Yamaha Niken Tyre Size
The Niken and Niken GT both run the same tyre sizes.
The front tyres are 120/70-15 and the rear tyre is a 190/55-17.
Theses tyres, individually, are fairly common sizes. The tricky bit is finding a set of tyres that match (and work well on) the Niken.
You will be able to find lots of 15-inch fronts and loads of 17-inch rears but it’s the set we’re here to help you with.
Yamaha Niken History
Launched in 2018 following a concept bike that created a stir a year earlier. The Niken uses a triple-cylinder 900cc motor and has more grip than a conventional motorcycle. What’s not to like?
The Niken split opinion on launch and still divides opinion today. However Yamaha clearly believes in the three-wheel dream, what with their Tri-city scooter and the Niken covering a broad spectrum of what a typical biker wants to do with their bike.
If you’re into sports-touring and blasting through Europe then the Niken and GT model are serious contenders. Big bike thrills with the additional safety and ease of use of three wheels.
Join our mailing list, get a free neck tube with your first order
Yamaha Niken Stock Tyres
The Niken comes with Bridgestone A41 tyres front and rear.
Yamaha Niken Best Tyres
Because the Niken runs 15-inch fronts tyres and 17-inch rear tyres you are limited when it comes to a matching set. However we’ve put together tyres that are very close in terms of their performance to open up your choices.Â
The Only Matching Set
The Bridgestone A41 (M fitment) tyres are the only fully matched set for the Niken. These are V-rated tyres (rated to 149mph) with a load index of 56 front and 75 rear.
However owners don’t rate these tyres and they also get critical remarks in press reviews.
Other Great Options
To widen your choices, you need to fit an H-fitment set of radial tyres. The H-rating is good for up to 130mph (which should be more than enough for any Niken rider). The load rating for the tyre suggestions below are also 56 or greater.
Our suggestions below will help you get more from your Niken in terms of cornering ability, feel, wear and of course, confidence and safety.
If you’re a fan of Bridgestone and you want brilliant grip, you can run the Bridgestone SC2 front which is closely matched with a Bridgestone S23 rear. Or if you want a tyre for all seasons check out the SC2 Rain front which is closely matched by a Bridgestone T31 or T32 rear.
If Dunlop is your thing, you can get a very close match by running the Dunlop Roadsmart 3 Scooter Radial front and standard Roadsmart 3 rear.
For Michelin you have one main choice. You can legally run a cross-ply front with a radial rear and that’s why on some forums people have suggested running the Power Pure fronts but we wouldn’t recommend them as we feel the Niken deserves a radial and not a cross-ply.
So our option for the Michelin range is a Road 4 SC front, matched with either a Pilot Road 4, Road 5 or the new Road 6 rear. A great all-weather all roads combination.
For Pirelli fans there’s the Rosso Scooter radial front matched with a Rosso 3 rear.
Finally for Metzeler fans you can run a Feelfree front with a Metzeler Z8 rear.
Mud & Snow Rated
If you want a Mud & Snow rated tyre, Anlas makes a Winter Grip 2 radial front and Winter Grip+ rear. These are seriously popular in the US and Northern Europe where these countries demand an M&S-rated tyre during winter.
Watch out for cross-ply tyres
Some of the combinations that we’ve seen people suggest use a cross-ply front tyre matched with a radial rear. While it is legal to run this combination, we don’t recommend it. The cross-ply fronts won’t quite have the accuracy and turn-in of a radial and they won’t last as well as a radial either.
Yamaha Niken Tyre Pressures
You can find your motorcycle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressures in your owner’s handbook. You’ll also find a tyre pressure chart sticker on the swingarm.
If you have no idea what pressures to run, this is our general rule:
Scooter: F 30psi, R 30psi
Normal Motorcycle: F 36psi, R 42psi
Big Tourer: F 42psi, R 42psi
125cc Bike: F 33psi, R 36psi
You should always check your tyre pressures when the tyres are cold. Check out our range of motorcycle tyre pressure gauges here.
About Two Tyres
Our mission is to ensure we listen to every customer’s needs and ensure they’re riding on the right tyre. Out of the showroom, your motorbike is a compromise, designed to suit a huge range of riders and riding conditions. To get the best out of your bike in terms of handling, performance and safety, tyres make all the difference. In fact we think it’s the most cost-effective performance enhancement you can make!
We are based in London where we supply and fit motorcycle tyres and consumables in our workshop. We also mail order motorcycle tyres around the UK, across Europe and even to places as far-flung as the USA, Canada and Japan.
Need help choosing the best tyres?
Choosing tyres can be tricky. We’re here to help. We hold direct accounts with every motorcycle tyre manufacturer, so we’re well placed to give comprehensive and honest advice to help you choose the best tyres. If you can’t quite make your mind up, give us a call on 0207 205 2205 and we’ll help you narrow down your choices.
We are motorcycle and scooter tyre specialists, with over 25 years in the trade. Between us we fit 10 pairs of tyres a day in our workshop, so we have good real-world experience of what works and what doesn’t.
We ride to work, we ride for fun, we race and ride off-road. If it’s got two wheels, we’re into it.
Give us a call or drop into our London motorcycle workshop and we’ll do our best to help you.
Are your tyre pressures letting you down?
We couldn’t find a tyre pressure gauge that was well-built, easy to get on-and-off the valve without pressure loss and could stand up to day-to-day abuse in our workshop. So we found a manufacturer to build one to our exacting standards.
We’re confident this is the best motorcycle pressure gauge out there. That’s why it comes with a 3-year, no-nonsense, money back guarantee.
Whether you want a digital tyre pressure gauge or a good old-fashioned analogue pressure gauge, we’ve got a gauge for you. Now you can quickly and easily check your pressures, to keep your bike handling well and to ensure you stay safe.
Here at Two Tyres, we stock more than just tyres. Take a look at some of our essentials for any biker.
Motorcycle puncture repair kit – Our top-rated kit includes everything you need to carry out a roadside repair and get back up and running.
Motorcycle tyre pressure gauge – Our tyre pressure gauge has been rated in RiDE magazine and features a clever design to make it easy to get accurate readings.
Motorcycle first aid kit – a DIN-rated first aid kit that’s compact and also includes extras that are handy for any biker. A must-carry in some EU countries.
HyperCharge battery charger – The HyperCharge is a smart charger that can charge lead-acid and lithium batteries and it’ll charge bike and car batteries too.
Cordless tyre pump – Small enough to fit in your luggage, this tyre pump doubles as a powerbank, so you’ll never have a flat tyre or phone battery again!
All of these products have been well tested and are top-rated by our customers.
