The New 2025 Triumph Trident 660 Is In a League of Its Own (nearly)

I’m a sucker for old bikes (my newest bike is a 2002 model… and is even the oldest bike of its type), but I like it when manufacturers keep enough hints of old bikes for me to be happy, while adding things that I do sometimes miss on my older machines.

So yes, I like retro bikes, like the Kawasaki Z900RS, Yamaha XSR900 (the 2022+ model is awesome), and now, the Triumph Trident 660.

And I really like it when manufacturers bring high-end specs to entry-level bikes. The Trident 660, with its sub-660 cc capacity and availability in LAMS/A2 format, is an entry-level bike, even if it’s an expensive one. But with an IMU and cruise control, it’s now almost in a league of its own.

Triumph Trident — A Brief History

As I wrote in my original history of the Triumph Trident, Triumph — both Bloor and ‘original’ era — has been making the Trident for a while. Originally, Triumph made the 1968 Trident / BSA Rocket III based on a 740 cc three-cylinder engine in a naked chassis. So far, so similar! But the engine was air-cooled and the motorcycle was overall simpler, with drum brakes front and rear.

John Bloor’s Triumph reinvented the Trident in 1990, marketing them as affordable sporty naked bikes with sporty 749 cc and 885 cc liquid-cooled three-cylinder engines, respecitvley named the 750 and 900.

But Triumph didn’t keep making the Trident 750 and 900 past 1998. They introduced other lines of sporty triples later — we’re mostly familiar these days with the Street Triple and Speed Triple.

From 2021, Triumph re-introduced the Trident as the Trident 660.

What was different this time was that Triumph branded the Trident not just as an affordable sporty triple, but an entry-level one. Triumph makes other bikes in the bracket like the Street Triple and Speed Triple now, which make a lot more power and which have a lot more track potential.

In fact, in some markets (including Australia), Triumph didn’t even release a full-power version of the 2021 model. It was only a learner bike. Owners after more power would have to either engage in aftermarket shenanigans to derestrict it — not really a good idea if they’d want to ever resell it — or upgrade.

This is what has changed for the 2025 model year. Triumph has added enough stuff to the Trident to warrant it becoming a full-power machine in markets where there may be buyers, as an alaternative to other middleweight full-power bikes like the Suzuki GSX-8S, Honda Hornet CB750 (the new one with the parallel twin) and the Yamaha XSR700 (more so than the MT-07).

2021 vs 2025 Triumph Trident Models

So, what has stayed the same, and what has changed since the 2021 Trident?

The engine is the same. It still is a 660 cc triple that makes 81 hp (60 kW) at 10250 rpm, with peak torque of 64 Nm at 6250 rpm.

The chassis is the same too — a naked chassis with sportbike-spec tires (120/70-17 at the front and 180/55-17 at the rear), a non-adjustable fork, and a shock only adjustable for preload.

It’s a great package. 80 hp and a redline that’s above 10K rpm makes for fun everyday riding. Plus, the whole thing is 190 kg — quite light.

But Triumph has upped the ante on the 2021 model by adding

• An IMU (cornering ABS)
• Cruise control — a rarity on middleweight bikes, particularly “less expensive” ones
• A new sport riding mode (now 3 riding modes)
• A standard quick shifter — previously optional
• Enhanced TFT with turn-by-turn navigation and phone connection

“What’s the significance of an IMU and cruise control?” you wonder, sceptically. Rightly so — many incremental updates to bikes are mere veneer, barely worth the virtual ink distributed on the press updates. (“New colors!” Oh, please.)

But an IMU and cruise on a middleweight entry-level bike are significant. Many a more experienced writer and rider has commented that “if a bike has throttle-by-wire, it should have cruise control”. Manufacturers are holding on to cruise control as an upgradeable element, to add an air of prestige to their top-spec bikes. It’s gradually trickling down, though, and the Trident is an exmaple of this.

An IMU is a bigger deal. An IMU — or inertia measurement unit — gives cornering ABS / traction control to the Trident. It means that if you grab brakes while leaned over, not only will you not skid (as ABS will help you do), but nor will your bike be sent bolt upright and potentially into the path of oncoming traffic.

Here’s a graphic from my article on IMU-equipped bikes to explain it:

Then there are niceties like making a quickshifter standard and improving the screen. I’m less excited for those. But I’m happy that the screen is as round as the headlight.

Competitors for the 2025+ Trident 660

Now that Triumph has upped the spec level, the playing field of competitors for the Trident 660 is a little different.

I think you’d still think of it as a) a middleweight bike — not a 100+ hp sport bike. And it’s still b) a retro. But this is just what makes it hard to compare. Let’s try anyway.

Firstly, cheating already, there’s the 2022+ Yamaha XSR900, which has a sparkling 890 cc triple motor and the full suite of rider aids.

I think the CP3 in the XSR900 is my favourite motor… ever. It has torque everywhere, a great sound and feel, and is as rewarding to rev out as it is easy to use puttering around. So it’s tough competition. The only thing I have to say is the XSR900 is not an entry-level bike — it’s a lot more powerful than even the full-power Trident. (But the XSR700, as good as it is, is much lower spec, and makes less power than the Trident, to boot.)

There’s also the Ducati Scrambler with its 803cc L-twin.

The Scrambler line — and there are loads of models in it — is all based around the 803 cc air/oil-cooled Desmodromic L-twin. It has two valves per cylinder, belt-driven cams, and more intense maintenance requirements than most bikes (more frequent valve checks and adjustments required).

It’s a fine bike, and if you like saying Desmodromic, then it might be for you. I have nothing against old motors. I just either like them very old, like my 1997 Monster 900 with its dry clutch and cantankerous intake roar, or newer and smoother. Something about the way Ducati keeps this ancient engine alive to appeal to a hipster market has always bugged me. The design is great, and even air/oil-cooling and 2-valve cylinders is fine, but belt-driven cams is just super annoying and unnecessary, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head.

At least the Ducati Scrambler has an IMU — but no cruise control. And they cost more, too!

There are other contenders, but they’re all “not quite a Trident” in some way.

• The Aprilia Tuono 660 has a powerful engine and has all the rider aids (some are options). But it’s no retro.
• The Honda CB650R is retro (well, “neo-retro” in their speak), and the engine is decently powerful, but it’s pretty low-spec.

The CFMOTO CL-X700 Sport is an interesting one, though.

Apart from the branding (let’s get to that in a second), there’s nothing to fault about the CL-X700. Twin Brembo Stylema calipers. Fully adjustable suspension. Cruise control. A decently powerful twin-cylinder engine. The only fault I can give it is that branding, which at best is “What is that? I will give you less money (especially second hand)”, and which at worst will have people turn up their noses at it. If you don’t care, then it’s an awesome bike.

Sadly, motorcyclists are an oddly vain and judgy bunch for people who often claim to be individuals pursuing unabashed freedom (now I’m editorialising).

If you’re an “F ’em, I’ll do whatever I like” kind of person who never looks in the rear-view mirrors unless something is flashing, then the CL-X700 Sport (specifically, not the Heritage) is awesome. It still doesn’t have an IMU though… and twins aren’t for everyone.

Wrap up

I hope you see my point — the 2025 Triumph Trident 660 is pretty special. It’s uniquely positioned as a middleweight, entry-level bike with a full suite of rider aids. As if that weren’t enough, it has a three-cylinder engine. If you’ve given one a shot, let me know what you think (either as a comment or in an email).