THE 890-CC TRIPLE, IN TERMS OF wheels as well as cylinders, was first revealed to the public (with an 847-cc CP3 engine) in 2017 and, frankly, some jaws are still on the floor today. Astonished lookers-on simply did not know what to make of the thing.
It certainly was not for car drivers to ride without a motorcycle licence as the front wheel track is too narrow and the bike will still fall over if you let go of it. Instead, Yamaha stated they basically wanted to give more front-end feel to a premium sports tourer. Just as in climbing, where holding on to the wall with two hands is better than just one, with two wheels at the front there is more grip and less chance of losing the front.
The more open-minded were intrigued. I first rode a Niken in 2018 and have subsequently covered many miles on the threewheeler, including touring Scotland. I like the grip and stability of the unique Leaning Multi Wheel (LMW) front end, which allows you to get away with murder. But there were niggles: particularly a soft rear end, a small non-adjustable screen, and, by modern standards, a general want of premium specification and technology.
For 2023, Yamaha have given the Niken a new lease of life by addressing some of those flaws and also added a few quality touches we were not expecting.
Although it looks much like the older bike, there are significant changes. The 2023 model receives the new SP3 890cc motor, up 43 cc, and now produces 114.9 hp at 10,000 rpm and 90.7 Nm at 7,000 rpm. There is a new steel and aluminium hybrid frame and Yamaha have improved and re-designed the rear suspension, too.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Bike India.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Bike India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Tussle for Supremacy
Having watched the racing action from afar during the first two rounds of the Honda Idemitsu Talent Cup (HITC), we got a chance to take a closer look at the proceedings in round three. Here is how the weekend zoomed past
Multiple Winners
The third round of the TVS One-make Championship saw the emergence of multiple winners as the favourites struggled to do the double-race win
The Title Fight Becomes More Intense
The weekend at Mandalika turned out to be a spectacular display where the title contenders, Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia, locked horns while Marc Márquez's and Enea Bastianini's chances at the title diminished
Andrea lannone is a WSBK Winner
Nicolo Bulega, Andrea Iannone, and Alvaro Bautista headlined the weekend for their respective Ducati teams as they blew past the competition on their Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycles
Italian Domination
The weekend at Cremona saw the Italian, Danilo Petrucci, dominate his home race astride his Ducati
Bastianini Shines in Final-lap Thriller
Just like the previous race at Misano, this one also served up a thriller but for very different reasons. Here is how it unfolded
No Dearth of Drama
Marc Márquez had to wait for 1,043 days for his 60th MotoGP race victory, but his 61st race win only took another seven days
Kolli Hills on an NX 500
We rode from Bengaluru to Kolli Hills astride a Honda NX500 and it was a memorable ride for many reasons
For the Easy Life
Triumph India believe there is a market for a friendlier version of the Speed 400. Here is what you should know about that version, called the Speed T4
The Star Reborn
We finally got our hands on the new BSA Gold Star 650 and took it for a long spin. Here is our first impression