Three Wheeled Wonder Yamaha Tricity

The Yamaha Tricity is here!

The front profile is just awesome!  Got a lot of curious awes from bystanders and fellow motorists

Looks

Looks?  Hands down.  "Let's all go home!", as any NBA player of fanatic would say, admiting defeat and accollading the competition.  Personally, the Yamaha Tricity is one of the most beautiful bikes I've ever laid my eyes and hands on.  The bulky appearance, especially the facade makes it look very imposing.  The two front wheels allow for numerous and constant "hey look at that!" from bystanders and motorists alike.  The side profile, is not bad either, considering it can easily be mistaken for any regular scooter.  And for the 125cc engine, it more looks like a maxi-scoot from every angle.

Getting ready to test the Tricity

Imposing isn't it?

A motard helmet looks good on the scooter.

Speed
The Yamaha Tricity is not built for the speed.  The digital indicator alone will let you know that it will not yield you 3-digit speeds.  The most I got with it was 84kmh on a long and lonely stretch downwards from Silang to Bacoor.  Although admittedly, I'm a bit fat and weight might've factored in.  But as I said, it wasn't designed to be fast, it's designed to awe!  There are only a few times, in all my motorcycling life, that I was a rockstar, and being on the Tricity was one of them.  All my neighbors have been wanting to know more about the bike, and of course I got the stares from everyone who have never seen this kind of scooter before.

If you got a looker, you don't go fast.  Let them appreciate!

Handling and Cornering

Speed and velocity aside, this scooter, of all the scooters I rode, may have the best, if not perfect, handling for me.  It should have!  With all the technical thingies put in the bike, I'd only expect it to handle very well.  As for the cornering, two trumps one.  One can achieve a more acute lean angle because of the two wheels at the front, giving twice the contact patch.  Busting a myth, the Tricity is so easy to flick, easy to turn, and easy to maneuver.

Perfect bike handling!

Braking

The Tricity has 3 disc brakes in its three wheels.  It should meet one's expectations of superb braking, and it does.  Coming in from a accellerating and decellerating speeds, and just basically trying to test every aspects of braking, including emergency braking and braking while cornering (not a good idea), it does perform well and the braking distance is short.  The left lever automatically pulls the right lever giving an efficient way of braking effectively with 3 disc brakes.  You can feel the right leverl slack whenever you pull the left lever.  This is done mechanically.

3 discs?  That's a lot of brakes!

Comfort

The floorboard and leg room is wide.  Swinging in and out of the scooter is easy.  The riding position if upright while the handlebar forces you to handle it low.  The seat is wide and very comfortable and is commendable on a long hard ride.

Leg room is just wonderful.  The Tricity is also a great grocery bike.

Lights and Horn

The headlight is very bright, both high and low beams.  As an added bonus, an LED accent is added to the design of the facade.  The signal lamps are integrated into the body so that no "unsightly" things protrude from the bike.  The rear light is highly visible from afar.  The horn is decent and not wimpy.

Cool lights!  The headlight, parklight and signal lights are wonderfully integrated into the front of the bike and make a beautiful accent incidentally.

Fuel Consumption:

Ok, in total, I gassed up to Php300.00 moolahs.  It yielded me close to 200 kilometers.  If gasoline price by that time was Php42.00, it means my I got approximately 30 kilometers to a liter of unleaded gas.  That is not bad for a scooter.  Then again, it's fuel-injected and knows the precise amount of petrol to give to the engine.  

Surprisingly, for it's body and weight, the Tricity is a petrol sipper.

Features:

Two front wheels fitted with a disc brake each.  Superb braking performance.

All in one access plus the anti-theft key shutter

Key features a locator button.  Nice touch!

Unified braking system.  Pulling the left lever (rear wheel) will automatically pull the right one (front wheel) for efficient braking.  It means clamping 3 discs with just one lever.  

Cantilevered tanden-type telescopic front suspension system makes for incredible handling.  And of course wonderful shock absorbance with 90mm travel from each of the 4 tubes.

Hand pull-out swivel pillion pegs.  That may be the only qualm i have with the Tricuty

Side stand also comes standard with the bike, along with the center stand.

Digital instrumentation panel.  And it has one of the most needed feature I always look for in a bike, a clock.

Fully adjustable side mirrors.  Not bad to look at too.

Windshield is a superb addition.  I can imagine the Tricity with an aftermarket taller windscreen.  

On sidestand.  Notice how the cantilevered front suspension works?

The seat is wide and very comfortable.  A protracted ride will be a joy with this seat and the riding position.

Highly visible rearlights.  The signal lights are intergrated into one place.  In case of busted bulb, a reflector is installed.

view from rear-left

view from front-left

One of the smoothest and quitest ride I've ever ridden.

Specifications

Engine: 4-stroke, SOHC, liquid-cooled, 2-valve, single cylinder, fuel-injection\

Displacement: 124.8cc

Bore X Stroke: 52.4 x  57.9mm

Max Power: 8.1kw @ 9000rpm

Max Torque: 10.4nm @ 5500rpm

Starting System: Electric

Dimensiom: 1905mm x 735mm x 1215mm

Seat Height: 780mm

Ground Clearance: 120mm

Curb Weight: 152kg

Fuel Tank: 6.6liters

Transmission: CVT 

Tire Size Front: 90/80-14

Tire Size Rear: 110/90-12

Brake: 2 front disc,1 rear disc

Test rider: Trevor Buhay

Verdict

I'd personally prefer to have a manual kickstarter, just in case of, you know, dried up batteries. Unfortunately, the Yamaha Tricity isn't equipped with one.  Not a deal-breaker.

The pricetag of PhP146,000.00 may seem steep for a 125cc bike, but the amount of technological advancement poured into the Yamaha Tricity is waaay more than worth it.  And the wow factor alone, all the nods, thumbs-ups and  even curious looks  you get on the street makes the it one of the most interesting bikes in the country.

Rating the Yamaha Tricity, I give this bike (or trike) 4.8 out of 5 turbans in overall looks and performance. The pricing as I said is just ok, which is a bit high for a 125cc displacement, but the overall appeal, novelty, function more than make up for it.  But I'm sure it'll be the deal-breaker for many who likes to get their hands on this marvelous bike.  I can imagine this with a 200cc to 250cc variant.  Now, wouldn't that be awesome?