Yamaha Three-Wheel motorcycle pricing info

    I don’t know @BKL. In 3 years of owning my SS I have only had one person say they didn’t like the way it looked. When Niken was shown before I showed pics to a bunch of my two wheel friends and none of them liked it. One devoted Harley buddy said if that was his only choice he would never ride again.

    Quote from dangerdarrell

    I don’t know @BKL. In 3 years of owning my SS I have only had one person say they didn’t like the way it looked. When Niken was shown before I showed pics to a bunch of my two wheel friends and none of them liked it. One devoted Harley buddy said if that was his only choice he would never ride again.

    I'm not overly impressed with the Niken's looks either and feel Piaggio did a much better job styling the MP3, but larger motorcycle tires on a reverse trike motorcycle are going to look awkward unless the designer sacrifices handling for looks.
    I originally felt the Slingshot was too much flash and not enough dash, especially the (to me) overstated nature of the front end and lower wing. I can't help but feel that the lower wing is a contributor to the poor aerodynamics that limit the Slingshot's speed to 130. I've heard more than one Slingshot owner refer to the Slingshot being the aerodynamic equivalent of a brick. :D

    I think this will go the same way as the Yamaha Vision. Dealers probably smarter by now and not get stuck with them. They sold the visions at half price to get rid of them.



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    I love out of the box thinking and the gutts to bring something like this to market. Polaris did the same with the SlingShot. Yse styling is questionable (for both).


    For the SlingShots I thought the front was OK but the "butt" was like they got the ball to the 10yard line and said... Good enough no need to get that touchdown.


    I think I finally have mine looking the way I want.

    Proud supporter of S.O.G.

    (Slingshot Owners Group)

    :thumbsup:

    Owner/operator: MeanSling LLC :thumbsup:

    Quote from BKL

    I'm not overly impressed with the Niken's looks either and feel Piaggio did a much better job styling the MP3, but larger motorcycle tires on a reverse trike motorcycle are going to look awkward unless the designer sacrifices handling for looks.I originally felt the Slingshot was too much flash and not enough dash, especially the (to me) overstated nature of the front end and lower wing. I can't help but feel that the lower wing is a contributor to the poor aerodynamics that limit the Slingshot's speed to 130. I've heard more than one Slingshot owner refer to the Slingshot being the aerodynamic equivalent of a brick. :D

    OK, I now have heard one!


    Bill

    Quote from wjfyfe

    But, does it improve handling or other ridability issues?
    Bill

    Given any motorcycle's relatively small contact patch of the tires with the road and the importance of maintaining traction for the front tire when entering a turn, especially on cobblestone surfaces common in Europe and other places outside the USA, having a second front wheel provides added stability and control by (hopefully) allowing one wheel to maintain grip and control in the event the other should experience reduced grip. There were several times when I was on 2 wheels and encountered some unexpected crud on the road that made the bike feel like it might slide out from under me. Fortunately, that never happened, but I can understand the intent of adding that second front wheel.
    Unfortunately, using two front wheels spaced far enough apart to effectively provide traction for one wheel when the other slips is very hard to do on a motorcycle due to the large wheel sizes typically used. Here is a pic showing the Piaggio MP3 scooter and the Yamaha Niken motorcycle -

    The Piaggio MP3 at least has part of its nose sticking down to help visually fill-in the gap between the wheels, something the Yamaha Niken does lacks. I feel the gap is a significant drawback to the looks of the bike. The purpose of such a design includes many of the factors which appeal to a lot of older Slingshot owners who no longer feel comfortable on two wheels. I assume Yamaha is targeting riders who no longer feel comfortable balancing on two wheels. I also assume the goal was increased cornering stability because I can't envision any designer choosing such a look for pure aesthetics! Better stability? Probably. Better looking? Uh, NO!
    Maybe in a few years and after we start seeing more of them on the road, we'll start feeling the Niken is looking more normal, but now, it's just too different.

    Edited once, last by BKL ().

    Yamaha Niken Frist Ride Impressions - 2019 Yamaha Niken | First Ride Review | Rider Magazine
    From the email I received - "A revolution in motorcycle handling, or the answer to a question that no one is asking? Yamaha’s Niken Leaning Multi-Wheel Vehicle leans and countersteers like a motorcycle, has a narrow 16.1-inch track that means it’s legally considered a motorcycle, and it’s based on Yamaha’s Tracer 900 three-cylinder motorcycle. So is it a motorcycle? We traveled to Austria for a first ride to find out." I added emhasis to bring attention to what I felt was an interesting phrasing.