Pushing the Limits

If you’re an experienced rider like me and get more satisfaction from motorcycles than any other type of vehicle, you probably looked at the 2019 Yamaha Niken GT and wondered: “Why? What’s the point of a leaning three-wheeler when two-wheelers have been leaning successfully for more than a century?”

I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in California for the North American launch of Yamaha’s new “leaning multi-wheel motorcycle.” I had no clue about whether I had to steer in the direction of a turn like on a conventional three-wheeler (for example, Can-Am’s Spyder or Harley’s Trike) or if I had to countersteer into turns like on a conventional motorcycle.

Well, I won’t keep you guessing and address that one right now: the Niken leans, steers and feels just like a motorcycle. You therefore must be versed in the operation of a motorbike to ride it. You have to push on the same side of the handlebar as the direction