Triple Threat

Motorcycle Sport & Leisure has been out to Austria for the launch of Yamaha’s hotly anticipated leaning multi-wheeler, the Niken. Hailed as a corner carving king, we’ve been putting it through its paces on some tight and twisty mountain roads, to see just how well the revolutionary bit of kit handles.

- Ross Mowbray

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Blending ‘Ni’ (two) and ‘Ken’ (which can mean ‘sword’ in Japanese) – the word Niken draws inspiration from 17th century Japan when the two-sword style of swordsmanship – a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other – was first invented and employed. It proved truly revolutionary, and marked the beginning of a new era in combat.

With claims of razor sharp cornering and an aggressive muscular aesthetic – could Yamaha’s all-new Niken leaning multi-wheeler revolutionise the world of motorcycling in the same way? Yamaha claims it really hasn’t done any specific market research on who’s going to buy the Niken – but there are three main groups that they believe could well be tempted.

There are the innovators, who are always looking to get their hands on the latest tech; then there are the expert riders, who are looking for a tool to help them get the most out of riding. And finally, there’s function-oriented riders, who are looking for extra confidence and stability.

Given that it’s a high-performance machine, rather than a commuter or shopper vehicle, the Niken can only be ridden on a full motorcycle licence – unlike other three-wheelers available.

WHAT’S IT GOING TO COST?

It’s not going to cost as much as you might think – setting you back £13,499. Yamaha has been purposefully aggressive with its pricing strategy to try and convert as many motorcyclists as possible to the new design.