Tech Special: The clever tech that makes the Niken steer
Yamaha’s mad new Niken is about to hit the streets, but how does it work?
The anticipation surrounding the imminent MT-09based Niken has reached fever pitch, with the news that MCN will be riding the revolutionary three-wheeler for the first time in three weeks’ time. So, what do we know so far about Yamaha’s game-changer? The Niken’s key technical innovation is a pair of dual telescopic forks on each side of the aggressive front-end, which hold, via single-sided hubs, two 15in wheels. These fork assemblies (two legs are required each side to resist twisting) are then mounted on a pair of coat-hanger shaped rockers that pivot about their centreline on the headstock and thus allow the Niken to lean. The Niken even has tyres specifically designed for it, to offer high levels of grip. The Niken has been designed to cope with lean of up to 45 degrees, which is plenty.
The really clever bit is the employment of an Ackerman system within the steering. This makes the inner wheel follow a tighter radius than the outer one to avoid slippage.
The whole front-end is essentially ‘floating’ beneath the headstock, and not damped in any way. This allows the two front wheels to move up and down freely like a pair of oldfashioned scales, independently of the quad-fork suspension soaking up road imperfections. The Niken’s swingarm is also 15mm longer than the MT-09’s to aid stability.
At the Niken’s heart is the universally-admired CP3 847cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC triple which debuted on 2014’s MT-09 and has since gone on to power variants as diverse as the Tracer GT and XSR900. In Niken trim it will be retuned and feature a dedicated electronics package of rider aids. It also gets an Assist and Slipper clutch, for a lighter lever action, and smoother sensation when downshifting. There’s also a quickshifter, three-way traction control, three switchable riding modes plus a standard cruise control system (which can be engaged from fourth gear at over 30mph). See a video of the new Niken on YouTube. The special online reservation system opens on May 17 at: http://niken.yamahamotor.eu. No price has been confirmed yet, but we expect the Niken to cost around £13,000.