Yamaha is no stranger to innovation. Its motorcycles have paved the way for several generations of machines and continue to raise the bar when it comes to performance, technology and safety. While Yamaha’s prowess when it comes to technology is undeniable, the Japanese manufacturer has its fair share of concept vehicles that defy convention and dare to change the norm.
A good example of this is the Yamaha Tricera, a strange three-wheeled vehicle that is a kind of Polaris Slingshot, but with an electric motor and much friendlier behavior. Yamaha says that the Tricera aims to embody “Thrilling Urban Mobility”, which would probably have been better formulated as Thrilling Urban Mobility, but we don’t make the rules around here.
In any case, the whole Tricera concept is quite intriguing because it stands out from the rest of Yamaha’s electric initiatives. It’s not a car, nor a motorcycle, but a three-wheeled machine that imagines itself at home in a performance-oriented environment, such as a racetrack or a winding mountain road. The concept will be on display at the AIMExpo Dealer Trade Show. Scheduled for February 6-8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the American International Motorcycle Expo is the largest motorsports trade show in North America, attracting visitors from all over the world.
At the moment, Yamaha hasn’t revealed the Tricera’s engine, but we’re willing to bet that it’s quite powerful. We know that it includes some clever technology, such as three-wheel steering, which allows it to take tight corners in the city, as demonstrated in the promotional video. It also includes what Yamaha calls a “fully open” cockpit, which basically means that it allows its occupants to enjoy a motorcycle-like outdoor riding experience, without having to worry about balance problems and all the unforeseen aspects of riding a motorcycle.