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Yamaha Niken GT 2023 Review (Baujahr 2023)

Driving report of the new Yamaha Niken GT in Sardinia.

23.04.2023

The new Yamaha Niken GT claims to have eliminated the disadvantages of its predecessor and now presents itself as an even more valuable touring machine. What has remained is the fascinating tilting technology, which allows even less experienced drivers hair-raising lean angles. We were present at the official presentation of the Yamaha Niken GT 2023 in Sardinia and describe our impressions.

Differences from the old Niken

The model selection at the Niken has been changed. There is only the Niken GT left, the standard Niken (without GT) has been deleted without replacement. Since the Niken is a very special motorcycle with its two front wheels, the sales figures are also likely to be in the low range - understandable that Yamaha is concentrating on only one model. The Niken GT is also only available in one color, namely "Yamaha Black".

Niken GT in schwarz

It costs 18,399 euros, which is a reasonable price from our point of view given the complicated tilting technology. The new cockpit with the large 7-inch TFT color display, which we already know from the Tmax 560, immediately catches the eye. Here, too, a Garmin fullmap navigation solution can be booked for an additional charge, which makes a separate navigation device superfluous. The cockpit is now operated via a five-axis joystick, which works excellently. The fiddly rotary wheel of the predecessor is a thing of the past - fortunately!

Also new is the bench, which is now supposed to be even more comfortable. To be honest, I didn't notice any differences to the old seat, but it doesn't matter: You actually sit very comfortably and upright, like on an adventure bike. Also new is the exhaust system, which is now audibly quieter. This also suits the machine: Where you like to attack with an MT-09, the Niken is more confident and relaxed. The stationary noise is only 89 dbA, so Tyrol can be visited.

The engine has also been revised, which now produces 115 hp at 10,000 rpm and just under 91 Nm at 7,000 rpm. It is still the magnificent CP3 with three cylinders that cuts a very good figure in the Niken GT, but more on that below. The QuickShifter has also been revised and now shifts quite smoothly, as long as you follow the QA rules (upshifting under load, downshifting in coasting mode).

The windshield, which can be easily adjusted with one hand while driving, does a good job, the windshield is fine. However, we hardly noticed any difference between the low and high position, at least not at normal country road speed. The suitcases have also been revised, each with a capacity of 30 litres and is part of the standard equipment of the GT. Good: No separate keys are needed to lock the suitcases. By the way, there is no keyless go on the Niken, but that doesn't bother us. All in all, the new Niken 2023 has been improved in many small ways. However, it is not a completely new machine and the driving experience has not changed either.

That's what it should be able to do

The Niken GT comes with Ride by Wire, multiple riding modes and a custom mode that can be configured according to your own wishes. A separate button is used to switch driving modes. The same applies to the cruise control, which, unlike the new Tracer 9 GT+, has to do without a radar system on the Niken GT.

In general, the Niken GT is not as technically over-the-top as the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+, which is also newly introduced. For example, there is no lean angle sensors and no brake assistant and no electronic chassis. Not that we have anything against these modern achievements of technology, but somehow none of this would fit on the Niken either.

However, the existing traction control makes perfect sense, because the rear wheel wants to spin when driving briskly. The lighting design of the Niken GT is also very successful. There is full LED and from the front it looks very harmonious in combination with the two wheels. The Niken reminds us of the Transformer movies - you wouldn't be surprised if the Niken turned into a truck or a train after take-off...

That's how it drives

The look of the Niken is a matter of taste, but it is still highly polarizing. Of the journalists present in Sardinia, there was hardly a one who found the Niken GT particularly beautiful. But what you have to give it credit for is that it is unique - and that applies not only to the technology, but also to the design. The special tilting technique with the two front wheels is explained in detail on the Yamaha website . We want to limit ourselves here to the description of how it drives. And that's really the scoop!

First of all, when you start driving, you are surprised that you can't see anything from the two front wheels! When you look ahead, you can only see the tank, fairing, cockpit and windshield - just like any other motorcycle. And then comes the second surprise: you don't necessarily notice that you're riding a tricycle. Okay, you can feel the double track at the front a bit, but much less than you would have expected. The Niken GT is great to drive, it is not quite as maneuverable as an MT-09, but it is also anything but ponderous.

And at the first tighter corners comes the big aha effect: lean, I'm coming! No matter what the road conditions are, whether dry or damp, no matter what speed - with this bike you can always lie down in the next corner like an Álex Márquez in the GP. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true: Especially inexperienced riders feel very safe on a Niken and dare to lean and cornering speed much more than with a conventional machine. That really puts you in a good mood!

In terms of quality, the new Niken also makes a good impression. All switches look high-quality, all cables are neatly laid and all the features that the Yamaha offer work perfectly. The brakes grip neatly and are easy to control. We already know the engine from the predecessor and from various other CP3 machines. It has a lot of steam and allows sporty driving. In contrast to Tracer/XSR/MT-09, however, the Niken is not quite as powerful, which is probably due to the weight of 270 kg (ready to drive). Nevertheless, the engine is simply a magnificent guy and also cuts a really good figure in the Niken.

By the way, the higher weight of the Niken benefits the driving comfort. The machine smoothes out all bumps in the road and floats over every jerky road, no matter how annoying. However, unlike a normal motorcycle, it has three tracks (instead of one!) and you only notice on a Niken how often you drive around manhole covers, bitumen strips, etc. with a normal bike. That doesn't make any sense on the Niken, because one of the three wheels is guaranteed to take the lid with it - but that almost doesn't matter, because the machine is just so full and you feel so safe anyway that bumps or bad road conditions are more fun than annoying.

Conclusion - what sticks

The new Niken GT is above all a great touring motorcycle! Thanks to the tilting technology, it is extremely safe to drive and where you give up with a normal motorcycle in the rain in winding areas and head for the next café, the fun really starts with the GT! No curve is too tight with the GT, no lean angle too risky. Even not so experienced bikers can really enjoy it - at least that's how I felt!

Many thanks to Yamaha for inviting us to the presentation of the Niken GT in Sardinia. Flights, accommodation and meals were paid for by Yamaha, but no influence was made on our reporting. In other words, I would have written the report in the same way if we had done the GT at a dealership, as is usually the case with us.

>>> Used Yamaha Niken GT <<<

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