Jay has just stepped off the 660cc Triumph Trident after a spirited 45-mile ride through the foothills of Southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. It’s nearing dusk and even though the temperature is unusually cool for this time of year, he encountered several other quick motorcycle riders with intimate knowledge of these twisty, high desert roads. The Trident isn’t bristling with the race-derived tech or horsepower figures that would impress a Moto america racer, but there’s a broad grin stretching from ear-to-ear when Jay unstraps his helmet.
“Did you see me keeping pace with all those sportbikes back there?” he asks eagerly. The Trident has that effect on people as it fulfills its understated role as Triumph’s true sleeper in a vast lineup. There are far faster Triumphs and yes, there are models that wax the Trident’s unassuming style in the look-at-me department. But for a budget-priced middleweight, the Trident has the ability to make riding a genuine joy. “It’s very comfortable with a good seat that’s padded well, and the clutch is nice and buttery and it handles good and stops good,” were among Jay’s praises. “It’s a six speed, but for some weird reason it feels like it needs another gear at high speed. I’d use a bike like this for commuting, mostly, and you’re not really going to do much riding above say, 80 miles an hour, but it gets a little out of breath at the top end.”
