Yamaha Promises to “Redefine The Standard” At EICMA
Is a new Triple on the way?
Yamaha has sent out a “Save the Date” notice, teasing an announcement for November 2 in Milan, which so happens to be the day before the EICMA show opens at the city in northern Italy. The notice itself is suitably enigmatic, considering we still have another two and a half months before the Milan show, but there may be some clues behind what Yamaha has in store.
The brief message features the title “Redefine the Standard” above what looks like an echocardiogram (EKG) reading. Below is the following text:
The industry has followed the same rhythm for long enough.
We’re ready to challenge it.
Something new is coming.
The two clues that stand out are the EKG graph and the word “rhythm.” Typically, when we talk about a motorcycle’s rhythm, we’re speaking of the engine’s firing order. The EKG graph shows three spikes, which we interpret to represent a three-cylinder engine.
Yamaha, of course, has a well-established Triple in its repertoire with its CP3 engine. Yamaha debuted that engine, originally with an 847cc displacement, in 2014 on the MT-09, and after increasing the displacement to 890cc, we have since seen it deployed on the Tracer 9, XSR900, and YZF-R9.
The CP3 engine has a 120° crankshaft, resulting in a very even 240-240-240 firing order. The EKG graph, however, is noticeably uneven, with a longer gap between the second and third spikes. That sounds quite similar to Triumph’s T-Plane engine powering its 1200 and 900 Tigers, which has a 180-270-270 firing order. According to Triumph, this improves tractability at low engine speeds and improves off-road feel, making it an appropriate choice for its adventure bikes.
If Yamaha is thinking along the same lines, then we could be looking at a new Ténéré 900 with its version of Triumph’s T-Plane crankshaft. Yamaha’s CP3 and CP2 models more or less mirror each other, with an R9 to go with the R7, or an XSR900 to go with the XSR700. The notable exception is there’s no corresponding CP3 Ténéré to line up next to the T7.
Of course, if Yamaha was following Triumph’s path with an adventure bike with a 900-ish T-Plane Triple, the teaser text about challenging the status quo rings quite hollow. A larger three-cylinder Ténéré would also have the same problem if it is supposed to compete directly against the Tiger 1200. Or maybe it’s all just marketing fluff and Yamaha just wants to sound like it’s doing something brand new.
Or perhaps Yamaha is going the other direction, with a smaller Triple, say in the 500cc range. Or maybe, if Yamaha really wants something new, a Triple that isn’t inline. That’s what Honda is working on, with its V3R engine, which has cylinders 1 and 3 canted forward and cylinder 2 going backward, forming a 75° V. While we don’t know what the V3R’s crankshaft looks like, it’ll likely produce an uneven firing order as well.
Whatever Yamaha has planned, we’ll be keeping an eye open for it, leading up to the official Nov. 2 reveal.
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Yep. I agree, but its going to happen.
Triumph copy for sure given the spacing between the 2nd and 3rd pulse.
As a '14 Super Tenere owner, I would like to see Yamaha revisit the big bore ADV market. The Super T had a good niche in it's time. BMWs are great to ride with lots of power and tech, but all my friends who have them have had endless issues with them. In contrast, my '14 Super T is woefully slow and outdated, but it has proven to be utterly unbreakable. I'm fine with it being the way it is, as it is a capable and tireless bike that goes far on a tank of gas that is more about the ride than about how whiz bang awesome the bike is.
Would like to see Yamaha (and Suzuki for that matter) build on their sensible and dependable big bore ADV legacy. It doesn't need class leading power, quite a bit more than the old bikes is needed though. Also while I like the just go ride aspect of it, I'd be OK with losing the shaft drive as it costs too much horsepower. A bigger twin or far bigger triple in their top line ADV bike would be nice, as 900cc isn't gonna cut it.