Yamaha has unveiled an interesting three-wheeled sportbike, more appropriately, sport-trike. They call it Niken.
Yoshihiro Hidaka, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor, introduced it as "the expanding world of mobility" concept of Yamaha at the event.
Listing it as one of the four growth strategies in their mid-term plan, Hidaka outlined that 'Niken' is born out of an "effort to propose mobility with unprecedented value".
Equipped with LMW (Leaning Multi-Wheeler) technology to reduce effects of changing riding environments, 'Niken' delivers a high feeling of stability when cornering, according to the CEO.
In Japanese, 'ni' means two and 'ken' translates to sword, a befitting name of the dual-wheeled front end. The Niken pairs matching 15-inch wheels with inverted dual-tube forks and measures 885mm wide, or roughly 35 inches. In addition to the two wheels up front, the Niken features a conventional rear end and is powered by an 847cc inline-triple derived from the FZ-09's engine.
"Until now, some people felt that it was difficult to ride a big motorcycle because of its weight and hence required physical strength. But riding a "NIKEN" brings a sense of stability and makes the 'bike life' enjoyable again", says Naoki Hanamura of Yamaha Motors.
The new technology brings innovation in the field of mobility and is cultivated by a company known for its performance.
