Yamaha’s leaning three-wheeled motorcycle Niken price was announced and it’s lower than what we expected
Customers can order Yamaha’s new leaning trike, Niken, and the price is, in fact, lower than we expected, given the amount of technology and engineering that was put in the chassis. In Europe, the Yamaha Niken can be had for a base price of € 14,995.
With a hefty 5,000 Euro on top of the MT-09 that supplied the three-cylinder engine, Niken is not as affordable as other Yamaha motorbikes. However, if we look around just a bit in the three-wheel segment, the Niken looks like the no-brainer choice. Can-Am Spyder, Campagna T-Rex, Polaris Slingshot, they all are way above Niken’s price, and probably, this will be one of the strongest selling points for the Iwata machine.
Now, it will be quite interesting to see if customers will go for this dual-front MT-09. Some think that Niken is the answer to a question nobody asked, but seeing Yamaha taking this bike from a wild prototype to the commercially-available version makes us think that their marketing specialists have analyzed the move carefully.
On the MT-09, the 874cc, 115 hp 87.5 Nm in-line triple engine feels just right, especially for the bike’s 193 kg, with a full tank. The Niken tips the scales at 263 kg wet, and the 70kg difference means that the bike will have a weaker acceleration. Likewise, slowing down will put more strain on the braking system. The sporty MT-09 uses dual 298mm rotors in the front, while the Niken only has 265mm discs.
Still, it may be the different vibe that will draw customers who want something out of the ordinary, or people who fear being on just two wheels. For a machine that stands from the crowd, the price is, anyway, right. Also, the Niken comes fully loaded with Yamaha’s rider aids, and the list includes ABS, traction control, adjustable throttle mapping, LED lighting, plus ex-works quick shifter and cruise control. Technically, Yamaha offers quite a lot of bang for the bucks, and we’re curious how it will fare against the rest of the reverse trikes.