Yamaha Niken 900 Review

Used Buyer Review

The Niken is genuinely weird, and that's exactly the point. That three-wheel leaning front end isn't a gimmick once you've ridden it — it inspires serious confidence in corners and wet weather that no conventional bike can match. The MT-09 engine underneath is punchy and characterful, though the older 847cc unit in earlier models can feel rough at low revs. Used prices have softened nicely, which is where these make real sense. Check the LMW linkage carefully on any used example — it's complex machinery and servicing isn't cheap. Front tyre replacement costs three times what you'd expect, and not every dealer will touch it. Yamaha's reliability record here is solid, but find a specialist-serviced example if you can. Look for bikes with full history and avoid anything that's been dropped, because assessing front-end damage is genuinely tricky. It won't appeal to everyone and it attracts stares at every fuel stop. But if wet-weather confidence or physical limitations make conventional riding difficult, the Niken solves real problems rather than invented ones.