Triumph Trident 660
One of the most awaited motorcycles to hit our shores this year is not some 200-hp missile; it is the spiritual successor to the legendary Triumph Street Triple 675
A spiritual successor to the Street Triple 675
We’re SUrfing tHe SeConD WAVe of tHe CoViD-19 pandemic and are on the verge on another lockdown. Cases are rising daily and nobody seems to know what to do; the future, in a word, looks bleak. We should all be worried, but on this fine, sunny morning, my mind is far removed from current affairs. i am aboard triumph’s latest roadster at well into triple digits, throttle pinned in third gear, the raspy three-cylinder motor singing away as the tachometer rushes towards its 10,500-rpm red-line. As i shift up another gear and continue accelerating, all my attention is directed at the fast-approaching left-hander. A firm squeeze of the reach-adjustable brake lever and a couple of quick downshifts bring my speed in check, and the trident 660 carves an accurate and predictable line towards the apex, still nudging triple-digit speeds and going exactly where i look. i get back on the throttle to fire out of the corner and impeccable fuelling ensures that the rear tyre hooks up without fuss. revs once again rise and the digital speedo reads 120, 130, 140 km/h as i reposition myself to dive into the next corner on this exciting four-lane section of national Highway 34, snaking its way through the Himalayan foothills in Uttarakhand.
the trident 660 marks triumph’s entry into the lower end of the naked middleweight spectrum, aimed squarely at the Kawasaki Z 650 and the Honda Cb650f. it is an all-new machine, which is rare these days, and is now the easiest route to triumph ownership courtesy its competitive rs 6.95-lakh (ex-showroom) price tag.
the Street triple 675 made a name for itself as the ideal middleweight naked for the first-time big bike buyer, powered by that entertaining in-line triple and backed up by a capable chassis and excellent handling. today’s tech-laden 765-cc iteration is sharper, more advanced, better equipped, more powerful, and ultimately more expensive than ever before, putting it out of reach for many. With its introduction, the trident has taken the original Street triple’s place as the approachable, uncomplicated, no-frills, entry-level roadster in triumph’s range.
in a world where modern motorcycles look more and more like flying machines, the trident’s uncluttered design is a breath of fresh air. the teardrop-shaped tank leads back to a minimalistic tail section and single-piece seat, while further down a trio of
shiny pipes exit the engine and lead to the stubby, under-slung exhaust system. there are no superfluous components or bodypanels in sight, save for the bright red radiator shrouds that add a touch of flair on this Silver ice and Diablo red colourway, and the round headlamp and meter housing throw a couple of retro components into the mix. the minimalistic approach gives the trident an air of pure motorcycling fun and that is exactly what this bike is all about. it looks the part of a purposeful naked roadster and, getting up close, paint and finish levels look topnotch and build quality seems in line with the other, more expensive triumph motorcycles.
from the moment you settle into the 805-millimetre-high saddle, the bike feels compact and friendly. Setting off, it perfectly fits my 5’ 5” frame and i’ve been told by taller riders that they were equally comfortable. its slim profile enhances the manageable feel and my thighs are snug against the textured finish of the welldesigned knee recesses. ergos are typical of a standard street bike, with the aluminium handlebar keeping the rider in a comfortable, almost upright position. the trident feels agile and easy to live with around town, although the limited steering lock can make tight manoeuvres and U-turns a pain. the mid-set foot-pegs are high enough to allow for generous lean angles while not feeling cramped even after a day in the saddle. the all-new switchgear is sturdy and functional, if somewhat utilitarian, and i wish the horn button were a little more prominent; my thumb consistently found the protruding corner of the plastic switchgear housing when i needed the horn.
the rider’s interface is contained within an uncluttered round housing and is comprised of a white-on-black LCD in the top half and a full-colour tft screen lower down. the tachometer sweeps across the top edge of the semi-circular LCD, which also includes a digital speed readout, bar-type fuel-gauge, and gear indicator, while the small tft screen toggles among a host of other parameters, settings, and menus, including the bluetooth connectivity options. electronic rider aids are limited to two riding modes, AbS and a switchable traction control system, while a quick-shifter is an optional accessory.
the trident 660 is held together by a tubular steel perimeter frame and is powered by a juicy 660-cc in-line triple. the motor is, as you might have guessed, derived from triumph’s award-winning 675-cc, three-cylinder mill from the Daytona and Street triple. it shares the 675’s 74-mm bore with stroke reduced from 52.3 mm to 51.1 mm, bringing displacement down to 660 cc. but a lot more has gone into transforming this motor from a racetrack-dominating screamer to the easygoing, tractable chugger within the trident. the crankcase castings, oil sump, cylinder-head, camshafts, crankshaft, and pistons are just a few of the 67 new components that have gone into developing the trident’s powertrain, which is why calling this motor anything other than an all-new unit would be doing it a great disservice.
Peak figures are 81 hp at 10,250 rpm and 64 nm at 6,250 rpm and, while this doesn’t seem like a lot of power on paper, the way that it is delivered is what makes this bike so exciting to ride. the motor churns out 90 per cent of peak twist from as low as 3,600 rpm and pulls the trident forward with urgency just about anywhere in the rev-range. You could putter around town at 40 to 50 km/h in sixth without a hint of knocking and accelerate away smoothly, or enter corners in a gear too high and still get excellent drive through; but more entertaining is how the motor feels when you wring it out across open sections of road. things start getting lively upwards of 4,000 rpm and, by the time the tacho gets past 6,500 rpm, you’ll be holding on tight and grinning wide as that raspy exhaust note builds to a howling crescendo. eighty-one horses feel like a lot when backed up by a strong wave of torque and accompanied by the triple’s addictive soundtrack. Shifts through the sixspeed gearbox were always positive during my ride, and the first four short ratios perfectly complement the engine’s character, contributing greatly to the trident’s rapid acceleration through the gears.
When compared to the more premium bikes in triumph’s line-up, the suspension and brake components on the trident definitely seem like budget items. the Showa upside-down fork is quite basic and lacks any adjustability, the monoshock only gets a preload collar and the nissin brakes are a far cry from the brembo monoblocs that do duty on most higher-end british machines. Sure, the trident is built to a cost, but don’t let anyone tell you that these components limit this motorcycle’s abilities to show you a good time. both ends felt extremely well-damped, even with the pace turned up through the twisties.
i was especially impressed by how planted and communicative the front felt, always tracking true and giving me the confidence to carry silly speeds into corners. the rear