THE FIVE BIKES THAT MATTER THIS MONTH

New Triumph Trident, Indian bagger racer, Johnny Rea’s Kawasaki, +2

Triumph’s new entry-level middleweight looks a tempting proposition for riders buying their first ‘big’ bike. Besides being in the right ballpark for power, torque, weight and price, the new Trident has two riding modes as standard, a mini TFT dash and the longest service intervals in the class. Assuming it has Triumph’s usual slick handling and decent build quality, the Trident should nick sales from its excellent class rivals. It’s a tough gig though. Despite Triumph’s best efforts, the new Trident makes less power than Honda’s CB650R, less torque than Yamaha’s MT-07 and weighs more than the Kawasaki Z650 and MT-07.

Clearly Triumph had to work very hard to keep the price down, so it’s no surprise the Trident lags its rivals in some areas. The front brake calipers, for example, have just two pistons compared with Honda and Yamaha’s more expensive four-piston set-ups. And although the Trident gets tasty-looking Showa suspension, only the rear shock has any adjustment – the MT-07’S gets rebound adjustment too.

Aside from Triumph’s glossy brand image, the Trident’s main advantage is the tech which comes as standard. It gets Road and Rain riding modes, with different settings for throttle response and traction control. For inexperienced riders, having a rain mode and traction control safety net could be a key selling point. The Yamaha and Kawasaki, by contrast, don’t have any traction control at all, let alone riding modes.

At £7195, the Trident is the most expensive in the class – it’s just £196 more than Honda’s classy CB650R but a worrying £700 more than the superb Z650. The PCP finance deals have yet to be announced, but we’re guessing they’ll be ferociously competitive.

‘The Trident’s main advantage is the tech which comes as standard’