Yamaha’s three-wheeled oddball gets the MT-09 engine.
2023 Yamaha NIKEN GT finally gets the latest MT-09 triple.
Back in 2020 Yamaha revised the MT-09 to get a completely revamped 890cc three-cylinder engine as a replacement for the original 847cc version. Since then, every bike with the same motor – the Tracer 9 and XSR900 – has received the same update with one exception: the NIKEN GT.
Yes, Yamaha’s three-wheeled oddball has kept its original 847cc triple until now, but for 2023 it’s finally catching up and getting a version of the 890cc lump.
It’s not as easy as that, though. The uprated engine didn’t only get a longer stroke to increase its capacity. Yamaha also changed the cases, increasing the forward pitch of the cylinder bank – a change that required a new frame for the MT-09, Tracer and XSR700. The same applies to the NIKEN, which has a completely reworked frame for next year to suit the engine. Unusually, though, Yamaha hasn’t updated the styling, so we have a bike that’s mechanically completely revised but looks like its predecessor. The reverse of the usual mid-life facelift.
Despite the extra capacity, the NIKEN’s power is unchanged, sticking at 84.5kW and 10,000rpm. That’s a little less than the other bikes using the 890cc CP3 engine because the NIKEN has a new crankshaft with 8% heavier webs to give a greater flywheel effect, helping boost the feeling of torque to cope with the three-wheelers 270kg kerb weight.
The frame is still a steel trellis design, but it’s reworked to suit the revised engine angle and there’s updated rear suspension with a new alloy rising rate linkage that alters the ratio – making the ride smoother than before when unloaded but firming it up more when there’s a passenger aboard.
Other tech upgrades include a new 7-inch TFT dash, with all the usual smartphone link-up abilities and navigation via a Garmin app. The seat is redesigned, too, and there’s now 70mm of screen adjustment in either direction, standard heated grips and a standard bidirectional quickshifter. The bar-mounted switchgear is redesigned to suit the new display’s additional functions, and there’s a new ride-by-wire throttle, updated traction control and riding modes and an assist-and-slipper clutch.
The unusual front suspension and tilting mechanism are unchanged, as is the bodywork, although the NIKEN remains a rare enough sight to turn heads even without changes to its cosmetics.
Contact your local Yamaha dealer for delivery dates and prices.