There are trikes, and then there is a trike that does not let you carry a pillion; instead, it lets you carry passengers. And yes, that’s “passengers” with an “s” because the GOAT180 has a rear bench seat—instead of a saddle—with space to accommodate up to two people.
I know. You must be thinking, “Isn’t that a tuk-tuk?” Well, technically, yes. But instead of being used as public transport, it is being sold as personal transport in Japan. Also, clearly, GOAT180 appears to be more polished and features up-to-date automobile/motorcycle tech.
The GOAT180 is an adorable personal transport powered by a Wuyang 180.4 cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-valve OHC single-cylinder engine producing a whopping 13.2 kW, or 17.95 PS, at 8,250 rpm and putting out 16.9 Nm (12.5 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm. Obviously, it was not born to set a land speed record.
The gasoline-powered engine is hooked up to a—believe it or not—continuously variable automatic transmission. That’s right. CVT. On a trike. Pardon my ignorance, but I think this might be the first.
It has a fuel tank of about 14 liters (3.7 gallons) and chugs down regular unleaded petrol. It is a cool little ride that measures a very compact 2,300 × 1,100 × 1,700 mm (90.6 × 43.3 × 66.9 inches), weighs just 300 kg (661 lbs), and saves the legs of up to three people, safely sheltering them from the sun and rain.
Speaking of rain, it even includes side rain curtains to enclose the cabin so that rain does not get in and further ruin your already messed-up day. There’s a catch. The rain curtains require holes to be drilled for installation, which you can DIY. However, buyers can also have them fitted by paying the dealer to do it.
The GOAT180 has just been launched in Japan for 900,000 yen before tax or 990,000 yen including tax [JP], which works out to around US$6,230 based on current exchange rates.
Reservations are set to run from August 22 through September 6, 2026. Kater is anticipating demand exceeding supply, so, for a start, the company will use a lottery system to determine each reservation’s delivery batch.
Kater said the GOAT180 is intended for daily transport and outdoor leisure, offering CVT convenience without requiring riders to master a conventional motorcycle gearbox. But I think the real selling point is the ability to carry more than one passenger.
Anyhoo, it can be driven in Japan with an ordinary automobile licence, including an automatic-only licence.
Images: Kater Co., Ltd. [JP].