THREE-WHEEL leaning V-Max patent is filed by Yamaha

Yamaha has filed patents for this bike – which when overlayed with a Yamaha V-Max looks absolutely spot on as a modern update of the big bruiser. The biggest difference between the 200bhp old-school muscle cruiser and these latest patents is that THIS version of the Yamaha is a three-wheeler and it leans.

The news about this patent broke just before we got out on the NIKEN three-wheeler from Yamaha (you can read about that latest, world-first ride in this issue of MSL on Page 24) and with the recent acquisition by the Japanese firm of pioneering leaning threewheeler making company Brudeli plus it’s designs for its Leanster – it looks a distinct possibility that the V-Max could indeed ‘lean’ in the future.

There’s nothing more than the patents at the moment and our mates at top Japanese magazine Young Machine have done the overlay to show the similarities.

What do you reckon? Do you fancy riding a 200bhp leaning three-wheeled V-Max? There’s more tri-fun on the way and that’s been confirmed by Yamaha president and CEO Yoshihiro Hidaka.

Hidaka said: “Our company is working on various initiatives with the theme of the growing world of personal mobility in the current midterm plan. This is a product line up of LMW leaning multi-wheel.

“Since the launch of Tricity commuter in 2014 we continued

R&D activities and in the last year’s Tokyo Motor Show we have presented large size sports model Niken, which will be launched in the market this year. Not just limited to these two models we will be expanding customer base with new values of LMW.”