Yamaha’s new Niken was probably one of the most talked about new motorcycles this year, following its official unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show – and love it or loathe it, the Niken is on it’s way to a dealer near you pretty soon.
The manufacturer’s first 3-wheeled sportsbike uses an odd combination of tyre sizes, with it’s conventional more conventional 190/55 R17 75V rear paired with two 120/70 R15 56V fronts, the latter being a size more commonly associated with the maxi scooter market.
The project brought together two Japanese manufacturing giants as Yamaha worked closely alongside Bridgestone to develop an original equipment version of their new Battlax A41, which will be fitted to the Niken before it rolls off the production line.
Bridgestone’s Battlax A41 is a road-biased adventure tyre aimed at bikes such at the BMW R1200GS and Yamaha XT1200Z, so the fact that it is able to cope with the demands of this unique sports bike is testament to it’s versatility.
The new A41 is due to arrive in the UK early next year, and it incorporates the rock-solid stability of the out-going Battlax A40 with increases in both wet and dry grip, plus mileage gains.
You can find out more about the Battlax A41 here.
