Looking almost praying mantis like from the front, but with a powerful tail whip like a scorpion, is this interesting machine that belongs to Ian Rowe from the Parkes based Central West Car Club.
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Ian has been a long time motorbike enthusiast and has previously featured with his BMW K1000 and his Yamaha 650 Turbo.
He said he has been looking for something else unique to add to his collection and started with thoughts of a Moto Guzzi V7 Racer for a more classic look, but then something drew his attention to the Yamaha Niken.
"Granted, it's a bit quirky looking from the front, but compared to the more scooter like Yamaha Tricity this is a powerful bit of gear," he said.
"I reckoned that I'm getting older and the stability of three wheels appealed to me without going as far as the Can Am Spyder so I did some research and bought this one."
It's a 2018 Yamaha Niken and it's the latest Leaning Multi Wheel (LMW) creation from Japanese maker, Yamaha.
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The Niken has an 850cc water cooled triple with a six speed quick shift transmission, while there's three adjustable riding modes plus ABS and cruise control.
The two front wheels are 15 inch, there's a 17 inch on the rear and the bike weighs in at 263 kilograms.
Ian explains that he bought it a few months ago at a dealer demonstrator in Sydney, though it wasn't a straightforward purchase!
"The day I got there, it bucketed down rain and all I could do was sit on it, so I put down a deposit with the provision that I could ride it before I handed over the rest of the money when I finally picked it up."
When I asked Ian, he said it handles extremely well, which of course is the whole idea of a three wheel bike.
"The cornering is more stable with seemingly more grip, and you can't actually see the two front wheels from the riding position, so you soon forget that it's any different to a regular bike."
The name Niken means 'two swords' - which might just signify the two front wheels carving up the tarmac simultaneously like a Samurai warrior.
From Yamaha, the development concept was called New Type of Agility and Controllability and that's certainly confirmed by the look and the handling.
I guess it remains to be seen whether the concept becomes the norm, but for now Ian's happy with a unique three wheeler to enjoy.
The club meets regularly on the first Wednesday of each month at Parkes Leagues Club and hosts a casual street meet on the second Friday of each month at the outdoor Coles carpark in Parkes.
For more information you can catch us at https://www.facebook.com/centralwest.carclub or at http://www.centralwestcarclub.com/.
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