{"id":1472380,"date":"2019-07-10T09:07:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T23:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/?p=1472380"},"modified":"2019-07-10T09:07:28","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T23:07:28","slug":"tales-of-the-niken-episode-13-the-gt-incarnation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/tales-of-the-niken-episode-13-the-gt-incarnation\/","title":{"rendered":"TALES OF THE NIKEN \u2013 EPISODE 13 \u2013 THE GT INCARNATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

In which our hero is given a new incarnation of the Niken which deals efficiently with several issues the original Niken had. These issues mainly centred around brutalised buttocks, frozen hands, facial wind burn, the danger of ocky straps, and the lack of an ancient but useful anachronism called a \u201ccentrestand\u201d. All of which have now been properly rectified in the Niken GT.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up this morning with the sundown shining in
\nI found my mind in a brown paper bag within
\nI tripped on a cloud and fell-a eight miles high
\nI tore my mind on a jagged sky
\nI just dropped in to see what
\ncondition my condition was in\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Behold the grandness of the touring.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a while since we last spoke.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been away.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m back now.<\/p>\n

And, as good fortune occasionally attends me despite me being a sinner with no redemption, I would tell you I have acquired a Niken GT.<\/p>\n

Now then, if you\u2019re one of those capering piss-weasels still keening and bleating about this three-wheeled marvel of technology, just stop.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care if you don\u2019t like the Niken.<\/p>\n

No, seriously. I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Feel free to start writing pieces about how much you hate it. You might want to ride one first so it will sound like you know what you\u2019re talking about, but don\u2019t let it stop you if you haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n

I love the damn thing. You hating on it only makes me love it more. I\u2019m an old Shovelhead rider. Hate fuels me and makes me smile. Regular readers would have worked that out by now.<\/p>\n

So given that buying a Niken is not compulsory, nor is the mere existence of the Niken a threat to the Sacred Motorcycle, can the haters stop running around like greasy lizards in a jar just because Yamaha built a three-wheeled thing that leans and handles like a motorcycle, but isn\u2019t a motorcycle, and is immensely rewarding to ride in spite of that?<\/p>\n

Now that I have removed that burden from my chest, I am pleased to advise the Niken 2.0, or the GT as it is known, is a better dance-partner than the Niken 1.0.<\/p>\n

As we all know, \u2018GT\u2019 stands for Gran Turismo \u2013 which is Italian for Grand Tour.<\/p>\n

\"\"

I should have put it on the centrestand. But I was cold and I was not thinking clearly.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

The original Niken fell a little short in the Grand area. It Toured fine\u2026but its seat was a little harsh for all-day banging. And you don\u2019t really wanna be walking like a gunslinger unless you are one, especially in some of the places I go to.<\/p>\n

The seat on the GT is superb. Yamaha understands a comfy seat when it wants to. Ask anyone who\u2019s ridden its FJR1300. A German superhooker couldn\u2019t love your bottom better.<\/p>\n

The GT\u2019s seat is firm, but giving \u2013 like a whiskey-drinking aunty who sneaks you chocolate when your mum\u2019s not looking. It no longer chews into your sensitive inner thighs after six hours. And there is a heated version you can get. Justin at Trooper Lu\u2019s had one fitted to the Turbo Niken, but a heated seat is a luxury I still somehow feel unworthy of. I always kinda imagine like it\u2019s loosening my bowel a bit when it\u2019s on high.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m just giving you options, OK?<\/p>\n

So the seat is a vast improvement.<\/p>\n

It also has a taller screen, which is neither here nor there for me. Yes, it works and keeps more wind-blast off you if that\u2019s what you\u2019re after. But I think the smaller screen looks better. And I like the wind. It\u2019s satisfying on my face.<\/p>\n

\"\"

See? The screen is taller. There are panniers. Also pictured is the better seat and heated handlebar grips. No, the centrestand does not scrape.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

And then there\u2019s the panniers. They come off easy, go on easy because Yamaha, but they are semi-hard rather than hard. They do up with a zipper , they\u2019re fully lined, and they come with those elasticky cross-strap things inside which I have never used in my life.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think they\u2019re totally waterproof, and you can\u2019t fit a helmet inside them, but they sure as shit are convenient if you do go touring. Yes, I\u2019m old enough to appreciate panniers on long trips.<\/p>\n

Heated handlebar grips (three settings) are also a very welcome addition, as is the centrestand. If you don\u2019t have a centrestand (they used to be a thing on every bike) but suddenly needed to put your bike on one for whatever reason, you\u2019ll understand what hopelessness really means.<\/p>\n

They can be a very handy jigger.<\/p>\n

Getting the Nike\u2019s three footprints horizontal when needed is a good thing.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the GT package.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve already got some of the best suspension I\u2019ve ever ridden on, that beaut smooth engine, and front-end grip like you\u2019ve never experienced (but should), so to my mind the Niken\u2019s touring credentials with these additions are now complete.<\/p>\n

Yes, it could stop sucking juice like sludge pump, but then I could stop fanging the shit out of it.<\/p>\n

But hey, I did tell you I am without redemption, didn\u2019t I?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In which our hero is given a new incarnation of the Niken which deals efficiently with several issues the original Niken had. These issues mainly centred around brutalised buttocks, frozen hands, facial wind burn, the danger of ocky straps, and the lack of an ancient but useful anachronism called a \u201ccentrestand\u201d. All of which have [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1426358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[352,103],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472380"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1472380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1472466,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472380\/revisions\/1472466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1426358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1472380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1472380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1472380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}