With the Yamaha Niken three wheeler made European debut at the ongoing 2017 EICMA Show, the Japanese motorcycle giant is all set to inaugurate an unconventional segment in the sportsbike space. While the previous three-wheeled examples were based on scooters (including Yamaha’s own Tricity), the new one sits on the foundation of the famous MT-09 naked superbike.
The most interesting point is, the Yamaha Niken (translates into ‘Twin Swords’ in Japanese) is not a mere concept and is destined for production. However, at this point, Yamaha is tight lipped about the details.
Only piece of official info we have now is that the stunning three-wheeler which Yamaha likes to call as LMW (Leaning Multi-Wheeler) will be powered by an inline three-cylinder engine. The likely candidate is the CP3 motor which displaces 847 cc and produces around 115 PS on board the MT-09.
The company says that the LMW reduces the effects of varying ride environments and offers more confidence to the rider during cornering. The front end adopts an innovative suspension system which comprises twin-tube upside-down forks at each 15-inch wheel.
The wide front fascia with snowmobile-like fenders give the Niken a unique and aggressive appeal. The rear of the machine comes from a conventional motorcycle and appears to share quite a lot of components with its two-wheeled sibling.
Yamaha is expected to release more details about the Liken in due course.
Yamaha NIKEN – Ride The Revolution
