Patent reveals hybrid powered Yamaha leaning trike

IF one thing is clear when you gaze at the recent Yamaha back catalogue of bikes, the firm loves a bit of off-the-wall innovation! In fact, when it comes to leaning multi-wheel trikes, Yamaha is probably the market leader.

First, there was the Tricity 125cc scooter, a kind of proof of concept used to help ratify the production of its next major innovation, the Niken leaning multi-wheel machine. Using some elements of the MT-09 cross-plane naked, the Niken wasn’t an instant success in the UK, gaining more fans with motorcyclists across the channel than it did with the fickle UK public.

Yamaha MT-125 video review

Yamaha isn’t letting that put it off developing what looks to be another ground-breaking concept in motorcycle design, as this patent image proves that its next machine is just as innovative, and not far from completion.

The image shows an evolution of the MW-Vision (below) concept that was unveiled at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show last year. Some notable changes are the lack of weather protection, the concept was covered with a Perspex or glass cowling that covered all but the sides of the machine. The latest renderings show a completely naked machine, open to the elements and probably making it an easier machine to aspire to for the general motorcycling public. The bike bears a striking resemblance, ergonomically anyway, to Yamaha’s maxi-scooter range, with the bars and seat all looking like a futuristic TMAX.

The front end of the machine is like nothing we’ve seen from Yamaha before and borrows none of its parts from the Niken the firm has already produced. Instead, Yamaha is leaning (geddit?!) on the tech they acquired after the acquisition of the patents formally owned by Brudeli, tech they bought back in 2018.

Although details regarding the exact specification of this new machine are scarce, its similarities to the MW-Vision, a bike that Yamaha has provided high-level stats for, points to the new leaning trike being a series hybrid. If that is the case, the bike’s internal combustion engine won’t power the wheels per se. Instead, the ICE will work purely as a generator, producing the electricity the motor needs to run and also recharge the battery.

As we mentioned when the news of Kawasaki’s revolutionary engine broke earlier today, the advantages of the system is that the engine will only ever have to run at a predetermined speed, allowing the Yamaha engineers to refine the engine to work at its most efficient level and therefore produce the least amount of emissions.

As there is no supporting information relating to the new machine’s possible launch, we can only really speculate as to a completion date, although these kinds of patents, when the bike looks aesthetically and technically correct, are normally not seen until the bike is nearing completion.