YAMAHA TRICITY 125
FIRST RIDE
P64
package, because another key
element of Yamaha's new LMW
mechanism is the use of a pair
of special KYB tandem-type can-
tilevered telescopic front forks,
comprising two separate 33mm
tubes for each wheel. The rear
fork tubes function as guides,
while the front ones provide hy-
draulic damping to handle shock
absorption duties.
Additionally, the suspension
system on each front wheel op-
erates independently thanks to
the parallelogram link, and this
delivers such a smooth, compli-
ant ride over bumpy road surfac-
es that it's practically uncanny.
Especially because after hav-
ing had the front wheels on this
three-wheel Trickster practically
glide over a hefty bump, you're
then reminded of how effective
the system is by the way the con-
ventional twin-shock rear end
flips you up in the air off the seat
as it fails to absorb the same road
shock so smoothly.
The Tricity's rear suspen-
sion seems practically an after-
thought, as if Takano & Co. was
so concerned with dialing in their
funny front end that they just
pulled any old pair of shocks out
of the parts bin, and stuck them
vertically on the swingarm.
Devoid even of variable rate
springs, they really don't do a
very good job in delivering ac-
ceptable ride quality on anything
but the smoothest of surfaces,
and while cost-saving was obvi-
ously an issue to deliver such a
killer price for the new bike, I'll
certainly expect better on future
larger-capacity models. The solu-
tion is pretty obvious: delete the
left-side shock, and fit a superi-
or-quality monoshock unit with
variable rate spring on the right,
mounted with a diagonal laydown
slant which will help deliver fur-
ther progressivity. As it is, the ul-
tra-innovative 125 Tricity is at this
stage a job that's only half done,
in terms of ride quality and sus-
pension compliance.
But that half is really, really
good, even if you have a hard time
remembering as you're whizzing
The Tricity uses
two 14-inch front
wheels that are 15
inches apart.
