revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Oi, you're due back here first

Just let me know when... i'm at home all day every day

Well, as Kev said in the Niken thread, I think until we all started posting about the deals available on them a couple of days ago he’d never even really looked at one, let alone considered buying one, but credit to the old boy, he didn't mess about , did a very quick deal and appeared at my place on it yesterday, and what a monster it is
I remember looking at one briefly or a year or two back when they first appeared, and have always promised myself I'd get a go on one, simply as they are, as Kev previously said different, and some might say a sort of “why” bike- mainly of course I was intrigued to how it would feel in relation to a bike with a conventional front end.

And the answer was, for me very mixed at first.
Within 5 mins of pulling away, I was seriously thinking of turning around and giving him the keys back- not because it felt really horrible or particularly strange, as it didn’t, but I felt uneasy on it, really just down to the perceived size (width ) of the thing, and not being able to see the front wheel(s) at all was very unnerving for me, not sure why, but it really was.

It looks massively wide from the riders seat, and added to that I was also shit-scared of running out of lean at the front end and understeering into a hedge, kerb etc , it just all felt a bit weird. It had turned me into a pussy, trundling along and scared to overtake anything unless it was an overtake I would do in the car, and as for filtering, that was definitely a no-no.
I persisted though and after 30 mins or so of getting to know it, realised that this width and lean-phobia was 99% in my head rather than reality (albeit not helped by having the panniers still fitted, I really do strongly dislike riding with side-mounted boxes ) and the more I rode it, this feeling went away as I gained confidence and I really started to enjoy it - By the end of the ride I was using all the revs, throwing it into corners, and also filtering like a Parisienne T-Max rider when I hit a big jam - one very noticeable effect is that cars really were moving out of the way for me when I was overtaking or filtering, as I guess it does look pretty mean and imposing (or maybe just WIIIIIDE ) from the front

There is no getting away from the fact that it’s a heavy beast and that makes itself felt moving it about at a standstill, and in the dulling of the motor’s performance (an MT09 or XSR would absolutely kill it in a drag race I reckon) but once you're moving, the steering feels light and neutral and a lot of that weight goes away.
And it is still very possible to get a move on on it, and in fact, especially on some of the roads around me that are narrow country lanes with copious amounts of gravel and potholes, I think I'd struggle to get down them much faster on anything else if it were a race.
It’s the public roads though of course and not a race , but hopefully you get my point. I’d need to try it on a track to really discover any limits and how much feel there really was, but as far as I went, the feel at road speeds was very much better than I was expecting - there wasn't the sort or amount of feel or feedback like you get from a well set up conventional sportsbike front end, but for me, it just has an over-riding planted and confidence inspiring sort of feeling in bends, despite feeling more remote, if that makes sense.

Best way I can think of describing it is sort of like a sporty-ish well-suspended car - you can barrel into a corner on quite a shitty road surface and even though the forks may be really worked hard you're not wrestling it or being shaken about - bumps, gravel etc have far less effect than they would on a two-wheeler, I guess each front wheel is doing its own thing independently of the other and smoothing the ride out far more than you’d expect on a conventional bike- it just feels so planted, and still agile and very easy to change direction on. I haven’t a cluse what suspension was set like but it didn’t matter- it felt very well damped and pretty much spot on for me, for the road, at the speeds I was going

Other bits I liked , in no particular order-

• Riding position- simply superb with one of the most comfy seats I can think of- admittedly I haven’t done a full day on it, but on my ride (getting on for 90 mins) it was great

• Engine - It’s the CP3 and as I mentioned, the extra weight is has to lug around has definitely blunted it ( an MT or XSR wheelies without any provocation whereas I sense the Niken would take a serious amount of effort and definitely need use of the clutch ) and for me, this made it feel weaker in the low-tomid range and like I needed to rev it more, but it’s still a pleasant and reasonably characterful engine, and being honest, is plenty fast enough as a road bike when you want it to be, 90+% of the time. Mode 1 was a bit more abrupt than I wanted on the B roads, so I spent most of the time in 2.

• Gadgets- it's got pretty much everything I’d want- Cruise control, heated grips, QS, and power sockets as standard

• The dash- Not particulrly blingy compared to current Ducatis, Apriliias or Triumphs etc and its (sort of) only black and white, but looked more like black and gold to me, I thought it was very cool, loved it

• The look from the front, and the paint finish

Bits I didn’t like :

• Brakes - Usual MT Yam lack of feel, and need more of a squeeze than most other bikes, which probably shows up more on this than other MTs due to the weight. Very easily solvable (as I did on both my MT10s) with either Bendix or Brembo pads, or others I’m sure, nothing else brake-wise really required as it really is just shit pad material

• Screen - As Kev also mentioned, it buffets a bit and is annoying above say 60ish, for someone of my height anyway. Tuck down 6 inches into a sportsbike crouch and its lovely and silent, but you look like a bit of a bell so I’d be trying other screens, or maybe just one of that funny clip-on upper lip ones that are typically attached to the bikes of flip-up helmet/ hi-viz wearers

• The look from the back – Really quite horrid- fat and squat

But aside from the looks, which of course is completely subjective, the only niggles for me are both easy and inexpensive to sort, and I very much enjoyed riding it in the end.
It would be a great bike to go touring on IMO- super-comfy with all the gadgets I’d want, an entertaining engine that is fast enough to get places quickly and be fun if you use the revs, and it just feels well set up for that sort of use. And when it pisses down in the Highlands or those European mountain passes, it is THE bike I would want to be on- definitely want to try this one in the rain, and that’s not something I can ever remember saying about any other bike
Would I buy one? Dunno, probably not, but if I was replacing the Multi it would get serious consideration after a longer two-up ride , but If it had the MT-10 motor, now that would be interesting and change the answer to a a pretty much definite YES

weeksy wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:22 pm Oi, you're due back here first

Just let me know when... i'm at home all day every day

( I have a genuine feeling you're not gonna like it though! )

Tricky wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:27 pm Bits I didn’t like :

• Brakes - Usual MT Yam lack of feel, and need more of a squeeze than most other bikes, which probably shows up more on this than other MTs due to the weight. Very easily solvable (as I did on both my MT10s) with either Bendix or Brembo pads, or others I’m sure, nothing else brake-wise really required as it really is just shit pad material

Yep, already ordered a set of Brembo pads this morning after my earlier post - great minds, eh?

Kev

2xtwins wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:21 pm

Count Steer wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:57 am Looking forward to reading what it's like to live with. I must say, I'm tempted.

As I said above, see if you can get a test ride.

What are you riding at the moment and whereabouts in the country are you? Might be possible for me to have a trip out?

Kev

That's very kind (brave) of you. I'm not far south of Guildford so a trip to the dealers in Woking isn't a long trek.
I'm bikeless and twitching having sold my R1150GS and K1200GT a while ago when I knackered my knee (not bike related!). I particularly miss the GS but the Niken may be the strange offspring of the pair of them in terms of power, handling, comfort and pillion carrying with a bit of luggage. Might be a bit on the heavy side for shoving around getting one backwards into the garage* though - I may have to think lighter. Apart from the thought of getting another 1150GS, the Niken is the first thing that's really, really piqued my current level of interest - it's different.

*Which I've just been making room for a bike in.

Count,
Not a problem - I've PM'd you

Kev

Ace, I to wheelie the one I had a go on, had to clutch it up in 1st and once up it felt very heavy and wanted to wander. It didn’t feel nice and I didn’t bother with any more lol

Well, not a lot to report really - just bringing the thread back to life now that I have started to ride again.

Did 150 miles or so a couple of weeks ago and all of the above observations still pertain - nice motor severely blunted by the bike's weight, great riding position compromised only by buffeting from the screen, brakes seem a bit less wooden but I do have the Brembo pads still to fit.

Fuel consumption is not particularly sparkling, probably due to the weight and the need to keep the motor spinning to achieve reasonable progress. Brim to brim it was 44/45 mpg whereas the Z1000sx ridden similarly was 50/51 and the K1300s 53/55.

I certainly couldn't get to Pembrey on a tankful as I did on the Zed last year.

Notwithstanding all this, it's still a fun place to be and has a lot more persoanlity that either of the above.

Plan to ride a lot more this summer with maybe a short weekend tour or two and, potentially, a trackday next month

.........Well, the trackday has been booked and my feeling at the moment is that it would be rude not to give motorcycling's answer to the ginger stepchild a day out .....I wonder how the standard Bridgestone tractor tyres will cope?

Watch this space, eh?

Kev

Well, you can't lose the front.

Sorta

Always welcome at Pembrey - u need to track down Mark Forsyth - the journalist - he's got one and done loads to it - even hill climbed it with his son on the back - as they classed it as a sidecar...it's on U tube somewhere.

Alan PBTD wrote: Mon Apr 04, 2022 10:39 pm Always welcome at Pembrey - u need to track down Mark Forsyth - the journalist - he's got one and done loads to it - even hill climbed it with his son on the back - as they classed it as a sidecar...it's on U tube somewhere.

Cheers Alan .

Yep, I saw that video when it came out. He rode with his son iirc and, from memory, had a race wet on the rear.

Looking online it seems that Michelin PR4 scooter tyres are the tyres of choice although Bridgestone are the only manufacturer to recommend a tyre for it. The scooter tyres are good for 130mph and tbh the Niken will struggle to get there.

I know Mossy put about 5k miles on a Niken and tried an S22 rear with the standard fronts but mileage wasn't very good.

Hey ho, don't need to make a decision yet...

Kev

So as not to derail @dern 's trackday thread further I thought I'd answer @Dodgy knees question, as to whether it's a keeper, here.

At the time I bought it I knew buying a Niken, GT or otherwise, was never going to be a sound financial decision - in the short term anyways.

Despite the fact that I got a great px deal, the Niken was always going to be Yamaha's new GTS1000 and not be at all well received by the motorcycle buying public, no matter that the motorcycling media, almost without exception, loved it.

I went in with my eyes wide open, having read everything I could online and having had an hour or so's test ride......more than I can say for my three previous purchases, the z1000sx, K1300s and the ZZR1100.

Is it a keeper?..........How do you define that?

Speak to @weeksy or @Couchy and they will have a different view to, say, @Tricky or @Le_Fromage_Grande .

But yes, the intention was/is to hang onto it for a while, maybe it will stay with me for the rest of my motorcycling days but at least until something else comes along that piques my interest more.

I am lucky that it is not my only motorcycle and I have others that scratch different, some might say more conventional, itches.

Motorcycling is fun for me, my main leisure interest after my children and grandchildren, and the Niken GT certainly hits that particular spot for me.

Hope that answers the question.

Kev

Nice read Kev and tbh, I don't subscribe to the keeper thing, generally I'm ready for a change after a couple of years with my main bike. The little crf might stay for a good while though.

Some bike's you keep, some bike's you move on.

Yesterday we did about 350 miles, including a trackday at Lydden......... full report to follow later.

I'm hungry.

Kev

As said above and fully discussed on the Lydden trackday thread, Trike's socialisation has been broadened and it's been introduced to the world of trackdays.

To cut a long story short, a great time was had by all.

It didn't fall off its stand nor get away from its custodian whilst being wheeled down the drive so that was a good start. Nor did I fall off of it...........Sad I know, but these I consider as wins.

Now I fully admit that I am no @Couchy on track, the recognised forum pilot of unconventional trackday steeds, but I'm sure we didn't disgrace ourselves. Granted, there is no Cadwell RE or Doni Adventure bike footage to support this but we overtook more than we were overtaken and surprised a few sports bike owners with tyre warmers etc.

Speaking of tyres, this is where the Niken GT is most compromised. As has been said above, there is no real choice. You have the OEM Bridgestone A41 or you go for scooter tyres on the front and its bike size on the rear.

I had no idea on pressures so reduced them from 33/33/42 to 30/30/35.........seemed logical to me as a first go and the tyres looked ok throughout the day so I didn't change from those.

Tyre characteristics.....well they're no S22 or M9RR, my usual road/track tyres, and take a bit more warming up but the fun starts when they are warm and the rear gets very lively when exiting corners under power. All very manageable as TC is your friend I would guess and it adds to the very left-field trackday experience. The fronts only gave cause for concern once or twice and only when cold. Believe me, it's not a nice feeling when you think both your front tyres are gonna tuck - very akin to a car understeering .

Handling - I didn't have any issues. Yep, it's big, fat, heavy, some might say ugly - all of the above - and it is no 890R Super Scalpel. Indeed, @Tricky would probably lap me twice in 15 mins at Lydden....

But do I care, no, not at all. I didn't fiddle with any settings / suspension and the only sag I thought of when I got home was the saag aloo I had with my curry .

So, to sum up, it's no track bike but is is good fun on track as long as you take it for what it is - a tall, wide, 270kg tourer/adventure bike on adventure bike tyres.

We had our first little adventure on Saturday and above all it gave me what I want from a bike...Fun

Kev

The last line is all that matters, the nine is irrelevant so long as you have fun and you did, awesome

I don't think anyone who knows you could say anything other than nice things, both about your riding in track and your passion for the bike. It's ace to see!

Just got back from an excellent day out at Bedford Autodrome with the Trike and our relationship is building.

We learnt a few things, the most significant of which, given the length of the back straight at Bedford, was that Trike is limited to 127mph so wouldn't even rev out in fifth .

I have just been online and my friend Google has confirmed that this is indeed they way they are and, for whatever reason, Yamaha have deemed that my three-wheeled friend is thus a motorcycling eunuch.

The tea leaves are telling me, however, that this is not a situation that will be forever as there maybe upcoming conversations with practitioners of ECU witchcraft, albeit not ones that inhabit the peaks of small mountains

It is still under warranty so I'm not sure when these talks will take place but I'm sure I could've achieved an indicated 140 with the barrier removed.

Hey ho, we had a great day and my instruction session was £25 well spent -good shout @Yorick - as the instructor had ridden a Niken at the press launch so was very helpful when it came to discussing the Trike's performance, strengths/weaknesses and how to get the best out of it.

We also reduced the rear tyre pressure so we had 30 all round and this made the rear end much more stable and, other than on cold tyres, we didn't have any squirrely moments as we had at Lydden.

It was great to have a mini-Pembrey style TD and I'm sure that @Tricky , @Dodgy knees , @dern and @singlesman will put their thoughts down in the Trackday thread in due course.

Kev

Oh, could that be because the fronts are only H rated for example?

Nah, that was my first thought too but the OEM tyres are V-rated.

Kev