[Shumi_21]

Yamaha's Niken is a rather futuristic looking three wheeler that was first showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show and EICMA 2017 where it garnered enough attention that now Yamaha has actually launched it in the UK with prices starting at GBP 13,499 which is approximately Rs 12.32 lakh!!

















Unlike regular tricycles, the Niken boasts of a reverse trike wheel setup with two 15 inch leaning wheels up front and a single wheel in back which are said to provide ample accuracy and stability in the corners. The engine is borrowed from the MT09 which is a 847 cc, 3-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine that makes 115PS at 10,000 rpm and generates 87.5Nm at 8,500 rpm and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.




The Niken utilizes what Yamaha is calling its “Leaning Multi-Wheel” (or LMW) platform, a system utilizing a parallelogram link design enabling the machine’s independent suspension of the dual front-wheels to operate simultaneously, tilting in sync to keep both wheels planted firmly on the ground.The following videos by Yamaha shows the Niken carving through the corners of some scenic mountain road, as well as digital 3D renderings of the machine’s mechanical functioning showing off how the complex system works.

https://youtu.be/G0hMs0E5kDw

https://youtu.be/d5p0kWdj-iA

And finally a proper first ride review by Visordown

Out of all the bike firms, Yamaha is definitely one of the more daring, in terms of technology. Over the decades, it’s brought us two-stroke power valves, aluminium beam frames, five-valve cylinder heads, monoshock rear suspension, ride-by-wire throttles, crossplane crank engines, and much more. And here it is again, shaking things up with a wacky-looking three-wheeled ‘bike’ – the new Niken.

The Niken will not be making it to India, at least for now, according to Overdrive, Autocar and India Today

@Mods, I couldn't find any thread discussing the Niken, kindly move to appropriate thread if needed.

[Flyer]

Looks like Yamaha is obsessed with three wheels. I think its only a matter of time for us to see a Yamaha four wheeler.. not cars but Motorcycles! Based on this LMW platform. The video is very confidence inspiring. The bike is a looker. It looks like something from the future.

[farhadtarapore]

The Piaggio MP3 is already a 3-wheeled motorcycled with gyro and tilt. Looks awesome too. Yamaha seem to be a bit late to the game.

[narayan]

This definitely looks futuristic.

Somehow the driving doesn't look very smooth and seamless like a conventional bike. Its as if something is holding back the movement.

It will be good to know if there is any tangible improvement in cornering performance. I would believe straight line stability must be improved. In which case this probably would work well in touring bikes.

And doing a wheelie or stoppie in this is ruled out I guess.

[Flyer]

It can do a wheelie!!

Skip to 3:19 in the video.

https://youtu.be/DSEP37MgpF8

[GTO]

Originally Posted by narayan

It will be good to know if there is any tangible improvement in cornering performance. I would believe straight line stability must be improved.

Because there are two at the front, wouldn't this seriously improve braking? Braking has always been an area where cars blow bikes out of the water because of the 4 contact patches. Correct?

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by GTO

Braking has always been an area where cars blow bikes out of the water because of the 4 contact patches. Correct?

I'm going slightly off topic but, yes and no. A car clearly has the potential to brake with more deceleration due to having more rubber, less weight transfer for the same deceleration due to a low centre of gravity height versus wheelbase. While the argument in favour of the motorcycle is that it is much, much lighter hence has lesser inertia to overcome. You expect a truck to stop slower than a car, so why not extrapolate that argument to bikes? Let me try to break (haha!) it down.

While for acceleration the light weight of the bike helps in a better power to weight ratio, the physics in deceleration is different.

Firstly, the force on a vehicle when stopping is:

F = ma

Where F is the force on the vehicle, m is its mass and a is the acceleration (negative in this case).

Next, that force is applied to the tires via traction as follows:

F = μW

Where W is the weight of the vehicle, and μ is the coefficient of friction.
The weight of the vehicle is its mass, m, times the gravitational force, g, so:

F = μmg

The maximum stopping force that can be applied is the maximum frictional force that the tires can cope with, so:

ma = μmg

What all this shows is that we can cancel the use of the variable m as it appears on both sides of the equation. In simple terms, it means that mass has no bearing whatsoever on stopping distances. The equation to thus show the maximum possible deceleration is

a = μg

So (negative) acceleration equals the coefficient of friction of the tires, multiplied by the gravitational force

Therefore our light bikes are irrelevant when it comes to braking. Cars have 4 wider contact patches so they are better at braking. Case closed........well not quite.

The reason is that some sporty motorcycles have better brakes and tyres than most cars. So a Street Triple RS for example, will out brake most hatchbacks and family sedans, but if you get a remotely sporty car, the reverse will be true. Rider and driver skills play an important role too.

[Flyer]

I think its only a matter of time for us to see a Yamaha four wheeler.. not cars but Motorcycles!

Well I just found out that there was indeed a four wheeler scooter (not Yamaha) showcased at the EICMA 2017 where Niken was showcased.

It's the Qooder from Quadro Vehicles.

Qooder is the first and only vehicle in the world with 4 tilting wheels, for an incredibly new and different driving experience. It combines the stability of a car with the thrill of a motor bike, giving life to a new category, unique of its kind. It offers safe and intuitive driving and combines the pure pleasure of driving with a maximum level of comfort.

AS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE AS A CAR
When at the controls of the new Qooder, moving about safely comes naturally. The drive is fluid, precise and extraordinarily stable. The wheels remain firmly in contact with the road, even when it is wet and over bumps and holes. Whether at a stop or moving, Qooder is always in balance without the use of feet on the ground and, thanks to its low centre of gravity, is extremely light in all manoeuvres. The more you drive it, the more you will wish to.

Here is a Spanish review video about Qooder. Sorry I couldn't find any English review.

https://youtu.be/NJuTbiGu5M4

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Very interesting information.

The bike has been provided with 2 wheels in the front. And then the challenges that arise out of this, have been (claimed to be) handled well.

But in the first place, what benefit does the rider get by adding a wheel? Was there any need, which was the mother of this invention?

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

But in the first place, what benefit does the rider get by adding a wheel? Was there any need, which was the mother of this invention?

Exactly and I actually see this as a negative. The bike width is increasing - so splitting between cars will be difficult.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

New Yamaha NIKEN GT unveiled at EICMA 2018 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgwjozzRG2s