NEW KING OF THE ROAD
TRIUMPH TRIDENT 660 versus YAMAHA MT-07
Where sportsbikes grab headlines on track, it is the middleweight class that sees big sales and of late there has only been one winner – the MT-07. Launched in 2014, the parallel twin has dominated, making up 20% of all Yamaha’s motorcycle sales. Now in its third generation, the 2021 MT-07 has matured into a more refined bike with a greater emphasis on comfort, but there’s a fly in the ointment: Triumph’s new Trident 660. Can it knock the classleader off its perch? In a world of spiralling power figures, I relish the chance to head out on a bike with under 100bhp that I can just get on and ride. Middleweights float my boat and if done well are far from a compromise, delivering more than enough thrills to entertain. And
that’s why I love the MT-07.
The MT isn’t perfect but its combination of affordability, entertaining and yet easy-going engine and comfortable riding position has always appealed. In fact, the only other bike I get as excited about is the Street Triple. So when I heard about the Trident 660 I was instantly interested. If Triumph could deliver an affordable naked with all the spirit and fun of the Street Triple, I’m in.
I kick off on the MT-07. I know it has been updated, but aside from the new nose and different dash it is very hard to tell if there have been any other upgrades. I think update may be stretching the point slightly, I’d call it a minor revision, but then again did it need much doing? Taking to the B-road section of the MCN250 the Yamaha instantly puts me at ease. The riding position is comfortable for taller riders like me (it is actually slightly more relaxed this year) and the seat has a pleasing degree of padding. Everything about it is designed to be as reassuring as possible, starting with that parallel twin engine. Despite now meeting Euro5, it feels just as good as ever. The key to the CP2’s charm is the fact that it is so friendly. If you just want to bimble, the twin is more than happy to oblige and its soft throttle connection, light clutch and smooth power delivery make everything effortless. Pottering through villages the MT blends into the background but once you pass a national speed limit sign it really comes alive. Quick-revving and surprisingly fast, it briskly builds up a head of steam and the slick gearbox (there is no option of a quickshifter but you don’t need one) ensures you can keep up with almost anything on the road. Up to a point.
The MT isn’t perfect and the fact the motor is so sweet always allows
‘The Trident loves to be fed revs’
you to gloss over its main failing: the chassis. Designed to appeal to a wide range of riders, like the MT-09 the MT-07 has a degree of almost supermoto influence and this slightly tall stance on soft suspension has always been its limiting factor. When you push on the MT isn’t as settled on its suspension as a traditional naked and while fun in the bends, it’s not as assured as it could be. But this is a trade-off for a more relaxed ride when you aren’t going for it. Swapping from the MT to the Trident, the Triumph instantly feels more grown-up and modern. The styling is classical rather than outlandish, the dash is contemporary, there are electronic assists to explore (via hideously cheap-looking switchgear) and when you thumb the motor into life it feels and sounds far more like it means business.
Where the MT is subtle, the Trident is far more brash. The triple carries quite low gearing and responds instantly to any input from the throttle while also roaring out its intentions through its raucous exhaust note. On the go this spirit translates into a bike that, while not as relaxed as the MT, is brilliant fun. Sitting you lower and more plugged into the bike than on the MT, the Trident doesn’t hide its sporty heritage. It may have a new chassis but there is a lot of Street Triple (and therefore Daytona) influence and that means a bike that loves to carve through bends. In terms of handling, the Trident leaves the MT for dead and although firmer on its suspension and less forgiving over bumps, it is just so much more fun in the corners. Where on the MT you tend to roll off a bit due to its softer ride making things get wobbly, the harder you go, the better the Trident gets. Yet it doesn’t feel like it has overstepped the mark and aside from a clunky gearbox (it gets better once the revs rise) the Trident is just as happy as the MT cruising around town. Triumph have managed to find a nice balance between performance and usability. It’s not as friendly as the MT, which has a very soft power delivery, but it isn’t aggressive and almost matches the twin for midrange drive. Thanks to low gearing, the Trident will happily pull top gear from way down in its rev range and while the negative to this is an engine note that always sounds quite busy, it isn’t irritating.
I love the unexpected punch you get with the Yamaha, but the Triumph’s triple makes you grin as it encourages you to work it. And it has better electronics than the MT, which is starting to become an area where the Yamaha is left lacking. Right down to the lack of selfcancelling indicators, the MT seems to have missed the modern electronics era. No TFT, no traction control, no power modes (not that it needs them), no connectivity, no option of a quickshifter.
As relaxed, fun and enjoyable to ride as the MT-07 is, parked up next to the Trident it doesn’t look as much of a quality product and its spec list backs this up. For £296 more the Triumph is fun to ride, equally practical and almost as easy-going yet is better handling and has more tech backing things up. Yamaha’s MT-07 is still a great middleweight and amazing value, it’s just that the Trident 660 delivers even better value and a superior ride when the pace rises.