Triumph Trident 660 (2026 – ) review

Aside from some fresh colours there’s little obviously different in the 2026 Trident 660’s looks, these picking up from the 2025 model’s introduction of a more sculpted tank with prominent contrasting knee pads on its sides. Nothing wrong with that either, given the Trident has always been a handsome machine, its combination of mildly thuggish lines with accessible sizing and manners endearing it to riders of all levels. But seemingly especially popular among new riders, and women in particular. All of which is good news as motorcycling attempts to broaden its appeal to a younger and more diverse audience. Under the skin the changes are actually more significant than you might guess, given the revised engine has required a widening of the frame to accommodate the bigger airbox and triple throttle bodies. None of which has messed with the 660’s already winning combination of style and attitude.

Short and quite upright for a relatively sporty bike, the 2026 Trident gets subtle tweaks like an extra 10mm to each end of the bars but sticks to the original’s combination of accommodatingly friendly sizing and a manageably low seat. Those much over six feet in height might feel a little scrunched up but for everyone else it’s a perfect combination of big bike gravitas and confidence-inspiring friendliness ideal for those moving up in the biking world.

You’ll have guessed by looking at it but the Trident’s stripped-back roadster lines don’t offer much in the way of protection from the elements. But that’s all part of the fun, the lack of bodywork not a problem around town or at the kind of real-world speeds you can genuinely enjoy on twisty backroads. That stumpy tail might look cool but it does mean you’ll get covered in spray and road muck if you go out in the wet, though, as we’ve learned to our cost previously. Various soft luggage options are available if you want to take your Trident further, though you’ll still need to pack light. Good news? If you like the sound of the Trident’s character and the uprated engine this has also been fitted to the related Tiger Sport 660, offering much of the same spirit but in a much more versatile and practical package.

An extra 14 horsepower might not sound all that much, especially when there were few complaints about the way the previous Trident 660 went. But you really feel the extra urge the first time you crack the throttle with any real intent, the engine revving harder and higher and very obviously more potent than before thanks to its switch to triple throttle bodies. This, combined with three clearly differentiated rider modes and a very slick up-and-down quickshifter, make it very easy – and fun – to appreciate the huge breadth of the triple’s power band. The fact it revs like the in-line fours in rivals like the QJMotor SRK800 or Honda CB650R but hauls like the torquey twins in the Suzuki GSX-8S or 790 Duke really is the best of both worlds. What the brakes meanwhile lack in designer-label bling they more than make up for in bite and feel, meanwhile, the feel to the lever smooth and predictable while standard cornering ABS introduced on the previous round of updates gives you confidence to lean on the Trident harder than ever. Going the other way you can, of course, still buy your Trident 660 in restricted A2 licence form and then have it set to full power mode as and when you get your full test. So it’s a bike you can grow with as your skills evolve.

Fun and confidence-inspiring in equal measure, just as the Trident always has been. While the riding position and geometry are all pretty neutral the short wheelbase gives it a very chuckable, agile feeling in the bends which, combined with the flexibility of the engine, makes it huge fun at what we’d describe as twisty B-road pace. Suspension is per the updated 2025 660, meaning the improved but still non-adjustable Showa Separate Function Big Piston forks up front while the monoshock rear gets a slightly stiffer spring and can now be adjusted for rebound as well as preload, meaning there is a degree of tweakability in the set-up if you need it. The smooth Spanish roads we were riding hardly troubled the suspension but previous experience of the Trident on bumpier home tarmac suggests Triumph knows how to set its bikes up for our more challenging terrain. Some of the faster riders among our group did complain they found it a little soft in extremis but at the more real-world pace we were riding at we had no complaints. And if you do have a greater need for speed there’s always the Trident 800 with its fully adjustable suspension.

Inevitable discounts on remaining stock of the outgoing 81 horsepower 660s make the price gap between it and the new 95 horsepower one look bigger than the couple of hundred quid added to the rrp, so pays your money there. At a smidge over eight grand the new version is still competitive with key rivals like the Yamaha MT-07, Honda CB750 Hornet or KTM 790 Duke, though talented new Chinese bikes like the QJMotor SRK800 can be had for quite a bit less. Given the relatively small engine capacity for the class you’d hope insurers might look a little more kindly on the Triumph than some, but that will depend on your circumstances.

For all the significant mechanical upgrades the 660cc triple is well-proven in previous Tridents, the Tiger Sport 660 and the Daytona 660 which also uses it in this heightened state of tune. Ditto the electronics and all the other bits. So, no significant concerns there.

Triumph’s signature 10,000-mile service interval is a big confidence boost, whether or not your annual mileage gets anywhere near that kind of figure. And if the standard two-year warranty isn’t enough you can extend it to up to four years at extra cost, which may prove attractive to future buyers if you’re intending to move it on in this time.

In a world where all modern motorbikes are expected to carry a big TFT screen on the bars Triumph’s smaller, circular display with part-LCD readout looks old-fashioned, and won’t be popular with everyone. But we actually rather like it for that, and the information you need is clearly presented while the interface with the controls on the left switch cube is relatively intuitive and spares you the configurability confusion of some rivals. Each to theirs on that score. If you like connecting your phone to your bike there is an app for that, too. For all this seemingly trad vibe the Trident 660 now has all the tech you’d want in a modern sporty naked, including the cornering ABS and traction control introduced in the last update, a standard quickshifter and basic cruise control. A shame heated grips aren’t standard, given we’d definitely be wanting those as well.

The Trident’s popularity with up-and-coming riders is obvious – it looks great, has a fantastic engine and a brilliant balance of performance and handling that thrills and excites without being too terrifying. Its rivals are all highly competent but the Triumph has charisma on its side as well, the power boost for its signature engine as welcome as it is obvious. The only losers? Those who bought the 2025 one, unaware this engine upgrade was so soon to follow.