Living with the Niken

Yamaha’s funky three-wheeler leaning motorcycle divides opinion. Whilst you might appreciate the tech from the sidelines only those who have ridden it can appreciate how this thing really is a pro-riding experience.

Talk about being incredibly different. I’ve never ridden anything like it. Ever. I’ve cornered on it in a way no other motorcycle can match. And I’ve certainly never known a bike command as much attention. In short, new Yamaha’s Niken multi-wheeler has given me some completely new and unprecedented experiences. I’m totally and utterly blown away by it!

It’s clear not everyone shares my passion for the revolutionary machine however. Having listened to the opinions of countless doubters and naysayers during the two weeks I had it, trying to convince the sceptics of the Niken’s amazing virtues proved so futile, I almost gave up. At times I became frustrated, wondering if the motorcycle world was deserving of such an advance in performance. Life with a Niken can get very involving and very emotional!

The anti-attitude perhaps highlighted just how short-sighted the motorcycle world can be at times. The fact is, the Yamaha is such an incredible machine, unless you ride it you have little chance of accepting just how remarkable it is. Prior to getting on it, I know I didn’t. In fact, even when I was sampling its extraordinary front end grip, I wasn’t sure if I could believe it was actually happening. It feels too good to be true. Getting your head round just what the Niken is capable of requires a very open mind indeed. It’s such a huge game-changer, at times it feels like utter magic.

IT’S NOT UNUSUAL

Climbing aboard the Niken is straightforward enough, and lifting it from the sidestand feels much like any other bike. But with such a breadth of panelling under its wide bars, you get the impression you’re sitting on a quad. This isn’t obviously the case, and the Yamaha will fall over just like a normal motorcycle if you don’t support it. Other things can feel alien from time to time until you’re fully familiar with them. The simple task of just running off a kerb at an angle onto the road for example. It presented a dilemma I wouldn’t normally face. Would it just topple over onto its side I wondered? Would it cope okay? I really had no idea, so I turned it around to wheel it off headon. It was proof life with the Niken involves some re-education.

With the MT-09-based 847cc triple engine fired up I was ready to move. I was nervous, feeling like some sort of pioneer getting ready for a maiden flight in an untried revolutionary aircraft. But from the moment you set off, the Niken feels just like… a completely normal motorcycle.

It moves from side to side, and steers into corners in exactly the same way. With such a mass of stuff in front of me, it still felt a little weird for some time. The 40-mile ride home went well enough, though at a slower pace than normal because of the slightly confused debate going on between my eyes, heart and mind. Mindful of the Niken’s width I didn’t get too ambitious with filtering through traffic, but otherwise all went as it usually does. It felt easy. It was agile enough, the engine worked well, as did the brakes and the suspension. There was very little to have to make allowances for.

THE ENLIGHTENMENT BEGINS

What really takes longer to get your head round is just what miracles it’s capable of performing. But it’s a marvellous, mentally enlightening experience, and fantastically rewarding when appreciated to the full. Having ridden more normally, noting more obvious things like the normal steering character, and a very stable and extremely plush front end, even if it does have a slightly heavier feel at walking pace, I went on an more exploratory run. I wanted to know just what the Yamaha could do. I felt just like I did as a complete motorcycling novice, examining cause and effect in detail.

Running around town really helped me understand the Niken and what it’s all about very quickly. Classic scenarios like turning tightly into junctions were met with a planted, positive feel. Taking them with a bit more speed and aggression didn’t compromise confidence. I then headed for familiar places where I know you must be careful because the surface grip is questionable. These are places I’ve never felt fully confident riding over. On the Niken, I progressed with absolutely zero worry. Bowled over by that, I took a deep breath and then headed deliberately over battered sections, wet patches, potholes, you name it. Yet nothing, but nothing moved the front end a bit.

Each time I ran through what I knew would have definitely been hazardous, I just giggled with ever-increasing levels of faith. It was just like watching one of David Blaine’s tricks. I was knocked out by the Niken’s extraordinary ability to stick to the road. It’s hard to believe just what it can do. The experience reminded me of using wet weather race tyres, ABS or traction control for the very first time. You have to have belief to break through your natural psychological barrier of self-preservation to discover what they can offer.

TELLING THE TALE

After an hour of essentially prompting risk, thankfully with no bad outcome, I felt I had to tell someone about my experiences. Yet though I wanted to rave long and loud about this wonderfully weird machine, I had to temper my praise for fear of not being taken seriously. I’d just done things on a motorcycle I’d never had the courage to do before, and do so without a single tinge of fear. Yet putting the

words together carefully enough to make the tale sound credible wasn’t going to be easy. Almost every account I gave of the Niken’s front end performance was preceded by me saying, ‘you’re probably not going to believe this’. I expect you’re reading this right now and thinking I’ve gone a bit bonkers, but as I was to discover, my scientific research round the streets of Cirencester was just the start of it all – there was even more to be impressed by.

To gauge reaction to the bike from all quarters I also met a collection of IAM RoadSmart riders. It was an interesting couple of hours. I spoke to several riders and opinions did vary. After mentioning really needing to ride it on track to stand any chance of finding out where the ultimate limit of the front end grip was, I was very kindly invited by the IAM RoadSmart members to take part in one of their Skills Days at the superfast Thruxton circuit in nearby Hampshire. Naturally I couldn’t refuse and became excited at the prospect of pushing the Niken much, much harder than I had so far.

LAPPING SAFELY

The trip to the track helped me learn more. With the ability to ride keenly from the off on stone cold tyres, and later over wet, worn roads, I was particularly impressed. I might have been heading to Thruxton to check out the ultimate performance of the Niken’s front end, but its feeling of safety had already proved a real advantage to me. Being able to rely on the seemingly unstickable adhesion really helps you to relax and feel at ease. Just as you do when cornering in a car. Once there, early laps with my superb host for the day, one Stuart Haythorn, also felt good and safe. Not to mention very speedy. Damp patches could be ignored completely, and slowly but surely, I was able to push the front harder and harder.

The Niken’s brakes are fairly good and strong, but combined with extra grip from the two front tyres, exploiting them all the more feels safe and easy. It didn’t impress one of the IAM instructors though, who beckoned me to follow him, later telling me I looked out of control. Attempts to convince him all felt well didn’t wash with him, and he told me to do all my braking when upright to then flow through the corner. I took his point, but couldn’t help thinking he’d see mine if he tried lapping on the Yamaha.

In the paddock the Niken got lots of attention, with quite a lot of it negative. Getting frustrated at this I then offered some detractors a ride on it, with the vast majority feeling much differently once they’d tried it. I gave a couple the chance to do laps and again post-ride comments were much more positive than those held before getting a feel for it. To be fair to all, as the Niken does look so alternative it’s just that much harder to believe it can perform like a bike, and be massively safer.

I’d only done around 250 miles on it by now and was still learning. Even after completing around a score of superfast and super safe-feeling laps I had no idea where the final limits of adhesion were. There’s loads of feel and feedback, despite the plushness of the ride making the notoriously bumpy Thruxton track feel smooth. But given I hadn’t had a single ‘moment’ I really couldn’t summon up sufficient bravery to push harder and find out where the terminal point was.

This bike’s grip is just plain bonkers! In the end I made a trackside call to Jeff Turner at Yamaha UK to find out if he knew what happened when you did go ‘over the edge’. He told me I’d feel understeer, and then when the front suspension’s parallel linkage system reached the end of its travel one of the wheels would leave the ground and significantly reduce grip.

Bearing this in mind I took the bike to the car park, running round and round in circles at ever increasing speeds trying to promote this. But though I got faster and faster, I ended up just getting dizzy! Besides, I’d been reminded when the hero blobs touch down you shouldn’t get too much more ambitious and exceed the 45° angle of lean limit they’re indicating.

BACK OUT ON THE ROAD

I may have thought lapping Thruxton would be the sternest test of the Niken’s front end, but a run up to the Midlands the following day proved to be just as enlightening. For the action photos, I’d elected to use a corner which though conveniently located isn’t the best in terms of grip. Its camber is negative, it’s quite bumpy and quite often it’s not the cleanest it could be. But with around 400 miles of experience I now trusted the Niken implicitly. After just two passes for the camera I rode hard and felt totally secure like never before. The Yamaha just floats over the bumps and though I know from experience that the Bridgestone A41 tyres generally offer good grip, on the Niken they feel as adhesive as Marc Marquez’s slicks!

Then it was off into Market Harborough to check crowd reaction. In the town’s traffic the three-wheeler’s width needed to be considered as you would if riding a panniered tourer. Once parked, a constant stream of people of all types and ages stopped to get a better view of the Yamaha. It was no surprise to me at all. I’d already noted massive response for anyone who’d clocked its alternative looks. Road workers would down tools and old ladies rest their shopping to investigate what I’m sure seemed like a spaceship to them. If you want to know what sort of attention a superstar gets, just ride a Niken.

THE REST OF IT

Of course the Niken isn’t from outer space. It’s a bike and I needed to judge it in its entirety and not just for its revolutionary front end. There are some good features like its torquey, flexible engine. The triple has quite rightly gained plaudits for its performance in the MT-09, and with its heavier crank it delivers drive to accelerate the weightier Niken even more cleanly. Pulling superbly, it’s a usable motor guaranteed to provide speed gains without having to juggle gears and revs.

All the mileage I’d completed so far, I’d done in comfort. The seat offers enough breadth and softness to happily park yourself in it for three hours at a time. And with a tank range of 160-200 miles that coincides with breaks for fuel anyway. One 250-mile day on the Niken didn’t affect any of my physical abilities by the end. The remarkable ability of the forks smooths out the roughness of the road so well you think you’re riding on air, which helps you cope with extra mileage.

I would have liked a taller screen as the wind protection at higher speeds isn’t that good. And while I’m moaning, the mirrors don’t offer the clearest view. Even when adjusted best, you still see a fair bit of your hands and arms. Ideally I wouldn’t have minded some luggage space too. Maybe we’ll see a more touring orientated version in the future.

None of the criticism bothered me for too long though. When you like a bike so much, you’ll forgive such shortcomings. I did find something else I needed to make allowances for a bit later in the test. Discovered first in the wet, and later when pushing harder, the rear end grip can be compromised a little by the extra adhesion of the front. Though as any bike’s front and rear composure is altered when using throttle and brakes harder, I soon learned to deal with it. Besides, any wheelspin is quickly dealt with by the bike’s traction control system.

THE SAD RETURN

Perhaps the biggest compliment I could pay the Niken was the amount of time and money I happily spent on it. I covered 832 miles on it in total, and had I not got involved in another test during its tenure with me, I would have easily gone over 1000 miles. I’m sure I’ve made my feelings about the Yamaha quite obvious, and though it may well sound like a cliché, the ride to hand it back to its owners was a sad one. However, compensation for the loss came in learning I can have one as a long-term test bike at the end of the year. I’m sure spending even more time on that will allow me to appreciate even more of its virtues. The Niken offers a biking experience safer than any other. It’s not the best bike I’ve ever ridden, but definitely the most memorably capable. I really hope it succeeds.