Motorcycle Mojo – July 2019

J ULY 2 0 19 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 23

LIST PRICE

$20,999

WARRANTY

12 months, unlimited mileage

CONTACT

yamaha-motor.ca

ENGINE TYPE

Liquid-cooled, inline triple

DISPLACEMENT

847 cc

POWER

113 hp (84.6 kW) at 10,000 rpm

(European spec)

TORQUE

64.3 lb-ft (87.2 Nm) at 8,500 rpm

BORE AND STROKE

78 x 59.1 mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

11.5:1

FUEL DELIVERY

Electronic fuel injection

with 41 mm throttle bodies

TRANSMISSION

6-speed

FINAL DRIVE TYPE

Chain

FRONT SUSPENSION

41/43 mm (guide/main) inverted fork,

adjustable for compression and

rebound damping

REAR SUSPENSION

Single shock, adjustable for rebound

damping and preload

WHEEL TRAVEL

Front: 109 mm (4.3 in.)

Rear: 124 mm (4.9 in.)

BRAKES

Front: Two 298 mm discs

with four-piston radial calipers

Rear: 282 mm disc

with single-piston caliper; ABS

WHEELBASE

1,510 mm (59.4 in.)

RAKE AND TRAIL

20 degrees/74 mm

TIRES

Front: 120/70R15

Rear: 190/55R17

WEIGHT (WET)

267 kg (588.6 lb)

SEAT HEIGHT

835 mm (32.9 in.)

FUEL CAPACITY

18 L

FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED)

N/A

FUEL RANGE (ESTIMATED)

N/A

2019 YAMAHA

NIKEN GT

i

For additional photos of the

2019 Yamaha Niken GT

visit: motorcyclemojo.com

Needless to say, I was awestruck.

The thing is, the Niken returns all of

the sensory feedback and stimulation

that makes riding a bike so much fun

while, at the same time reducing any

discomfort you may feel about tucking

the front end to almost nil. In fact, only

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on two wheels kept me from pushing

the Niken further than I did. It just

seemed unnatural the way it handled

everything I threw at it.

What’s It Like on Dry Pavement?

Fortunately, the second ride day was

mostly dry. This is when I discovered

that the Niken can easily keep up a

fast pace to match any sport bike on

winding roads. At an elevated pace,

the three-wheeler railed along, steering

sharply and with unwavering stability

almost regardless of what was happen-

ing beneath the front tires. I hit mid-

turn bumps at speeds that probably

would have caused a two-wheeler to at

least shake its head, but bumps passed

beneath the Niken unnoticed. This

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may cause you to push harder than you

would on two wheels.

I even encountered mid-turn damp

patches that would have caused me

to slow down when on a conventional

motorcycle, but I did nothing to

readjust my speed on the Niken. The

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stability and traction up front will

not, however, transfer well if you get

accustomed to the Niken and then

switch to two wheels; you’ll have to

remember to tone it down when riding

on the latter.

And if your riding buddies point

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riding a bike equipped with training

wheels, let them laugh, then ride circles

around them when it rains. You should,

however, be sure to warn them not to

try to keep up with you on wet pave-

ment. Seriously. Trying to keep a quick

pace with the Niken on wet pavement

eventually will lead to disaster for

them. Call it a cheater bike in the rain.

So, Back to Why

I was partially expecting to dislike the

Niken. But, after riding it, I discovered

that Yamaha is onto something here:

the Niken GT really works. It works

especially well when the pavement

surface is compromised by bumps, rain

or occasional sandy patches. You can

almost ignore what is happening beneath

the Niken’s wheels and just carry on.

At $20,999, the Niken GT is pricey,

but the peace of mind that the extra

front wheel provides might be just the

thing for a rider who may have tucked

the front end on a two-wheeler once

and never really got over the trepida-

tion of relying on a single contact patch

to maintain control up front. If you’re

a high-mileage rider and your riding

season stretches from early spring to

late fall, no other machine will return

the consistent handling throughout the

less temperate seasons than the Niken.

So, why? Because while the Niken

feels like a conventional motorcycle

for the most part, what sets the three-

wheeler apart is its ability to handle

unsavoury road conditions. Heck, it

had me wondering if Yamaha hasn’t

just invented a better motorcycle.

Light weight,

semi-soft, 25-litre

saddlebags are

compact and

easy to handle

with quick

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