Niken

[Couchy]

Where to start, a mate bought one of these so after a week of taking the piss he came round, I grabbed my gear to have a go just to prove what I’d been saying. A heavyweight pointless answer to a question no one is asking. At least once I’ve had a go my preconceptions will be validated, so in the flesh it looks ok tbh. It’s not light blue like a reliant invalid carriage and it doesn’t have an orange badge but it’s big. 
it’s a bit like sitting on a small car but it’s very comfy and adventure bike like, feels good tbh but let’s ride it and hand it back ASAP. So ermmmm well 40 mins later I’m hooked. There’s no feeling of weight except when TC I’d turned off for a wheelie but in normal riding it turns quick and feels light, the ride quality is great too. But the overall feeling is one of front end grip and loads of it, it feels planted like a heavy sports tourer but still tuns and feels light. It’s hard to explain as I never have trouble with a 2 wheeled bike but this is better. On the brakes it’s very stable and doesn’t dive a great deal. The engine is superb as always but the extra weight does blunt it a little, still that’s irrelevant as it’s a very confidence inspiring front end. I’m gonna have another go on this too, so humble pie eaten it’s nothing like I assumed and much better then I could ever imagine arguably better on the road than a single front wheel

[Count Steer]

Is that what they have buzzing around on the Tour de France? I've often wondered what they're like to ride. Thanks.

[Count Steer]

Oh, also, how much of a crimp would it put on filtering? Is it much, much wider? Ta.

[weeksy]

Does it have a reverse?

Does it lean in the usual way?

[Skub]

Yeahbutt does it wheelie,mister?

Nik Samson had one for a while,I remember he rather liked it.

[KungFooBob]

Yeahbutt does it wheelie,mister?

Nik Samson had one for a while,I remember he rather liked it.

I asked on Friendface and the Niken's owner posted this...



You have to watch a load of weaving, but eventually...

[millemille]

Niken?

So last year mate, c'mon get with it...

https://revtothelimit.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... ken#p11914

[Couchy]

Does it have a reverse?

Does it lean in the usual way?

Rides just like a normal bike but with a load of front end confidence, if you didn’t know you wouldn’t guess from riding.

It wheelies but that is the only time it feels heavy

It’s no wider mirror to mirror than a normal bike

[Yorick]

I can get that it'll have plenty of braking grip.

But could you howl down Craner like on a sports bike?

[Couchy]

I can get that it'll have plenty of braking grip.

But could you howl down Craner like on a sports bike?

It rides like a normal bike so a Trackday would be as good as on any bike in its class, I’d happily take it round donington

[millemille]

I can get that it'll have plenty of braking grip.

But could you howl down Craner like on a sports bike?

It rides like a normal bike so a Trackday would be as good as on any bike in its class, I’d happily take it round donington

I'd not take one on a trackday unless I was being paid to do so.

It hits a physical stop where it can't be leant any further because the front end linkages have run out of stroke. And the front end linkages have some quirks in geometry that do odd things when going from full lean one side to the other. or when really cranking over on a decreasing radius.

[Yorick]

I can get that it'll have plenty of braking grip.

But could you howl down Craner like on a sports bike?

It rides like a normal bike so a Trackday would be as good as on any bike in its class, I’d happily take it round donington

I'd not take one on a trackday unless I was being paid to do so.

It hits a physical stop where it can't be leant any further because the front end linkages have run out of stroke. And the front end linkages have some quirks in geometry that do odd things when going from full lean one side to the other. or when really cranking over on a decreasing radius.

Could you hang off the side like a quad bike. We had fun as kids racing them buggers hanging off the side

[Yorick]

I can get that it'll have plenty of braking grip.

But could you howl down Craner like on a sports bike?

It rides like a normal bike so a Trackday would be as good as on any bike in its class, I’d happily take it round donington

Knee down safe?

[Bigyin]

Is that what they have buzzing around on the Tour de France? I've often wondered what they're like to ride. Thanks.

Yup, its now the go to bike for the cycle races ...saw it on the Giro and the Le Tour and it will be on La Vuelta as well. On the mountain stages when it gets on the steep bits the clutches used to get seriously abused on camera bikes just to keep upright at such a slow speed and i have seen a few stall and tip over. The Niken doesnt suffer the balance issue and makes the mountain stages a piece of piss.

It now the official support bike for all the ASO (they organise all the big cycle races) Grand Tour races

[Dodgy69]

Imo, they are perfect for these type of events. Big front end grip, the perfect tool. But for Joe public who must get his "like the looks" box ticked, I can't see it. Then there's the extra hassle of lifting the front and tyres. Not for me on looks alone, but definitely a good tool for the job.

[Count Steer]

Having had issues with a banjaxed right leg (knee and hip) in recent years, I'm sort of pondering whether the riding position and the 'it doesn't fall over if your leg decides to not work' aspect makes it worth a try.
Seems to tick all the boxes and a) it's not a trike b) it appears to ride like a bike...and filter c) I wouldn't give a toss if other people think they're odd/not a 'proper' bike.

*ponder*

[millemille]

Is that what they have buzzing around on the Tour de France? I've often wondered what they're like to ride. Thanks.

The Niken doesnt suffer the balance issue and makes the mountain stages a piece of piss.

You do understand that there's no difference between a Niken and conventional motorbike in terms of balance and keeping it upright at slow speed?

[millemille]

.... 'it doesn't fall over if your leg decides to not work' aspect makes it worth a try.

A Niken is identical to a conventional motorbike, it will fall over if the rider doesn't balance it or support it.

[weeksy]

Is that what they have buzzing around on the Tour de France? I've often wondered what they're like to ride. Thanks.

The Niken doesnt suffer the balance issue and makes the mountain stages a piece of piss.

You do understand that there's no difference between a Niken and conventional motorbike in terms of balance and keeping it upright at slow speed?

How's that? I assumed it could sit upright on its own? Therefore do 1mph or 10mph without any issues?

We don't 'understand' anything about them as we've not ridden one, so, educate us

[millemille]

The Niken doesnt suffer the balance issue and makes the mountain stages a piece of piss.

You do understand that there's no difference between a Niken and conventional motorbike in terms of balance and keeping it upright at slow speed?

How's that? I assumed it could sit upright on its own? Therefore do 1mph or 10mph without any issues?

We don't 'understand' anything about them as we've not ridden one, so, educate us

It is identical to a conventional motorcycle; it leans on a side stand, you have to physically pick the bike up of the side stand, it will fall over if you do not support it, you have to do everything that you would do on a conventional motorcycle to ride it at slow speed.

It's not a mobility vehicle in any way, shape or form.

Yamaha have worked very hard, and largely succeeded, to make the front end replicate the exact behaviour of a conventional front end.

The linkages allow the bike to lean to 45 degrees, but it won't go past that.

I don't believe that the Niken front end offers any more grip than a conventional bike's, but what I do believe it does is behave fundamentally differently - a front end slide on a conventional bike will be very noticeable to the rider because the angle of lean of the bike will abruptly change but on the Niken a front end slide doesn't change the lean angle and it behaves like an understeering front wheel drive car and just plows on at the same angle as it was at befoe the slide started - when it runs out grip and that is what gives riders the feeling of confidence in the front end.

My take on it was that if you took a decent rider and gave them a Niken for the first time and also a conventional bike which they'd never ridden before and sent them down a tight, twisty, bumpy road over and over again, they'd initially be faster on the Niken but they would not significantly faster because the quirks and limits of the front end would prevent it whereas although they'd be initially slower on the conventional bike they'd be able to go faster and faster and soon be faster than the Niken because the limit of a conventional bike is the rider and not the bike once they've got confidence in it.