Tokyo debut for new three-wheeler from Yamaha.
In my opinion, Yamaha was probably the highlight of the motorcycle company’s present at the recent Tokyo Motor Show. They were certainly the most innovative.
While both Kawasaki and Suzuki headed down the path of wowing people with supercharged and turbocharged engines, Yamaha rolled out it’s new three wheeler, the Yamaha MWT-9.
It seems the company’s fascination with leaning three-wheeled machines is not letting up, and the latest concept machine suggests we can expect to see a large-capacity three-wheeler in showrooms in the not-too-distant future.
This latest trike, if you want to call it that, is powered by the same 849cc triple from the MT-09. The chassis is new and fitted with a variation of the front suspension system from the Tricity scooter.
The twin front wheels are each supported by two outwardly mounted fork legs sitting on a parallelogram mechanism that allows the whole bike to tilt.
That gives the benefit of being able to lean like a normal motorcycle but with greater stability in the event of a front wheel slide.
Yamaha’s press release states: “This Leaning Multi-Wheel (LMW) concept model proposes a new type of category in the realm of sport riding.
“The exceptional cornering performance provided by the twin front wheels and the bank angle maximized by the outward positioned front suspension forks enable a high level of performance that lets the rider go freely through twisty roads with ever-changing road surfaces and dotted with tight curves in succession.”
Yamaha are keeping quiet on production plans, but given the Tricity scooter also appeared in a similar fashion at a show a couple of years ago and was then in production only a few short months later, I think this one will be official fairly soon.