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Yamaha has entered the 3 wheel market with an interesting machine.

While only a 125cc, it is 70 kg (about 150 lbs) lighter than the MP3 250, which must give it comparable performance, at least in terms of acceleration. No wheel locks, so one less thing to go wrong. About half the price of the MP3.

Our local dealer just received one and said I could test ride it once it's road ready. Am also going to test ride Yamaha's compact, short wheelbase, new "urban scooter" entry, the 114cc D'light.

Not looking to buy anything, but just interested in comparing the TriCity to my MP3 experience (touring Tuscany) and the D'light vs Mrs Aviator's kitted Yesterday, which is a peppy, very, very flickable machine.
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Hi Aviator47 - can I draw your attention to a new thread in the MP3 forum New Yamaha Concept just in case you haven't seen it.
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Two totally different machines. The 01GEN is a large displacement concept vehicle. The TriCity is sitting on our friend's showroom floor.

The TriCity is consistent with Yamaha's steps towards the 125cc and under urban scooter market (note the D'light). Available for people without an unrestricted license.
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Wow, that scoot looks great. The 14-inch wheels in the front are great - much better than the tiny MP3 front wheels. Small fuel tank though and the floor boards look tiny.
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Since they are touting it as an "urban" scooter, small fuel tank is consistent with the genre.

I only did a walk around yesterday, but it is definitely more compact than an MP3 and would definitely have a lower center of gravity, based on seat height. Floor boards did not strike me as small, but I was only stopping in for a quick discussion on something else entirely.

More once I ride it.

Again, it's an urban scooter, not one for winkie size compensation.
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Aviator47 wrote:
Two totally different machines. The 01GEN is a large displacement concept vehicle. The TriCity is sitting on our friend's showroom floor.

The TriCity is consistent with Yamaha's steps towards the 125cc and under urban scooter market (note the D'light). Available for people without an unrestricted license.
Just letting you know (and a few other hundred people who don't normally hang around the MP3 forum) that the post was there about a potentially interesting development.
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I've seen quite a few on the roads here.
Some guys really leaning in the corners at speed and outhandle all the two wheeled bikes in the corners.
Dual discs up front give it amazing stopping power.
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They sell them here - relatively cheap £3,399.

Never see one.

I think Maksor or our french chums were talking about fitting a larger engine in one and fitting a footbrake to make it legal for car drivers
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mickfitz76 wrote:
I've seen quite a few on the roads here.
Some guys really leaning in the corners at speed and outhandle all the two wheeled bikes in the corners.
Dual discs up front give it amazing stopping power.
No wonder - they are built in Thailand.

Here is a UK National daily newspaper review http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorcycle_manufacturers/yamaha/11055698/Yamaha-Tricity-review.html
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Will be interested in your impressions after your test ride Al.

Because it is light they can get away with no tilt lock. If they ever come up with a bigger version it will need something though hopefully not as complicated and as prone to problems as Piaggio's version.
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sheridat wrote:
They sell them here - relatively cheap £3,399.

Never see one.

I think Maksor or our french chums were talking about fitting a larger engine in one and fitting a footbrake to make it legal for car drivers
Rrp here is 84000 baht, 1600 pound.

Its hard to find a reason not to buy one.
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Does anyone see a spec on how far the tires are from each other? The MP3 they are 16" if I remember correctly.
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sheridat wrote:
I think Maksor or our french chums were talking about fitting a larger engine in one and fitting a footbrake to make it legal for car drivers
Front wheels are too close together to qualify as a car.
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Aviator47 wrote:
sheridat wrote:
I think Maksor or our french chums were talking about fitting a larger engine in one and fitting a footbrake to make it legal for car drivers
Front wheels are too close together to qualify as a car.
Yeah they knew/know that as well - here is the link to that thread re making it "car driver" B class driver license legal video tests of the " Yamaha tricity 125 / MBK Tryptik &

It is Maksor - he has bought one to convert
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I wish him good luck. Will be waiting to see how it works out.

Meanwhile, I am impressed by my first look at it. Much more practical design and specs than the discontinued 125cc MP3.
stickyfrog wrote:
If they ever come up with a bigger version
Just from a quick visual at the shop, any seriously larger displacement 3 wheeler from Yamaha would need a significant redesign. In person, it's quite the compact bike. It's not a large frame Piaggio bike with a 125cc engine to cater to the A1 license requirements.

It's a 125cc urban bike by design, with a new 125 engine. Wheelbase is 51.6 in, just 1.2 in more than an LX 150 (6.7 in less than an MP3). In fact, it's a bit smaller than a KYMCO Like 125!

It's in line with the D'light, which has a unique 114cc EFI engine to get a peppy, compact urban machine.
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I'll be interested to hear your impressions of it, too, Al. It doesn't look like it'll be coming to America, though, so I guess it's just idle curiosity...

Now, that new concept bike, that's a whole 'nother story. If it makes it into production, I'm definitely interested. Then again, we're still waiting for the Tesseract, so I won't be holding my breath.

Playing "Either/Neither/Both" with the 01GEN and the Elio would be an interesting exercise, and I'm unsure where I'd put my money...
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CubsKing99 wrote:
I'll be interested to hear your impressions of it, too, Al. It doesn't look like it'll be coming to America, though, so I guess it's just idle curiosity...
Not sure the "bigger is better" American mentality would support an "urban scooter".

The local Yamaha shop is a long time family owned business that has passed from father/mother to daughter/son. They carry Yamaha and SYM. The daughter runs the retail sales and rentals, and the son runs parts and service. Mom and dad still pitch in on occasion to have something to do.

I was surprised at first when I saw it in the window of the shop. Big scoots make no sense here in the islands, and my mind immediately scaled a three wheeler as "big".

Wasn't until I actually went in to the shop (for totally non-business reasons) that I realized how compact it is. The front suspension is significantly simpler than the MP3, which pleases the brother. They will sell larger scoots on order, but stick to 50 and 125/150cc on the showroom floor. Zabia, the sister won't tie up money in slow moving machines. She is trying the TriCity because it is smaller and lighter than the XMAX 125 and a few hundred Euro less, yet still has more than enough performance for the islands. She knows her stuff, and while I haven't talked about this scoot with her at length, I plan on doing so next week.

Since Yamaha is designing and promoting specifically urban scooters, I find it an interesting development. As to being in the market for one, my PX150 is only 8 years old and running like a champ. Winter is very quiet here, and learning about industry developments helps pass the time.
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My 400 was great for the highways, but not as flickable on city streets or heavy traffic.

But still, 125cc seems pretty measly. Maybe it would work well downtown or college campus...shrug.

Not going to say "no" to seeing them here in the states and test riding one, if possible.

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Aviator47 wrote:
CubsKing99 wrote:
I'll be interested to hear your impressions of it, too, Al. It doesn't look like it'll be coming to America, though, so I guess it's just idle curiosity...
Not sure the "bigger is better" American mentality would support an "urban scooter".
That's certainly a factor. On the other hand, the smaller Ruckus has sold well here by creating a niche...
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Belkwinith wrote:
But still, 125cc seems pretty measly. Maybe it would work well downtown or college campus...shrug.
It is advertized as an urban scooter, not a highway machine, thus the engine size and 6.2 litre fuel tank. The engine is a long stroke, 2 valve for pull off the line and good acceleration at low to medium speed. Wheel base, low CG should make it very maneuverable. I would bet it can cruise all day at 50+ mph. In many parts of the world, even where there are the equivalent of US "freeways", the secondary road network is still robust.

Keep in mind, the displacement recognizes the 95% of the world with graduated licensing schemes. You may find 125 cc scooters "measly", but the annual sales of them in Italy alone is about 50% more than the entire US scooter market. Somebody thinks they are worthwhile. A 25 - 30 km trip on secondary roads into town at 80 kph on a secondary road is no big deal over here, and only 7 mins longer than on a 110 kph freeway. Not to mention the higher level of road maintenance we enjoy.
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Aviator47 wrote:
Belkwinith wrote:
But still, 125cc seems pretty measly. Maybe it would work well downtown or college campus...shrug.
It is advertized as an urban scooter, not a highway machine, thus the engine size and 6.2 litre fuel tank. The engine is a long stroke, 2 valve for pull off the line and good acceleration at low to medium speed. Wheel base, low CG should make it very maneuverable. I would bet it can cruise all day at 50+ mph. In many parts of the world, even where there are the equivalent of US "freeways", the secondary road network is still robust.

Keep in mind, the displacement recognizes the 95% of the world with graduated licensing schemes. You may find 125 cc scooters "measly", but the annual sales of them in Italy alone is about 50% more than the entire US scooter market. Somebody thinks they are worthwhile. A 25 - 30 km trip on secondary roads into town at 80 kph on a secondary road is no big deal over here, and only 7 mins longer than on a 110 kph freeway. Not to mention the higher level of road maintenance we enjoy.
Excuse my big Americanized brain...Got it! Thanks!
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Cannonball bike.
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TheO.Z. wrote:
Cannonball bike.
Oh yes.
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Just went down and gave the tricity a test ride.
I'm torn actually. Very comfortable bike with great seating position and for 1550 pound on road it's giving it away but it actually takes away what makes a bike fun.

Pros, Brakes. I've never stopped so good on any bike. Braking distance halved at least.
Cornering at speed you feel like your on a superbike. Grip levels amazing.
Storage is huge. Easily fit a baby and the nappy bag under the seat.

Cons, can't squeeze through normal gaps, overtaking is harder.
Little bit vague at slow speeds when turning. Probably needs getting used to.
Its wider than my 9t which makes you less confident in confined spaces.
I'd also like a stop brake to keep me upright at a standstill.

Tomorrow is my birthday so I might go buy one for myself seeing it's so cheap and a unique ride.
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Belkwinith wrote:
Excuse my big Americanized brain...Got it! Thanks!
No problem. I started the thread to simply bring attention to a new scooter. I realize it might have limited appeal to the US market. I've lived abroad long enough to know that while cultures are different, one is not necessarily better than another - just different.

Again, what is interesting, from a general scootering perspective, is Yamaha's categorizing certain scooters as "urban", others as "sport" and others as "50 cc". And as my dealer friend noted, both the TriCity and D'light were specifically designed for the "Urban" category, while some existing models were placed in that category once the company started making these distinctions. One Yamaha promotional video hypes the TriCity's performance on cobblestone roads, for example.

And, much to my surprise, one rider documented a 110 kph top speed with his TriCity.

Yamaha's "urban" category does not appear to be just displacement driven. Thus your "downtown or college campus" categorization, typically applied to 50 cc scoots, misses the mark. Yamaha's "urban" scooters readily handle a 80 - 90 kph commute to the city, but are designed to also be amenable to urban streets and traffic. While a major portion of US commute to downtown is done on Interstates, even for short distances, much of Europe and Asia is quite different. Freeways in the US often completely replace secondary roads, while here, they tend to supplement and complement them.

What I like is the idea of building a 125cc urban scooter from the ground up, rather than "detuning" a larger scooter to meet the 125 cc licensing scheme and then calling it "urban". Thus, the XMAX 125 is categorized by Yamaha as "Sport", probably due to it's longer wheelbase and footprint. In that vein, I would be hard pressed to call Piaggio's X10 125cc an "urban scooter" under Yamaha's scheme.

The Yamaha "urban" definition makes sense, and can meet a rider's long term needs while still being A1 license holder.
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