous. Even a below average rider on two wheels could have negotiated those minor curves in a bit of rain without falling off. He did seem to be trying to get the rear to spin out/drift maybe. Something any experienced ride could have done on two or three wheels without crashing like an idiot.

I'm seriously keen to buy a Niken when the time comes to change my bike.

I for one love the Alien monster look and the lines flow beautifully from front to rear.

As I said earlier, ride one at your peril because you will fall in love with it.

[tanken2]

sorry , call me an old fart , but a motorcycle had two wheels in my day and a trike had 3 . will be fun maneuvering that between lanes of cars and fitting it in the garage . can you get it with a roof for it ?

[EJK]

Car license? Presumably only if it is registered as a car, otherwise surely you require a motorcycle license.

Last thing we need is people with a car license crashing on bikes :weep:


And look you can still fall off one, so it must be a motorcycle :rolleyes:


Thanks for the link to the vid. I genuinely thought the bike was uncrashable. That just changed my perspective.

[Fresh Oats]

apparently you can use it on car licence , the three wheels mean in NZ it is not a bike ( a motorcycle has two wheels by nzta definition). agree with the predator look.

Not true. It is considered a motorbike. You'd actually need a full class 6 to ride one too because they're 850cc.



My issue with these things is that (well, besides that they cost like $25,000) they're often marketed as "feel more confident" and stuff like that. Why? If you don't feel confident on a motorbike, why do you have your full class 6 and are willing to spend $25K on a motorbike? And why are you buying something with 850cc displacement if you're not confident on bikes? It just seems so dumb. You just know the only people buying this thing are weekend warrior stock brokers.

I bet these things end up with inflated crash statistics just because they're sold to people with no confidence on a bike or (like I said) weekend warrior stock brokers who get an inflated sense of safety on this thing and start doing dumb shit.

[AllanB]

sorry , call me an old fart , but a motorcycle had two wheels in my day and a trike had 3 . will be fun maneuvering that between lanes of cars and fitting it in the garage . can you get it with a roof for it ?

I'd need to find the mag I read recently but they stated the max width as less than one of the adventure bikes.

Just looked it up Yammy - 885mm wide. A GS1200 BMW 953.

It appears trendy to put super wide bars on your HD presently, they still lane split. Or more commonly ride down lanes at ear-splitting volumes.

[AllanB]

I bet these things end up with inflated crash statistics just because they're sold to people with no confidence on a bike or (like I said) weekend warrior stock brokers who get an inflated sense of safety on this thing and start doing dumb shit.

As opposed to the 'normal' motorcycle community who go out and do dumb stuff and crash. Our statistics are not good. The theory with the Yamaha is it is less likely to fall over when riding.

I've not seen any info supporting higher accident rates for the Can Am trikes, and those things can be punted at a fair pace.

Stock brokers wont buy them - they are not trendy enough - they will stick to their Harleys.

[pritch]

I bet these things end up with inflated crash statistics just because they're sold to people with no confidence on a bike or (like I said) weekend warrior stock brokers who get an inflated sense of safety on this thing and start doing dumb shit.

Nah. The weekend warrior stockbrokers buy Harleys.

[Fresh Oats]

Do they though? I would think weekend warrior stock brokers would be more R1 kinda guys and doctors would be the harley guys.

[tanken2]

bike= bi-cycle bi meaning two (wheels)

trike= tri-cycle tri meaning three (wheels)

quad = four (wheels)

[george formby]

bike= bi-cycle bi meaning two (wheels)

trike= tri-cycle tri meaning three (wheels)

quad = four (wheels)

How does a pop-cycle get around?

[release_the_bees]

By all accounts, it looks like an absolute hoot to ride.

https://youtu.be/Qe5wz2poVpM

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[george formby]

By all accounts, it looks like an absolute hoot to ride.

https://youtu.be/Qe5wz2poVpM

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

You do get that impression, he said "like" 4732 times.:yes:

[Fresh Oats]

bike= bi-cycle bi meaning two (wheels)

trike= tri-cycle tri meaning three (wheels)

quad = four (wheels)

I realize it's technically a trike, but it's considered a motorbike for the purpose of registration and requires a motorbike licence.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-1839833267.htm?rsqid=f5331dfde21140d1b3d6b36ea262c c1e

Read sales pitch and comments. This is a dealership saying this.

[george formby]

I would have one to just to see the look on my local mechanics face when it's WoF time. Don't forget to check for "play" at the front.:sweatdrop

Does it have a centre stand? Hydraulic lift?

[Hoonicorn]

It's been around a while, the style is definitely taken from the yamaha maxi scooter range. It's not for the image conscious, it's about the tractability. I don't follow Bennetts YT channel, and looking at that video I won't bother subbing them. Motorcyclist did a far better review back in May (skipped forward to the review part of the video)


https://youtu.be/nFU0HkIgtYs?t=194

[AllanB]

That's a good review. looks well planted on the road. Be interesting to see the uptake of this model. Good on Yamaha for trying something new, despite their last attempt not panning on on a commercial level (that touring model with center hub steering) .

[george formby]

That's a good review. looks well planted on the road. Be interesting to see the uptake of this model. Good on Yamaha for trying something new, despite their last attempt not panning on on a commercial level (that touring model with center hub steering) .

GTS?

I hope the Niked does sell. Who knows what could come from that tech.

The Tricity sells like hot cakes.

[FlangMasterJ]

You do get that impression, he said "like" 4732 times.:yes:

I can't stand chaseontwowheels. He whinges about the most insignificant stuff. If he can't sit flat footed on a bike, right off the bat it's a stinker.

[tanken2]

I realize it's technically a trike, but it's considered a motorbike for the purpose of registration and requires a motorbike licence.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-1839833267.htm?rsqid=f5331dfde21140d1b3d6b36ea262c c1e

Read sales pitch and comments. This is a dealership saying this.

yep no problem with rego but it is like having auto transmissions for those that can't master a manual , engineers to the rescue

[Moi]

yep no problem with rego but it is like having auto transmissions for those that can't master a manual , engineers to the rescue

... and what in your home has been "engineered" so your life is easier?


As for the Niken, two front wheels would, in my opinion, probably provide a more sure-footed stance on poor road surfaces and in adverse conditions.

[biggo]

Had a test ride on a Niken today. Only went in to get a filter for my Tracer but took up the offer of a test ride.
I really didnt want to like this but it was really great to ride. Once you have negotiated your first few bends you forget about the two wheels up front, it is just the same experience as a 2 wheeler , It felt very planted on the road although I didnt push it as far as some people had in previous test rides looking at the wear on the footpegs !! I wont be trading my Tracer for one but really enjoyed it and it certainly turns heads when people see you coming .

[tanken2]

as I say engineering masterpiece superb handling from a forgiving front end but , having come through the rawness of the big Kawasaki triples you learn to read the road and what the bikes feedback is telling you . That connection of bike and rider being one is what motorcycling is , yep ground away the centrestand , flattened the centre exhaust and rode with little footpegs ground to 45 degrees from the tarmac. Yep had a couple of offs and a few full undies moments, but never broke a bone or was unable to ride away. I'm an oldie but you wont see me on a two wheeled armchair either, just not my thing. My non bike period consisted of a Mitzi Cordia , Mitzi GTO and 3 WRX STIs amongst Vans and other Necessary vehicles. (still have two turbos at he moment lol). They will sell Nikens , as that is what will appeal to some riders, But there have been costly mistakes from the big guys . Ducati's 999, fantastic powerful great handling but ugly , a bargain if you can stand looking at it. Suzukis Rotary, weighed a ton another ugly sister. BSA Aeriel 3 scooter $ 2M flop helped kill BSA. And the triumph Bandit , huge leap forward for the company ,but production issues killed it and another nail in the coffin. there were a lot of sales flops out there , cant remember them all .

[tanken2]

Had a test ride on a Niken today. Only went in to get a filter for my Tracer but took up the offer of a test ride.
I really didnt want to like this but it was really great to ride. Once you have negotiated your first few bends you forget about the two wheels up front, it is just the same experience as a 2 wheeler , It felt very planted on the road although I didnt push it as far as some people had in previous test rides looking at the wear on the footpegs !! I wont be trading my Tracer for one but really enjoyed it and it certainly turns heads when people see you coming .

good idea number plate on front , speed cameras will pick that up nicely.:weep:

[rambaldi]

good idea number plate on front , speed cameras will pick that up nicely.:weep:

That seems to only be for the car registered scooters

[Moi]

good idea number plate on front , speed cameras will pick that up nicely.:weep:


That seems to only be for the car registered scooters

Means it can be ridden by someone with just a car licence.

Also raises questions about whether such registered scooters should be allowed in bus lanes...

[tanken2]

how come one is car registered and not the other ?

[Moi]

how come one is car registered and not the other ?

It's explained in the review of the Niken in KiwiRider (http://www.kiwirider.co.nz/index.html#work) - scroll down for the 12-2018 Vol1 issue.

[Banditbandit]

340014



:eek5: :sick: :eek5: :sick: :eek5: :sick: :eek5: :sick: :eek5: :sick: :eek5: :sick:


Yeah yeah yeah - it looks terrible ...

[AllanB]

I had a good look at one today. Interesting beast. Not unattractive, not a fan of the blue fork colour wise.

They look like they would be a blast to punt around hard actually. And under the 'nose' the links and fittings are quite well finished - I immediately started thinking of stripping off the nose etc .....

[MD]

Had a test ride on a Niken today. Only went in to get a filter for my Tracer but took up the offer of a test ride.
I really didnt want to like this but it was really great to ride. Once you have negotiated your first few bends you forget about the two wheels up front, it is just the same experience as a 2 wheeler , It felt very planted on the road although I didnt push it as far as some people had in previous test rides looking at the wear on the footpegs !! I wont be trading my Tracer for one but really enjoyed it and it certainly turns heads when people see you coming .

Good on you for giving it a try. I was loosing sleep thinking about it after my short ride so I went back last week and took it for 90 odd minutes over the Takas. Shouldn't have. Want one even more now. I was getting the pegs touching down. By then it's carrying a respectable amount of corner speed and lean so that's a pass with honours to the Niken.

I didn't feel as confident to squeeze passed traffic though with the width. The only negative I can see with it for commuting.

See in one mag that Yamaha testers were one second quicker on their test track with a Niken against standard MT09. That says a lot!

[biggo]

Good on you for giving it a try. I was loosing sleep thinking about it after my short ride so I went back last week and took it for 90 odd minutes over the Takas. Shouldn't have. Want one even more now. I was getting the pegs touching down. By then it's carrying a respectable amount of corner speed and lean so that's a pass with honours to the Niken.

I didn't feel as confident to squeeze passed traffic though with the width. The only negative I can see with it for commuting.

See in one mag that Yamaha testers were one second quicker on their test track with a Niken against standard MT09. That says a lot!

I can see you buying one :) If I was in the market for a new bike I would certainly consider a Niken myself. I would like to get a few years more from my Tracer first. The wheels are no wider than the mirrors so filtering should not be a problem . No worst than a bike with panniers on and I see ST1300s going in and out of Wellington making good progress through traffic.