Motorcycle Sport & Leisure has been out to Austria for the launch of Yamaha’s hotly anticipated leaning multi-wheeler, the Niken. Hailed as a corner carving king, we’ve been putting it through its paces on some tight and twisty mountain roads, to see just how well the revolutionary bit of kit handles.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Blending ‘Ni’ (two) and ‘Ken’ (which can mean ‘sword’ in Japanese) – the word Niken draws inspiration from 17th century Japan when the two-sword style of swordsmanship – a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other – was first invented and employed. It proved truly revolutionary, and marked the beginning of a new era in combat.
With claims of razor sharp cornering and an aggressive muscular aesthetic – could Yamaha’s all-new Niken leaning multi-wheeler revolutionise the world of motorcycling in the same way? Yamaha claims it really hasn’t done any specific market research on who’s going to buy the Niken – but there are three main groups that they believe could well be tempted.
There are the innovators, who are always looking to get their hands on the latest tech; then there are the expert riders, who are looking for a tool to help them get the most out of riding. And finally, there’s function-oriented riders, who are looking for extra confidence and stability.
Given that it’s a high-performance machine, rather than a commuter or shopper vehicle, the Niken can only be ridden on a full motorcycle licence – unlike other three-wheelers available.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO COST?
It’s not going to cost as much as you might think – setting you back £13,499. Yamaha has been purposefully aggressive with its pricing strategy to try and convert as many motorcyclists as possible to the new design.
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Esta historia es de la edición July 2018 de Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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