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The three-wheel Yamaha Niken is certainly a motorcycle you will not forget. It’s not like anything else on the road. With two leaning front wheels linked by an Ackermann parallelogram, the Niken (which means ‘two swords’) doubles the amount of front-end grip, leading to exceptional confidence in the bike’s cornering and stopping power.

It sounds good on paper, but Yamaha knew they needed to get the bike under some riders to really get some sales traction for this revolutionary machine.

Yamaha Global wanted all the Niken bikes in New Zealand to have their wheels balanced. Yamaha Motor New Zealand also needed accurate mobile wheel equipment to support its race team at track days. The balancer was used for both these objectives.

Yamaha contacted Treadway Equipped which promised service at speed — appropriately enough — and the Yamaha team chose Fasep and Steiner mobile equipment for their pit crews. “We worked with Yamaha to make sure the equipment we supplied met their demanding standards and pit crew needs. Being mobile for track days was a requirement, and that was not a problem,” says Treadway Equipped sales manager Loren Bill. “Service and support is second nature to us, we’re here to ensure our customers win.”

Loren says Treadway Equipped works with customers to make sure they get the equipment that works for them, whether that is helping their workshop be more efficient, more reliable, or more mobile. “Then we come and install, calibrate, and train customers on it.” Mobility and accuracy were the main requirements, but installation and training were also a must, he says.

Part of the solution Treadway Equipped came up with was a Steiner ST260 tyre changer, modified to be mobile. They worked through the size of the machine footprint, environments the machine would be used in, and made sure the wheel size was compatible. The space-saving design of the Fasep B432.G3 Digital Wheel Balancer, with its triple sensor system, is also capable of dynamic balance on rims below 120mm in width. Not many machines can do this, but that narrower width was essential for Yamaha.

More than a year on, the Treadway Equipped and Yamaha relationship is still going strong. Treadway Equipped is Yamaha New Zealand’s preferred supplier for equipment. And the Niken is still a futuristic and compelling ride.

Get in touch with the team to see what solutions we have for you.