Spec shootout: Triumph Trident 660 vs Kawasaki Z650, Honda CB650R and Ducati Scrambler Nightshift

The Trident 660 is the latest offering from the Hinckley based manufacturer. It is the smallest and most affordable Triumph in the manufacturer’s current portfolio. A middle-weight bike is a great option for someone graduating from a 300-400cc bike and that’s exactly the kind of audience the Triumph Trident 660 aims to target. We are going to ride the bike very soon, so we’ll reserve our riding impressions for then. But for now, let’s take a look at how the Trident 660 stacks up against its closest rivals on paper. And that would be the newly launched Honda CB650R, Kawasaki Z650 and the Ducati Scrambler Nightshift. Now, we know in terms of price, the Scrambler Icon is the closer choice, but the Nightshift is a more road-biased option so we have chosen that for the purpose of this comparo.

The bikes in this comparo are a real mixed bag when it comes to engine configurations. The Kawasaki Z650 and the Ducati Scrambler Nightshift both use two cylinders but the Z uses them in a parallel-twin configuration while the Nightshift uses it in L-Twin format. The Trident 660 gets an inline-triple while the CB650R boasts the most number of cylinders with its inline-four config.

The Honda CB650R is the most powerful bike in this shootout but the Trident 660 comes a close second and does make a bit more torque too. The Trident also weighs a good 17kg less than the Honda so in the real world, performance figures may be a different story altogether. The Ducati Nightshift is the third most powerful bike in this shootout and at 66.2Nm, it makes the most torque. The Ducati and Kawasaki also make their power lower down which should make for friendlier city bikes. The Kawasaki Z650 is the least powerful bike in the segment.

The Triumph Trident 660, Ducati Scrambler Nightshift and Honda CB650R get similar suspension setups while the Kawasaki is the only bike that gets a telescopic front fork setup. Both the Z650 and Nightshift get trellis frames whereas the Trident 660 and the Honda CB650R get a steel perimeter frame and a steel diamond frame respectively. How the bikes fare against each other in the handling department remains to be seen but the Trident’s low kerb weight of 189kg should swing the handling department in its favour.

In terms of wheel setup, all the bikes in this shootout have a 17-inch front and rear wheel setup except the Ducati Nightshift which gets an 18-inch front and a 17-inch rear. It is also the only bike that uses spoked wheels instead of alloys. On paper, the braking system of the Honda CB650R looks the strongest with its four-piston radially mounted Nissin calipers and a 310mm double disc setup. But despite getting only a single front rotor, the Ducati does have the largest of the lot, 330mm rotor chomped on by a four-pot Brembo caliper. The Kawasaki also has the smallest brake discs amongst the four bikes in this comparo.

On to accessibility, the Triumph Trident 660 is the lightest bike here with a kerb weight of 189kg and an extremely beginner friendly seat height of 805mm. That being said, it isn’t the shortest bike here. The Kawasaki Z650 has a shorter seat at 790mm and it is the second lightest bike here with a kerb weight of 191kg. The Honda CBR650R is the heaviest and tallest bike in this shootout with a kerb weight of 206kg and a seat height of 810mm. The Ducati Scrambler Nightshift has a seat height of 798mm and a kerb weight of 196kg making it the second heaviest bike here. In terms of fuel capacity, the CB with its 15.4 litre fuel capacity has the biggest fuel tank and that is followed by the Z650 with its 15-litre tank. The Trident 660 gets a 14-litre tank while the Nightshift has the smallest tank at 13.5 litres.

Electronics and Equipment

In terms of electronics, dual-channel ABS and LED lighting on both ends is standard equipment on all the bikes here and the Ducati Scrambler Nightshift is the only bike here that gets a cornering ABS system. The Triumph Trident 660 also gets a ride-by-wire system that endows the bike with two riding modes, Rain and Road. Apart from this, it also gets a switchable traction control system and the option to add the My Triumph connectivity feature to enable GoPro and smartphone connectivity. It also gets a TFT dash. The Kawasaki Z650 gets a colour-TFT dash that is Bluetooth enabled that allows the user to pair their smartphone for more functionality. The Honda CB650R gets an LCD instrument cluster that displays all the necessary information. No colour-TFT here. It also gets Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) which is a traction control system. The Ducati Scrambler Nightshift also gets a LCD instrument cluster that displays necessary information. The biggest feature on the Nightshift is cornering ABS. So, despite the Nightshift getting cornering ABS, the Triumph Trident gets the most in terms of electronics and equipment and the Kawasaki Z650 is the least equipped.

Price

The Triumph Trident was launched for an introductory price of Rs 6.95 lakh (ex-showroom) making it the second most affordable bike in this shootout. The Kawasaki Z650 is the most affordable bike in this shootout at an ex-showroom price of Rs 6.18 lakh, despite recently receiving a price hike. The Honda CB650R will cost Rs 8.67 lakh (ex-showroom) while the Ducati Scrambler Nightshift being the most expensive bike here will set you back Rs 9.8 lakh (ex-showroom).

Conclusion

The comparison is purely based on the specs of the bike and to that end, the Triumph Trident seems like a clear choice in terms of a value for money proposition, because it is the second most powerful bike here and also the second most affordable. It also gets the most in terms of overall equipment. But the story might be different on the road. And for that we’ll have to get all the bikes together and ride them back to back. In the meanwhile, stay tuned for our first ride review of the Triumph Trident.